And if you’re curious about your drinking habits, the following quiz may be helpful to you. What I don’t advise is trying to tackle it by yourself. And if you need a place to start, we have a wonderful private Facebook group full of people wrestling with some of the same questions and concerns you have. After a while, you’ll notice that your interests start to narrow, as does your social circle. The problem is when you start creating habit loops that have you reaching for alcohol as a way to cope with boredom (or any uncomfortable emotion for that matter). Reducing alcohol intake may produce withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, shivering, high blood pressure, vomiting, fatigue, etc.

Why am I So Bored After Giving Up Alcohol?

It’s a way to care for yourself by committing to a practice that releases positive, mood-enhancing endorphins and alleviates stress. Finding a new activity and hobby such as working out can provide something to look forward to each day. Find a support group and make contact with them regularly. This consistent connection will help foster healthy relationships in recovery with people who can support you and what you’re going through in the present moment. Losing relationships to the substance can be challenging but anchoring to others in recovery can be the very thing you need to feel worthy of recovery. Seeking treatment is never an easy step to take.

Accept that you are in a transitional phase, which will take time.

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. Specializing in Compulsive Hoarding and Behavior Addictions, Brionna guides clients towards healthier relationships and boundaries. Additionally, she is trained in Brainspotting, offering a unique approach to trauma-informed care. Chanel describes herself as a humanistic therapist focused on building rapport and trust.

What Happens If You Relapse in a Sober House?

• Eating well, staying hydrated, getting physical activity, and not stocking up on alcohol for the winter are other helpful strategies to stop drinking out of boredom.
• Seeking treatment is never an easy step to take.
• During his time as a therapist, Justin has worked in a residential addiction treatment facility, private practice, and outpatient settings.

And when I tried to hang out with people without alcohol, I struggled mightily. The brain has essentially been rewired to find these natural rewards less appealing compared to the artificial high from alcohol. If this topic interests you, I highly recommend listening to this interview with Dr. Anna Lembke, the author of the best-selling book “Dopamine Nation” (also recommend reading). But, much like dopamine, alcohol disrupts and inhibits the production of GABA in our body. Our brains like efficiency, so it takes note of the experience. Normally, this helps us learn and survive by rewarding life-sustaining actions like eating or having sex.

• By employing these frameworks, Megan empowers her clients to confront their realities and comprehend the tangible impact of systemic factors on their lives.
• Participating in new and thrilling experiences will show you there’s more to life than addiction that you can take advantage of in sobriety.
• It’s why some people suffer “hangxiety” after a night of heavy drinking.

Apologies for the slight tangent, but it’s important to understand that drinking again will do absolutely nothing to relieve your boredom. That being said, if you are able to start your sober journey with a feeling of happiness, these challenges can be easily overcome. I hope you trust the process and release some of your fears about what life will be like without alcohol. I couldn’t drive home, I lost my phone, I shared someone else’s secret that I shouldn’t have shared. But again, I was letting things happen to me either because of the alcohol, or because I would just surrender my time and my night, to the alcohol or to other people.

Many people claim that they drink for the totally opposite reason – they find themselves drinking out of boredom. Here are some tips to stop drinking alcohol out of boredom. This is according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Boredom can indeed lead to cravings for alcohol, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

You can read drinking out of boredom a novel that is not about subprime. You can pick up a new project, you can dive into photography, and I’m going to talk about all those ideas later in this episode. In this podcast, my goal is to teach you the tried and true secrets of creating and living a life you don’t want to escape from.