Content
It explains why it’s easy to lie on the couch watching a movie and not move. To live a great quality sober life, you need to focus on building it. Apologies for the https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/why-cant-i-cut-down-or-control-my-drinking/ crude example, but I don’t ever see advertisements that show the real side of drinking. Having the correct mindset when you stop drinking makes a huge difference.
Boredom can strike, which is exactly what we don’t want. For that reason, setting goals is a great way to start building that amazing, sober life. “Surely if I’m bored without alcohol, then alcohol makes my life less boring” – they think to themselves. People often say they drink alcohol to “relieve boredom”. That being said, if you are able to start your sober journey with a feeling of happiness, these challenges can be easily overcome. The line between alcohol use and misuse doesn’t just depend on how many drinks you have or how often you drink.
Being Bored When You’re Quitting Drinking
Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure and happiness. It is also responsible for regulating movement and emotional response. drinking out of boredom Dopamine depletion can cause apathy, boredom, and lack of motivation. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness, well-being, and pleasure.
It is not just the tendency to use booze to numb stress, sadness and exhaustion, it’s how to behave in the good times too. When I had been sober for three months, I received a really big job offer – the sort that warranted a celebration. But without the option of going straight to the pub to raise a few glasses, I was clueless as to how to express my excitement. I’ve spent the last six years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. But I PROMISE you, if you keep moving forward, things in your brain will start to click.
Seeking Treatment
If you have the time, sign on to a longer-term project like helping with this year’s charity bake sale or the big 5K race your city holds yearly. You’ll get to meet new people and be a part of something positive. When you begin to view your negative thoughts and feelings as problems to be solved rather than the embodiment of who you actually are, you liberate yourself.
Alcohol robs you of the ability to feel naturally motivated and inspired. Those feelings don’t come back immediately when you quit. The good news is that your brain can adjust and restore balance to your internal world. The longer you stay away from alcohol and give your brain some much-needed TLC, the less you’ll feel like life is dull and uninteresting. So it’s not that sobriety is inherently boring; it’s that your serotonin and dopamine levels are now very low.
Promises Behavioral Health Addiction Treatment Centers
If you want to get better control of your drinking, you need to think about what your future drink-free life will look like. If you always have a bottle open when watching TV, then it quickly becomes a very hard habit to break. This is particularly true if you’ve had a hard day at work or with the kids, and you are tired or stressed out.
We are stressed-out, overstimulated, tech-obsessed creatures. Pile on some sobriety struggle, and it’s a recipe for madness. I found myself planning little outings when I got sober because I needed to figure out what it meant to have fun again.
There’s no doubt that addictions mess with our brain and how it sends and receives signals but many problems with addiction also stem from rituals and habits. To stay sober, you must break your nasty habits or once-comforting rituals by replacing those bad habits with good ones. Instead of driving to your favorite convenience store for a 12-pack after work, drive to a gym for a quick run. It can take days or weeks to replace your bad habits with good ones but filling that void will keep your thoughts occupied. A screening test could give you a little more feedback about whether your drinking is a problem.
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol use, we can help. Footprints to Recovery offers alcohol addiction treatment that’s evidence-based and personalized to your clinical needs, preferences, and life situation. We don’t just treat the symptoms of addiction; we address underlying issues like co-occurring mental health conditions and trauma that perpetuate substance use. We’ll also teach you healthy coping skills that support long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol. I talk to so many people that are new in their alcohol free journey, and I would have to say that the number one struggle I hear is, “I’m SO BORED!!
At the end of the day, one of the most important tools you have at your disposal is self-compassion. Instead of criticizing yourself for having a hard time or slipping up and having a drink, remember that no one’s perfect. What matters most is your ability to maintain an open, curious outlook as you learn what does and doesn’t work for you. Satisfying hobbies can distract you from wanting to drink, but they also help you relax — something everyone needs to do.
- Activities that use both your hands and brain like crosswords, cross-stitching, and jigsaw puzzles can keep you occupied and your mind off any pain or negative feelings.
- It’s an opportunity to think things over and it doesn’t have to be distressing.
- Finding or reaching out to other sober people can also help.