Are You an Almost Alcoholic? Drinking Out of Boredom Rehab

The American Psychological Association recommends CBT to root out “faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking” that may be driving unhealthy behaviors. A sure sign of problematic bored drinking is failing to achieve hobby-related goals. The reality is there are other, healthier ways both to celebrate that milestone and deal with the boredom trigger. Before you know it, your list of things to celebrate when bored gets longer, and the number of drinks you enjoy each week goes up. There are plenty of situations where having a drink is a great way to celebrate an accomplishment. Unfortunately, problems can surface if you use “I deserve it” to justify bored drinking.

Tracking Your Drinking Patterns

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. Your doctor may even prescribe you supplements to correct vitamin deficiencies, which is why I always drinking out of boredom encourage them to visit their doctors and have an honest conversation about their alcohol consumption.

• But it’s comforting to know that you don’t have figure it out on your own.
• One listener described his realization to me that he’d been using alcohol as, quote, “a numbing agent.” And he told me not drinking made him kind of show up for his life, feel more present.
• However, the variety of treatment options make it easier for individuals and families to focus on moderate consumption or complete abstinence.
• These are the things where there’s not an infinite amount of leeway in them, I mean, if you sit and do these things all the time you’re going to be bored with them.

Boredom: A Possible Road to Addiction

In particular, we expected boredom to have a positive effect on binge drinking via the mediation of drinking expectancies. There are various strategies available to help you overcome boredom drinking and maintain a sober lifestyle in 2024. Some of these strategies on how to enjoy life without alcohol include developing new hobbies and interests, building a supportive social network, and practicing mindfulness and stress management techniques. Stress, anxiety, and loneliness can all Halfway house be potential triggers for boredom drinking.

Alcohol artificially boosts serotonin and dopamine in your brain.

• Many people say that they drink alcohol to manage anxiety – to numb it or take the edge off difficult feelings.
• There are various strategies available to help you overcome boredom drinking and maintain a sober lifestyle in 2024.
• Fortunately, sobriety pulls back the veil and allows you to discover hobbies and interests that may have previously been neglected due to substance abuse.
• ‘One of the most powerful ways to succeed at Dry January is to focus on how you feel rather than just counting the alcohol-free days,’ says Dick.
• Trying to control alcohol with willpower has a 95% chance of failure.

When referring to alcohol addiction, some may conjure up an image of a person consuming multiple daily bottles of low-end vodka and struggling to hold a steady job. Alcohol use disorder impacts millions across the nation, many of which are considered high-functioning. Self-medicating can drastically impact overall https://ecosoberhouse.com/ health and well-being.

That latter experience feeling like everything is gray and dull and lacks meaning? Outside AspenRidge, Jordan enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, and playing volleyball and soccer. She believes she was probably a rodeo queen in another life and recharges by spending time with friends and family.

Keep a List of Supportive Contacts

• Don’t assume people are too busy to see you, all they need is to know that you would like to meet up.
• Finding interesting articles and talking to my coworkers about them, or finding funny videos to share was fun.
• But when you add bored drinks to social drinking, alcohol has the opposite effect.
• Various factors lead individuals to abuse alcohol, including genetic traits, environmental reasons, and societal factors.

Life can sometimes feel repetitive, and many people find themselves with idle time. Boredom is a normal part of life, but how we deal with it can significantly impact our well-being. Some individuals may turn to alcohol as a way to kill time, mistakenly believing that a drink can add excitement or ease the monotony. But drinking to cope with boredom is never a good plan, and this habit can spiral into a destructive cycle, bringing more harm than good. Though boredom in early recovery can be challenging, remember that many before you have figured out how to sustain the changes they want for themselves.

About 20% of Americans with an anxiety or mood disorder such as depression have an alcohol or other substance use disorder. Sitting in traffic, for instance, is one of those things that most people would rather forego. Other tasks like laundry and cleaning the house can cause boredom and be a source of anxiety.