It’s nice to know I’m not alone and can’t wait to be able to walk my dogs again to feel normal. For other people, drinking alcohol out of boredom is a much more active choice – they drink to cope with negative feelings like anxiety or loneliness.

• I’ve made a conscious effort to not “screw over Tomorrow Gil”. What I mean by that is, if “Today Gil” doesn’t drink, then “Tomorrow Gil” won’t have a hangover, get a DUI, be fat, etc. Many of the bar relationships I had have all but fractured. When I visit the one person I still meet up with regularly, I just simply don’t drink while he does. I stick with diet sodas, red bulls, and I’ll get some wings or something. Whether your sobriety has you wallowing in boredom or self-pity, please know that it will get better. Even if you have no idea HOW things can change, trust the process and keep working on it.

Drinking Out of Boredom

Perhaps you argue with your partner when you’re drinking, or maybe you become the loud person who embarrasses their friends in a restaurant. Like many people, it sounds like you initially sought alcohol because you thought it was a solution. It might have temporarily offered relief from boredom or loneliness. But over time, you may be noticing that alcohol is creating more problems for you—not actually solving anything.

• Perhaps you argue with your partner when you’re drinking, or maybe you become the loud person who embarrasses their friends in a restaurant.
• It’s important to note that asking “is being sober boring?
• However, the variety of treatment options make it easier for individuals and families to focus on moderate consumption or complete abstinence.
• Drinking out of boredom may indicate a deeper issue at hand.

This is when they start joking that I must have gotten a DUI… to make themselves feel better, I suppose. Before I started drinking too much, I loved to write.

Why Do We Get Bored Easily?

We can also feel bored when the thing we’re doing feels hard and overwhelming — for instance, when there’s a work memo we must write and we’re not sure where to start. Likewise, boredom might happen “when you are watching a movie with a complicated plot, and you are just lost,” Dr. Gasper said. It’s important to note that asking “is being sober drinking because of boredom boring? ” isn’t limited to those who haven’t received treatment for an alcohol and drug problem. Euphoric recall is a dangerous thought process that can jeopardize the recovery of those who have completed treatment and consider themselves sober. One way to fill up all of your extra time when you’re feeling antsy and bored is by freelancing!

Instead, it depends on whether your use causes problems in your life. In the “Ask a Therapist” series, I’ll be answering your questions about all things mental health and psychology. Whether you are struggling with a mental health condition, coping with anxiety about a life situation, or simply looking for a therapist’s insight,submit a question. Look out for my answers to your questions every Friday in the Healthy Mind newsletter. I also drive a lot, meet my SO for lunch to stay away from home. I would have celebrated 2 years this coming November, but picked up last weekend because I was feeling bored, lonely, and really sorry for myself.

What is Ecotherapy? A Beginner’s Guide + Tips to Get You Started

Withdrawal symptoms should be monitored by a medical professional. It took a while once I got sober to figure out how I wanted to spend that free time. I think for a lot of us drinking is covering problems that once sober, have to be explored and solutions found. Maybe just focusing on one thing for now, the drinking, might make it all seem more manageable. For a lot of people, distraction seems to be key in the early days. If you can distract yourself with a long walk outdoors and burn some calories, so much the better!

• Valuing and prioritizing yourself in recovery can be a powerful way to remove the hold alcohol has on you.
• And I already have a dog if I just wanted someone to listen to my problems.
• It can also spark feelings of shame, guilt, and resentment.
• “If you’re constantly soothing away those feelings of boredom with something like a phone, instead of engaging with them, I think it’s taking away a really useful signal,” she said.

Treat yourself to a 10-step skincare routine and get your pamper on. Transform your living room into a movie theater with popcorn and snacks and marathon classic films, like Star Wars or Back to the Future! Bonus points if you can come up with fun ways to watch https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the series in a different order. Clear out the living room and build a fort or pitch a tent to bring some of the outdoors, inside! If you really want to go all out, roll out some sleeping bags and hang up some glow-in-the-dark stars for some sweet memories.

Drinking for negative reinforcement to cope, such as using alcohol to escape, avoid, or regulate unpleasant emotions. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America says that alcohol and other substances can worsen anxiety symptoms. About 20% of Americans with an anxiety or mood disorder such as depression have an alcohol or other substance use disorder. Dani Blum shares science-backed tips on getting better sleep without drugs.

Remember, it’s not that sobriety is terrible, but that your brain is trying to grapple with the sudden loss of dopamine. Just like you would be patient and gentle with a broken leg, you gotta give your brain the same tenderness. If you are walking around saying that there’s nothing to do and everything about sobriety is boring and terrible, you are condemning yourself to misery. It’s hard to fill that time, especially when dealing with alcohol cravings and triggers. This is important to remember when thinking about boredom. Everyone reacts to boredom differently, but the way we react is vital to our health and well-being.

Boredom Drinking Alcohol Abuse Rehab Programs

You know the more I found things to do that made me feel like I had some kind of purpose, the less bored I became. I also have a two year old so boredom is a luxury I haven’t had in a while lol. I found a lot of times I used drinking to just opt out of thinking altogether. I didn’t want to do anything and didn’t want to not be doing anything either. But my boredom at home is bad and getting worse. I have no desire to drink again b/c, frankly, the bad outweighs the good. But with it being 110 degrees outside now (and over or near 100 for 4-5 months out of the year), spending time outside just isn’t an option for me.