For most of my adult life (I'm 33), alcohol was very present. I worked in restaurants and bars beginning at 20 years old until I was 31. My entire social life revolved around drinking in one way or another. Most of my friends still drink pretty consistently, but since getting married, having children, and starting a professional career, my life no longer revolves around alcohol.

My social life is a bit drab at times, but the I have found that other things that interest me are pretty much the same whether I'm drinking or not. I play fantasy baseball and football. I still watch sporting events with the same regularity. I may still consume alcohol at times, but I never feel the need to over indulge as the effects of a night of drinking have serious repercussions on my sleep and the ability to function the next day.

I have found that I am more active, exercising and generally getting out more. I have found that I have to be active in finding other things that interest me and keep my attention such as cooking, reading, and gardening. It can be challenging since not all of my friends share my personal interests, but some do. I am always sending texts to all of my friends inviting them to play tennis or basketball. Day time activities rise enormously while night time activities are generally for me and my family.

I force myself to wake up very early as an added caution to potentially drinking too much if I happen to go out for drinks with friends. Along with waking up early, I always plan to have something to work on the next day (yard work, cleaning, errands, etc.). It's amazing how quickly your schedule can fill up when you actually plan to do things that need to be done.