Our founders, along with a team of researchers and medical advisors, analyze a wide variety of topics and summarize the information in a clear and usable way. Like treating a broken bone with painkillers, the vacuum of meaning can’t be healed by numbing or noise. When we keep reaching for distractions, we end up living a life filled with unfulfilling. But little did we realize that the real answer lives on the other side of boredom. Maybe marijuana addiction it’s a slow Sunday afternoon, or a weekday evening that’s unusually quiet.
Boredom: A Possible Road to Addiction
Jordan developed her clinical approach in various inpatient, hospital, outpatient, and private practice settings. Jordan continued her studies and earned a master’s in clinical and mental health counseling. Between post-graduate work and additional training courses, she honed her skills in treating first responders and military personnel from a trauma-informed perspective. In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery. Jordan describes her approach as eclectic but most beneficial and includes a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and family-oriented practices. Finding resources for ongoing drinking issues, even when simply drinking out of boredom, can make a world of difference.
Treatment Programs
- Not only this, self-medicating can lead to and exacerbate mental health conditions leading to a dual diagnosis condition.
- Habitual patterns of alcohol consumption can play a significant role in boredom drinking.
- Having a list of supportive contacts is beneficial because it can provide you with immediate access to people who will encourage and support you on your journey to recovery.
- 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.
- Spending time outside can be a great way to relieve stress and boredom.
- Various addiction treatment programs are available for those struggling with alcohol use disorder and boredom drinking.
They are getting cabin fever, having had their fill of Netflix and Hulu and the latest YouTube video on their feed. Finding interesting articles and talking to my coworkers about them, or finding funny videos to share was fun. We provide a biopsychosocial assessment for treatment before recommending any program or plan of action. Remember, how one adjusts to the circumstances of their drunk and bored life is more important than the circumstances themselves. Drinking is an easy solution to boredom, and it takes effort not to be bored. So often, our lives are full of distraction, social interaction, entertainment, and things we consider fun.
- Boredom happens when your mind is under-stimulated or disconnected from meaning—and we’re wired, both biologically and culturally, to avoid it.
- It’s essential to remember that this is a normal part of recovery and that it will disappear with time as your body adjusts.
- But if you end up drinking anyway, mindfulness also means forgiving yourself and learning from the experience.
Why Boredom Makes You Want to Drink—And How to Break the Habit Loop Without Alcohol
- Bored drinking is a surefire way for sneaky calories to throw off your weight-loss goals.
- I founded The Sober School to show you there’s another way out of your shame that doesn’t involve AA or rehab.
- If those thoughts are very negative, then hanging out in your own brain isn’t going to be a great experience.
- We understand that the journey to recovery can be challenging, but we are here to guide and support you every step of the way.
Unfortunately, this can make you feel apathetic, unmotivated, and downright bored. It’s really common to attribute all ennui in sobriety to missing booze and thinking that the main way you (and everyone else) enjoy yourself is by getting wasted. With disrupted routines and fewer distractions, now is the time to confront strengths and identify areas for improvement. If this global pandemic has made anything clear, it is that we all need to seize the day and prioritize helping ourselves—and each other. I was worried about my commissions at work taking a hit when I got sober but they have tracked the same so far.
When you’re triggered by experiences like boredom or isolation, the accessibility of alcohol makes it that much harder to refrain from drinking to cope with these difficult feelings. You can also incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, or walking. When you’re present in these activities, you can find peace and fulfillment in the present moment. Mindfulness also helps you recognize triggers that may lead to relapse, such as stress, anxiety, or negative emotions. This way, you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings https://ecosoberhouse.com/ and learn to manage them healthily, reducing the risk of relapse.
But if you consume alcohol, these signs might indicate that boredom is a drinking trigger. Bored drinking takes place when people reach for alcohol to kill time, simply because they have nothing else to occupy their minds. Regularly consuming alcohol when you’re bored has both short-term and long-term effects on your health, even if it doesn’t lead to a drinking disorder. Originally from Nashville, TN, Jordan moved to Colorado with her family at age five. She has worked in behavioral health since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2019.
If we held an office talent show, he’d try to win it with comedy. In another life, he’s pretty sure he was a Viking explorer—and he might still lobby for a holiday that celebrates Viking culture. Give us a call and we can help find the right treatment program for you or your loved one – even if it’s not ours! Nate Denning is the Lead Admission Representative at AspenRidge Recovery. Before moving to AspenRidge, Nate served as operations director at a local organization that has sober living homes throughout the Denver area.
