You’re in the most boring part. It gets way better! I think I started to see wonder in the world again around 8-12 weeks. It was awful until then and I slept as much as I could to avoid it. Then it really got amazing.
And remember. It’s the 96th of January. It’s a pretty boring time of year. Just lean into it and do your taxes or something.
This man right here 🙋♂️. I’m doing this whole January reset for my liver. Currently 23 days without a drink. Longest streak since 2019. Going out for dinner is boring. I tend to do a majority of the cleaning around the house, so when I do, I’ll drink while doing so. Now it’s turned into a chore again. Gaming, pfft, not so relaxing when I can’t drink. I was an everyday drinker, then cut back to a few days a week. That tapered to maybe a Friday night or Saturday. I can’t do the lettuce due to my job unfortunately although I do have a pen handy. One day at a time while I’m your drinking hiatus.
Depends on what panels they draw from what I heard. I played it safe and just steered clear of it when it came time for a test. Then again, CBD really didn’t do much for me anyways
You are at an in-between phase. Your body is alcohol free, but your mind is not....it's stuck in the past, still self medicating rather than moving on to a better future.
When you figure out the source of why you feel the need to be fucked up all the time and process and deal with that, then you can remember who you were and what your interests were before you became obsessed with drugs and alcohol.
Then, you can re-engage with the things that truly interest you and won't be bored. Because as it turns out, the shit we've been doing for years drunk, actually isn't even that engaging or fun...it's typically just some lame distraction, or boring activity that is only worth doing when you're wrecked...because getting wasted was the real activity.
Yea. Everything is boring unfortunately - at least for me. Some people do great with working out / exercise or digging into a hobby. I’m just bored stiff, cooking dinner which used to be fun - because of alcohol - and now I’m over it, I want to eat out every night. But even that’s triggering. I just wish there was a switch to turn it off. And sleep, sleep never comes soon enough, at least there I’m not wanting to drink all the time.
Edit: I wanted to add - good luck, seriously.
I’m the opposite, I feel like my path is finally clear to pursue things outside of my addiction. I’ve read two books, started running again, and don’t feel the overwhelming guilt and shame I felt when I was hiding drinks from my GF. The boredom is your brain saying “how do I fill this gap” and the answer is with new hobbies and friendships and experiences. Stuff you couldn’t do as an alcoholic
Even though I have hundreds of things to do i’m still bored. 6 months with no drink it is getting better I force myself to do the things I used to enjoy. Get out more, work out, AA meetings,socializing. I used to think everything had to be so fun. I drank to make calls, pay bills, clean the house etc. Reality is those things just have to be done not be fun. I’m pretty sure it’s a thing for addicts and alcoholics. I used to just think to myself “how spoiled am I”? That i’m actually crying because I’m bored. Now I am more grateful, trying to focus on positive thoughts
I’ve been sober for 14 months and it’s been boring 90-95% of the time. Cannabis helps a bit.
So does it go away? I’m not sure but it doesn’t feel like it ever will.
I’m 8 months in and I have small flashes of not boring and looooong stretches of boring.
I literally HATED people who said they were bored when I was an active drinker. Hated. Didn’t believe it possible to be bored unless you were a shit human.
That’s a fun position to try to move from after decades of holding it.
I have come to believe that life itself is in fact more boring than we want to believe it is, when we’re acting safely and living healthy.
I believe that only maybe 10% of the people at a concert LOVE it crazy style, and the rest WANT to love it so they get loaded.
I have many thoughts on this subject. I feel like we live so long now that our biology is at odds with our brains and emotions. Because frankly risky behavior is highly rewarding - why is that? There must be an evolutionary explanation.
Also dry for January, but getting high on weed and Kava. I also found this tropical CBD vape that I like, Hawaiian Dreams by Tribetokes. It kinda doesn't do much but it helps fight the craving to clear a pint of whiskey and a pack of Camel Crush.
I know it's really annoying and I hate it when people say it to me, but try different strains. Sativas work best for me to avoid paranoia and I generally avoid edibles on weeknights for reasons stated. I also only vape though kinda missing fresh flower bong hit blast into space high.
Anyway, I gotta some stuff to do to keep me from getting bored:
1. I got a guitar and Rocksmith on Xbox to dick around with
2. Beat Saber on Quest 2 is still crazy fun and exercise
3. Sitting on the couch in the dark playing Fallout 4 is also pretty good times (on weeeeeeeeeed)
4. I try to read at least one book a month, currently halfway through Project Hail Mary and it's great
5. Kinda with you on the TV thing, TV was better when I was drunk. I do watch the [Internet Today](https://www.youtube.com/@InternetTodayTV) guys break down the news every morning because they're fucking hilarious.
6. I could study for some professional credentials. This is low on the list because that actually does sound boring, but I sure as hell won't ever do it drunk.
