My social circle changed when I got sober because I realized that many of my relationships were based on getting drunk together, and that was it. Describing her approach as eclectic, Darcie seamlessly combines person-centered and evidence-based practices. Drawing from her background in local improv groups, she infuses sessions with laughter and humor, fostering a non-judgmental space for clients.
Exercise and Physical Activity
The best piece of advice she’s ever heard is to never take advice from someone who does not have what you are seeking. A Denver native and lifelong Colorado resident, Megan embarked on her academic journey at the University of Northern Colorado. There, she earned dual bachelor’s degrees before pursuing a master’s degree in psychology. During her academic years, she dedicated herself to assisting refugees fleeing war and violence in their home countries.
It’s okay to take risks in recovery if those risks don’t involve drugs or alcohols, even encouraged. The best way to stop boredom is to step out of your comfort zone and do something you never could have done while drinking or using. You could swim with sharks, or try mountain biking, or try new food. Participating in new and thrilling experiences will show you there’s more to life than addiction that you can take advantage of in sobriety. Don’t get your thrills from booze or heroin, get them directly from your own brain by trying new and exciting things.
The longer your thoughts go untethered, the more likely they’ll venture to a dangerous place. To stay sober, you must keep yourself and your thoughts occupied. Free time leads to boredom and boredom can lead you back to drinking or drug use. Boredom is an enemy in sobriety but there are several ways you can fill your time with healthy, productive activities. Let’s learn why boredom is the enemy and what you can do to squash it.
She is a trauma-informed clinician who prioritizes the relationship between clinician and client. Addiction impacted her own family and influenced her compassionate and empathetic relationship with clients. She believes in healing the whole person in a safe and supportive environment. Jill enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, friends, and pets when she is not in the office.
She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability. In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and drinking boredom fantasy and going to Marvel movies. She enjoys playing board games and having home karaoke nights with her friends. Karlie says the best advice ever received is to not fall in love with potential. Originally from Chino Hills, California, Chanel began her education at Gonzaga University, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Philosophy. She continued her education at the University of Denver and earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling.
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Without hobbies, it’s more tempting to take the easier route of having a drink. For many people, an antidote to boredom is picking up their knitting, grabbing a book, or writing in their journal. These healthy diversions fill a gap that drinking might otherwise fill.
Emotional Drinking: What Happens When You Drink To Feel Better
Then we’ll show you how to better manage boredom and avoid unhealthy drinking patterns. It’s important to recognize that recovery is a lifelong journey. Even after the initial stages of recovery, you must continue to grow and change to maintain your sobriety. Boredom can signify that it’s time to shake things up and try something new. When you push yourself to explore new opportunities, you can continue to grow and stay engaged in your recovery.
Alcohol is often used as a social lubricant, but meaningful connections don’t require a drink in hand. In fact, sober interactions can lead to deeper, more authentic relationships. When you’re fully present and engaged, you can connect with others on a more genuine level. Often, it really comes down to being willing to do something that doesn’t entertain you or make you feel good immediately.
The longer you rely on alcohol to deal with boredom, the less capable you are of getting fulfillment out of healthier coping mechanisms like hobbies or exercise. Eventually, this leads to an unhealthy pattern of emotional drinking that is much harder to quit. When you’re drinking out of boredom, that easy ‘high’ can feel like an effective solution to the dullness or lack of stimulation that’s bothering you. To understand why drinking out of boredom can be so risky, it’s worth taking time to understand the role of dopamine in how we behave and make decisions. There are many reasons why people might choose to drink alone; some are more harmless than others.
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She typically works with people interested in taking a holistic approach to treating their addictions. This will include healthy eating, movement, meditation, mindfulness and spirituality. Outside of work, she’s a devotee of Krishna, and her friends call her Karunya Shakti, which means compassionate energy. She enjoys singing and dancing in kirtan and reading ancient Vedic literature like the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. If she weren’t so damn good at her job, she says she would probably be an electrical engineer.
- If you find yourself reaching for a drink whenever you’re bored or looking to kill time, you should stop and take measures to correct these tendencies early before they become problematic.
- Practicing mindfulness or meditation can reduce the impulse to turn to alcohol when boredom strikes.
- Unfortunately, problems can surface if you use “I deserve it” to justify bored drinking.
That latter experience feeling like everything is gray and dull and lacks meaning? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness, well-being, and pleasure. Serotonin depletion can cause major mood swings and feelings of sadness, anxiety, and irritability. To unpack some of the underlying reasons you feel bored right now, it helps to understand what alcohol does to your brain.
- The longer your thoughts go untethered, the more likely they’ll venture to a dangerous place.
- How we react to the state of boredom is critical to our ongoing mental health, experts state.
- But these judgments that we can make about ourselves are rarely fair or accurate.
- One of the best ways to deal with bored drinking is to anticipate it — why is not always easy.
Get Alcohol Addiction Treatment at Promises
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. It also opens up space to approach your internal world differently. One of the biggest impediments to my sobriety during my relapse days was my inability to avoid getting consumed by emotions. It may require a bit of soul-searching, especially when your motivation is at historically low levels. Your friends are out getting drunk, the same as they always do. Remember, it’s not that sobriety is terrible, but that your brain is trying to grapple with the sudden loss of dopamine.
Kathleen was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but spent half of her life in California. She holds a master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy. Additionally, she has a master’s in holistic wellness and is trained in EMDR therapy for both in-person and virtual settings. Kathleen has more than 15 years of experience treating people who have a substance use disorder.
Surrounding yourself with people that support you can help alleviate possible remnants of guilt and shame from past behaviors. These stories remind us that boredom isn’t merely a state of inactivity or idleness — it can also be a time for reflection, creativity, and unexpected discovery. Our brain also becomes accustomed to the presence of alcohol and starts to see it as the “new normal.” So when there’s no alcohol, things seem a bit off.
Not only this, self-medicating can lead to and exacerbate mental health conditions leading to a dual diagnosis condition. Are there certain days where boredom is more likely to sneak in? At the beginning of those days, plan to work on a hobby or some other activity when nothing else is scheduled.