Apologies for the slight tangent, but it’s important to understand that drinking again will do absolutely nothing to relieve your boredom. Located in Central Ohio, our comprehensive addiction treatment facility offers several levels of care to fit the needs of each individual. The line between alcohol use and misuse doesn’t just depend on how many drinks you have or how often you drink.

• You’ll get to meet new people and be a part of something positive.
• But for many people, lingering feelings of anxiety, depression, and general malaise can last weeks, months, or even longer.
• Volunteering helps fill in stretches of boredom, helps you think about others, and can help you get a great night’s sleep.
• When drinking becomes habitual, it eventually becomes the default choice, maybe the only choice.
• Knowing why you drink is essential, says Cyndi Turner, LCSW, LSATP, MAC, a Virginia therapist specializing in addiction treatment and alcohol moderation.
• The good news is that your brain can adjust and restore balance to your internal world.

Now that this is gone it can feel like you are living a quite boring life. What’s important to realize is that boredom is one of the biggest triggers for relapse. And, according to research, about one third of those in their first year of recovery will relapse. What’s more the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism reports that about 90% of those individuals who were in treatment for alcoholism relapse within four years. These statistics are somewhat discouraging but it’s important to realize that relapse doesn’t have to be a part of recovery. With a solid support group, an understanding of one’s own personal triggers, and plans to counteract temptations, you can enter recovery once–and remain there.

Admissions Process

There aren’t many life experiences comparable to getting sober. When you decide to quit drugs or alcohol for good, you’re giving yourself a new lease on life that can be challenging, fulfilling, and even boring. So much of an addict’s life is spent thinking about, obtaining, or using drugs, but when that’s taken away when you go to inpatient treatment, you’re left with a lot of free time. Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may experience detox symptoms when quitting drinking or cutting back. Together, you can come up with a plan to get through it.

Experience lasting change and receive the support you need now and over the years to come. There are many potential reasons to cut down on or to stop drinking. In older adults, especially, too much alcohol can lead to balance problems and falls, which can result in hip or arm fractures and other injuries. Older people have thinner bones drinking out of boredom than younger people, so their bones break more easily. Studies show that the rate of various types of fractures in older adults increases with heavy alcohol use. We get stuck in a cycle of wanting to quit and not wanting to quit because we are terrified that we are going to be deprived of something that makes our life better.

Examine alcohol health effects

Eating when bored, as well as choosing unhealthy snacks, can have an undesirable impact on a person’s health and body weight. However, addressing diet, emotions, and behavioral habits are helpful strategies that people can try to reduce snacking out of boredom. There are countless numbers of people complaining about feeling bored, not knowing what to do with themselves. Occupy your time and get healthy social interaction by taking part in group meetings and sober-related activities. Many groups hang out before or after the meeting so join up for a great time and less boredom. Free time leads to boredom and boredom can lead you back to drinking or drug use.

Plus, you might meet some cool people, and that’s always a double win. And while these things might sound serious and scary, it’s important to note that it’s one piece of a larger puzzle. It’s not as simple as “getting out there” and “trying something new.” It’s hard to do that when you suffer from extreme depression and anhedonia. The very things you should be doing to feel better require a level of motivation you might not be able to fathom. My friends and I got together for happy hours after work. It all felt normal, even the terrible parts like awful hangovers and hangxiety.

Signs of Becoming an Almost Alcoholic

And the truth is that this “just not drinking” thing is your ENTIRE JOB right now. And here’s what you need to remember – what you’re going through is normal. By Amy Morin, LCSW

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Here, you’ll receive both medical and mental health support. Maybe you’re stuck in another pointless meeting at work or your dentist is running behind schedule. However, if you’re frequently bored, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ you may not have enough to do. See if there’s something you can add to your schedule to keep you a little more busy–a 12-Step meeting, a standing coffee date, a workout, an art class, whatever.

You feel like you don’t quite know what to do with yourself. Like you’re not actually doing much of ANYTHING… except not drinking. It’s important to fight long periods of boredom to keep yourself sane but you can also embrace the peace of boredom. Being bored means you’re not in trouble, you’re not in withdrawal, you’re not worried about what you said, and you don’t have to apologize for your actions.