If you’ve created an entire social life around drinking, it is natural to be afraid of life without it. Acute anxiety and depression from the withdrawal process can ease within a few days to a week. But for many people, lingering feelings of anxiety, depression, and general malaise can last weeks, months, or even longer. When serotonin and dopamine levels are low, we become less motivated and less interested in our surroundings.
If you’re ready to break free from this habit and reclaim control of your life, the Stop Drinking Expert is here to help. With resources, articles, and support, you can learn how to live a healthier, more fulfilling life without alcohol. Sign up for a free quit-drinking webinar today and start your journey toward a sober, more rewarding future. While a drink might provide a brief moment of relief, alcohol is a depressant that can have negative effects on mental health over time.
It’s also a common reason many become dependent on substances. Not only this, self-medicating can lead to and exacerbate mental health conditions leading to a dual diagnosis condition. By removing the alcohol and making those necessary lifestyle changes, we increase the chances of becoming people who can enjoy the simple pleasure of life once again. It is very common for people to replace alcohol with sugar in the beginning, which is detrimental not only to your waistline and physical health but your mental well-being as well.
- A Denver native and lifelong Colorado resident, Megan embarked on her academic journey at the University of Northern Colorado.
- It explains why it’s easy to lie on the couch watching a movie and not move.
- This article will explore the link between boredom and relapse and provide tips for curing boredom in recovery.
- Apologies for the slight tangent, but it’s important to understand that drinking again will do absolutely nothing to relieve your boredom.
- And it said, if you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new Hello.
Set Some New Goals
Knowing how to identify the signs of heading toward alcoholism can allow you or a loved one to seek treatment and recover. But self-medicating like this is not just bad for your body, but it is also likely to make your mental health worse. Drinking out of boredom because you feel anxious is likely to make you feel worse because drinking from boredom alcohol is a depressant, so if you are already feeling low, it makes those feelings more extreme.
Build a strong support network.
I would like to invite anyone reading this to be patient with themselves, and to find ways to adjust to their boredom and discomfort with doing something different. If you’re at the point where you’re emotionally drinking and unable to derive pleasure from everyday activities, it can be a sign that you need additional support to break out of this cycle. If you are still in the flirtation stage of drinking out of boredom, it’s a great time to intervene and make a concerted effort to handle boredom in healthier ways.
Breaking Free From the Cycle
If those thoughts are very negative, then hanging out in your own brain isn’t going to be a great experience. This is where the real work of sobriety is – facing up to your own mind. Kathleen was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but spent half of her life in California. She holds a master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy.
The best approach to treatment includes access to follow-up therapy, management of skills, group or peer support, strategies to prevent relapse and prescribed medications if needed. Such a comprehensive treatment is most effective in achieving recovery. Engaging in new hobbies and interests is an excellent way to fill your time and create a sense of fulfillment without alcohol. These activities can help you stay busy, improve your mental health, and provide a healthier alternative to boredom drinking. There are various strategies available to help you overcome boredom drinking and maintain a sober lifestyle in 2024.
The Role of Habit in Boredom Drinking
Boredom, after stopping drinking, is not uncommon. There are countless numbers of people complaining about feeling bored, not knowing what to do with themselves. Over time, with regular alcohol consumption, our brain starts to adapt. Our reward system gets recalibrated to account for the frequent dopamine hits coming from the alcohol.
Seeking Treatment
If you’re in the beginning, yeah, everything you’re doing is just navigating life without alcohol. And you will take a lot of bass and go on a lot of walks and drink tea and go to bed early and take naps and need time alone. So I wanted to start with the beginning, which is when you are in your first 15 days, 30 days, possibly even 45 days. And I want to ask you, if you’re there, are you feeling bored in early sobriety? Because if you are, that’s pretty normal, there is an “in between” time, somewhere between no longer in your drinking life. The truth is that you might feel bored, what you’re going through is normal, it happens to everyone.
Take a Break From Alcohol and Seek Help
It also made me tired, which got rid of some of my anxiety. It made me feel accomplished early in the morning. And if I did nothing else, I was like, Okay, I did that today. Often, it really comes down to being willing to do something that doesn’t entertain you or make you feel good immediately.
It’s important to understand that achieving sobriety is possible. I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. Additionally, I examine the way mental and physical health as well as our relationships with others impact the reasons people drink and their role in maintaining sobriety long-term. At the moment, bored drinking might not have a negative impact on your work or family life. If you start noticing these side effects, it’s time to re-evaluate how you deal with boredom.
- But if you can spend time with those thoughts, you will be better prepared to make changes that can positively affect them.
- This proactive approach will empower you to break the cycle of loneliness, addiction, and more loneliness, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling life in the present moment.
- She has a passion for working with clients to help them develop a more profound sense of identity to navigate depressive and anxious symptoms.
- This might explain why, in such moments, we impulsively reach for distractions, like the remote or a social media scroll.
- Through counseling, you can gain guidance, support, and learn behavioral treatments to help you change your drinking behavior.
- She holds a master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy.
While alcohol abuse is common, it doesn’t mean you have to face it alone. Downplaying the seriousness of alcohol misuse and addiction can have impactful ramifications. In fact, alcohol is connected to over 60 different cancers and diseases. Even when consumed in smaller quantities, alcohol can have short- and long-term effects. There will always be a long lost friend who arrives on your doorstep looking to catch up over a few drinks.
This course is not a 30 day challenge, or a one day at a time approach. Instead, it’s a step-by-step formula for changing your relationship with alcohol. The course will help you turn the decision to stop drinking from your worst case scenario to the best decision of your life. You will sleep better and have more energy, you’ll look better and feel better, you’ll have more patience and less anxiety.
Right now, you’re doing a very hard thing, and sometimes hard things feel lonely. Fortunately, there are more ways than ever to connect with like-minded people who are fellow travelers on this path. This is probably new for your friends and family, too. Don’t be afraid to communicate how you’re feeling. When I quit drinking, I was lucky to have a spouse that supported my decision. It’s important to have the right mindset about sobriety.
Be ready for these moments when they arrive, and they will, give yourself a wry smile, then make the choice that fits with your goals. Various factors lead individuals to abuse alcohol, including genetic traits, environmental reasons, and societal factors. Still, alcohol is a highly addictive substance that can lead to dependency, especially when consuming frequently and in large quantities. Drinking out of boredom may indicate a deeper issue at hand. Whether your sobriety has you wallowing in boredom or self-pity, please know that it will get better.
If she weren’t so damn good at her job, she says she would probably be an electrical engineer. Karlie is originally from Dayton, Ohio, and began her education in psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She participated in research studying ADHD in children, mindfulness and anxiety, and embodied cognition. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she continued her education at the University of Denver and earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling with a side specialization in addiction. During grad school, she treated clients involved in the legal system as well as at a detox facility. After graduating, Karlie gained experience working in a residential program for eating disorders and a private practice before joining the AspenRidge team.
Outside of work, Brionna finds solace in arts and crafts, particularly crocheting and creative writing. She cherishes quiet moments with a good book, her two beloved cats, and the tranquility of nature’s walking trails. In the meantime, the Soberish community is here to support you and help you get there.