CINCINNATI (WKRC) – What started as a fundraising effort known as “Oc-Sober” has now become a way to turn around a few pandemic alcohol habits.

Sober October got its roots from several people who decided to give up alcohol for the month, and they challenged friends to do the same and use the money elsewhere for a good cause. Now, it’s a way to have friends help friends get and stay sober.

“A lot of the friends I had prior to getting sober were ones that I used with or ones that contributed to my dereliction, I guess you could say,” said Aaron Laine, director of community outreach at DeCoach Rehabilitation.

If a person wants to reduce or eliminate alcohol or another addictive substance, that person may need to change friends to change habits.

“Support is important when it comes to recovery. One of the things that addiction does is it causes you to isolate, and it’s kind of a slow process. First, you stop talking to people and then you stop coming around, and then, before you know it, you’re alone,” said Daniel Ritchie, a peer support specialist for the UC Medical Center’s early intervention program.

And being alone raises a person’s risk for what we’ve seen during this pandemic year: a record number of overdose deaths, topping 93,000.

“I had this mindset that I was a man. I can handle things myself. I don’t need people to know what’s going on with me,” Ritchie said.

Laine and Ritchie, who are now both five years sober, used friendship to support sobriety. Both said giving up alcohol and finding support is a good first step if someone else wants to do the same.

“So, having those connections and encouraging each other and also being open and being like, 'You know what? My life is at stake. I have to reach out or I’m going to die. I suffer from a terminal illness that, if untreated, will take my life.' And so, it’s important for me and other men out there to continue to reach out and make that the norm,” Ritchie said.

Laine and Ritchie also remind everyone that these same steps can work with other addictions that have also gone up during this pandemic, including everything from overeating to prolonged screen time.