From addiction treatment to aftercare and alumni programs to weekly events and meetings, we are committed to helping you every step of the way. I don’t need to explain in great deal what the feelings of boredom are as we have all experienced being bored one way or the other throughout our lives. Those feelings of restlessness, loneliness, not knowing what to do can lead to greater issues if not dealt with which include depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Just like with any feeling, we can respond to it adaptively or maladaptively.
I’m Bored: How to Avoid Boredom in Sober Living
Wish I could be more positive for anyone with less time, or none at all. But it’s not always peaches on the other side either. I was worried about my commissions at work taking a sober and bored hit when I got sober but they have tracked the same so far. But talking to people is just so much less entertaining. One of the surprising things about recovery is just how much free time it gives us. The next morning, Kenny reached out to a friend of his who’d gotten sober a year before, asked for her help, and she drove him to his very first 12-step meeting.
Finding New Fun Activities: A Key to Avoiding Relapse
I certainly would have if I’d read this article five years ago. This is the part where you figure out how to enjoy life without a little something extra to help loosen you up. So now comes the arduous task of learning how to manage the tough stuff without a chemical crutch like alcohol. Feeling bored, sad, lonely, or anxious about something are all very human things to feel.
The Role of Mental Health in Maintaining Sobriety
- I’m on day 23 and while sobriety is going well, I am not.
- You can also incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, or walking.
- Tack on years of using a substance to chase this feeling away and you have defcon 1 level stress.
- The report revealed that about 75% of those individuals who reported having a drug or alcohol problem in their lives are now in recovery from it.
- These qualities may feel impossible to find elsewhere.
- 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.
When you surround yourself with like-minded individuals who share your goals, you can feel less alone and more motivated to stay sober. For example, exercising or enjoying a nice meal will release dopamine to reinforce the action. But the problem with the latter is they are unnatural. They flood the brain with dopamine and produce strong feelings of satisfaction, happiness, and pleasure.
- Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can vary from person to person.
- Alcohol merely blurred my perception of social situations.
- Over time, you can understand why you may feel bored and what you really need.
There are a lot of time consuming aspects of being an addict in active addiction. It seems that every moment of your day is spent thinking about drugs, finding drugs, using drugs, or recovering from using drugs. With lower rewards, normal behaviors are less appealing, and people find themselves feeling bored. That unwanted feeling in addiction recovery is boredom, but it is fueled by the impact of substance use in the brain. A hard truth of recovery is that drug addiction some of the hobbies and interests that entertained you before entering treatment may not be conducive to a sober lifestyle.