ADVICE FROM AOL –

Nov. 23, 2024 – When you think of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, what comes to mind? Gathering around a table set with food and wine, sitting on the couch watching football with a beer in hand or enjoying cocktails at a bar with friends? We’re here for each other for a reason. Just trusting in that sense of fellowship that you find. 

Styer stopped drinking about six years ago, when the attitudes around alcohol hadn’t quite begun to shift. Styer described the experience as “isolating,” but at the same time was heartened by the fact that a lot of her friends, even those who still drank, “were really supportive of that journey” and accommodated her needs.

“Having people around you that will be supportive of your sobriety journey is a really important thing. And, a lot of people since then, I’ve seen more and more people becoming sober and more and more establishments accommodating non-alcoholic drinks,” Styer said. “It has been, actually, quite lovely to see that. It makes me feel more comfortable. The pressure and the anxiety of it is lessened.”

Both Styer and Liffick emphasized that while communication is important, and that letting people know what your needs are and what you’re going through can help, no one is owed an explanation.

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