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 drinking out of boredom 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.
Depending on the severity of the symptoms, your doctor may even recommend medication to help treat depression and anxiety. When I drank alcohol, I could (and did) sit and do nothing for hours. My friends and I got together for happy hours after work. On the weekend, we went to bars and clubs. During the day, there were all-inclusive brunches. It all felt normal, even the terrible parts like awful hangovers and hangxiety.
Newly Sober And Bored? Here Are 5 Things To Try Out
Sometimes admitting the truth to yourself is the first step. Remember, it’s not that sobriety is terrible, but that your brain is trying to grapple with the sudden loss of dopamine. I have gone to bars with people I genuinely like as a sober person, and I don’t stay for longer than an hour or two if nothing is happening. Sometimes we would watch a show, but even that become untenable for me after a couple of drinks because I did not have the attention span for it.
Are you capable of finding ways to have fun? Are you capable of having good conversations with people? Do you want to get the most out of your life? Because if you do, then drugs and alcohol aren’t going to change anything. But if you’re just kind of a person that wants to sit around and do nothing, then you’re going to be bored. So, it’s extra helpful to have a support network available to you when you need it.
Happy Thanksgiving Messages When In Addiction Recovery
Here are helpful hobbies that are not only fun, but that can also strengthen your sobriety and help you fight sober and bored as well. Research shows that when people expect to have fun, they usually have fun, and when they expect not to, they usually don’t. Learn to think about fun and pleasure in a whole new way, and this will go a long way toward preventing a relapse.
- It’s okay to take risks in recovery if those risks don’t involve drugs or alcohols, even encouraged.
- One of the best things you can do for yourself when you’re feeling bored in sobriety is to find a way to serve others.
- And one has to be willing to feel uncomfortable to make those changes happen for oneself.
Learn that you have choices and that you can maintain control. If any area of your life is out of control, it will not help you maintain lasting sobriety. Having a chaotic or disorganized lifestyle can also hinder your recovery. It’s important to develop a structured daily and weekly schedule and stick to it. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) involves experiencing withdrawal symptoms that persist past the detox period.