During lockdown, drinking has become a worryingly easy way to punctuate the day Lauren O’Neill

Sobriety will not only grant you the gift of time but also renew your energy and motivation to do more things that bring you joy and fulfillment. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals.

Despite its negative impacts, more Americans than ever consume alcohol regularly, especially women and minorities. Drinking out of boredom can reinforce negative feelings and self-medicate. There are so many things that I no longer do.

Ask a Therapist: How Do I Know If My Drinking Is a Problem?

The current pandemic has highlighted how boredom can trigger the misuse of substances, particularly alcohol. In fact, alcohol sales outside of bars and restaurants surged 24% shortly after stay-at-home orders began. Ernest Hemingway wrote “I drink to make other people more interesting.” I drink to make life more interesting. I cannot overstate how much it informed me when I came across information on the powerful reality of post acute withdrawal syndrome . We understand that early sobriety is a difficult time full of a range of emotions.

• Boredom can bring unwanted feelings of restlessness, irritation, and low self-esteem, and it’s important to learn and discover healthy ways to manage these feelings.
• Handling emotions of any kind can be a relapse trigger, and this is especially true in early recovery.
• It’s insane but, again, it’s not a rational choice.
• Many people find themselves eating too much, gambling, shopping to excess or indulging in other vices out of boredom.

I DID get to the point in my addiction where it took over my life and I got sober and did the 12 step recovery thing 100% for 3 years. Many of the bar drinking because of boredom 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.

Healthy Hobbies to Replace Drinking

We can address fear and healthy coping mechanisms to combat any doubt and uncertainty that either an individual or family may feel during these difficult times. It’s important to understand that achieving sobriety is possible. Alcohol addiction rehab programs should address substance use as well as any underlying co-occurring mental health disorders.

Avoid moping, avoid whining about being bored. Thinking about how bored you are doesn’t work. You need to be proactive, find a solution for yourself. The great news is that you now have many options, an endless supply of options. When you were drinking, cracking open a bottle was the default option, now that you can’t go there you have to think about other things to do. Be creative and shake things up in your life.

How to Overcome Boredom in Addiction Recovery

You can take part in the same hobbies you enjoyed before addiction or learn something new. Fishing, quilting, gardening, and even video games are much more productive than using drugs or drinking.

• Volunteering could be spending your whole weekend assisting low-income campers or it could simply be stacking chairs at your favorite 12-step meeting.
• I always exercised in the morning before my first drink.
• Boredom is a relapse trigger that often gets used as an excuse to return to alcohol or drugs.
• And thank you for the reminder that my body needs to adjust to not having that dopamine hit.

But if you’re committed to working through it, here are some things you can do to open up your world a little bit and work through this difficult time. 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. Alcohol artificially boosts serotonin and dopamine in your brain. The Association for Addiction Professionals represents the professional interests of more than 100,000 addiction-focused health care professionals in the United States, Canada and abroad.