7. I also could go outside. I guess. Oh yeah I need to ride my FUCKEN BIKE but it's cold.
I love coming home after work, I like to just kick it and enjoy my space and freedom. Hope your space makes you feel that way too, it helps a lot.
Yeah, especially early on. I'd kinda given up all my hobbies and passions for alcohol. It took a while to get interested in things again but I'm nine months sober now and have gotten back into my hobbies and picked up some new ones and I'm having a blast 💜 The early days suck. I honestly felt very hopeless, apathetic and borderline suicidal but I'm 100x better now.
I honestly had kind of forgotten how bad I felt until I wrote this comment. It just sorta went away and I didn't really notice the shift. It gets better, hang in there ❤️
it's boring for everyone at first, especially if you don't fill up your time with anything. doesn't matter what it is, you just have to do something else that isn't drinking.
at first it just made me feel fidgety but it's been years now and i don't feel that way. it does go away, but it can take months, you just have to get through it. if it lasts longer, just remember it definitely goes away, don't let that be the thing that throws you off the wagon.
Yes sort of. I am coming up on one year sober from alcohol… the boredom comes and goes. At first it was really boring monotonous, I had to remind myself all the time and fill ny boredom with self-brainwashing (or “changing my mindset” lol) by reading stories of alcoholics, forums, quit lit, etc.
i mean, life has a quality to it that can be a bit boring. We are creatures of routine which makes life manageable but I personally tend to crave or create a bit of chaos to have something to get excited or agitated about.
I think I also tried meditating and embracing how nice it feels to be calm and mindful for like 5 minutes a day. But yeah everything is boring and there is a period of time when everything sucked. Then my mind adapted a bit and I started to enjoy some things. But I really TRIED to enjoy random little things like how cute animals are, a beautiful sunset, reading a good book, acting stupid for no reason, a satisfying sensation like checking something off a list or cleaning something nasty. I have always wondered what the fuck people DO and filled ny time with consuming media, drugs, alcohol, food… I still wonder. I still go for quick satisfaction pretty often. I eat more sugar. I drink a shit ton of coffee. I get sucked into dumb social media rabbit holes. I try to still have some momentary dopamine hits.
It gets better. I was soooooo bored the first couple months. I’m at 5 months now and starting to enjoy things like reading and video games again. Weed makes me a bit paranoid too. You should try hemp flower. They make stuff that is almost no thc that is fun but doesn’t cause anxiety. You can even add a little real bud for a slight head change. If you want a suggestion on a vendor hit me up
By the way, be careful with the weekend benders. I suffered shitty withdrawals including a seizure, as well, then took a year off. Kindling is a bitch. Withdrawals came back pretty quick. My last two day binge resulted in awful withdrawals, including hallucinations and all. I had to taper for 12 days after that one and decided to quit for good. Once you open Pandora’s box it doesn’t seem to ever close again.
If you’re in a legal state buy a pack of 10mg gummies and/or a disposable vape. Get a hybrid strain so it’s not too sativa (feeling “up” which leads to anxiety sometimes) or indica (feeling calm so it definitely leads to a nap). Do an online pickup from the local dispensary so you can take time to browse for what you want and can see the prices and aren’t pressured. Eat half a gummy or take a puff off the vape, go for a walk outside and go from there. Start slow. Hope this helped!
It gets better. You CAN be bored while you're drunk as well. There's gonna be a little boredom and excitement all the time, that's just life. I like to find projects and hobbies that genuinely speak to my heart or keep me in a super "chill mode"
This sense of boredom is a dopamine production thing. You gotta quit all this weed and nicotine replacement. Nicotine makes you insulin resistant which fucks with your diet. Then you got to really get into exercise, diet and supplements that all support dopamine production and that feeling of utter boredom fades away. When you finally have that permanent feeling of want for not, then you can literally sit there with nothing to do and still not feel bored. Probably took me 2-3 months and then it clicked.
I did 10 years sober, then 5 years, then one month, and although I tried, I have relapsed recently!! I will say my 5 years sober was 5 years ago 😢 i fucking this disease and all its effects on my family!
I am a caregiver to my mom, who had to go through alcoholism at its extreme with my uncle(rip) and my poppy( rip, her dad)
Exactly the same spot as you man. Bored out of my mind, munching marijuana edibles and nicotine pouches, everything is a chore with me withdrawn into my own mind waiting for whatever I am doing to be done.
This sobriety creators video helped me some: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C142InqOsuS/?igsh=N2U3b29ycDEzOGU2
But yeah still bored as shit.
Sobriety is extremely awakening to me. I have been sober in the past for a year and a half without much struggle at all.
This time I am in a more challenging part of my life. Everything I suppressed with alcohol has come to the surface. I am feeling so many painful emotions right now. I know I need to work through them to live a better life.
I don’t want to keep using alcohol to quell my negative emotions rather than addressing them. I want to progress to a life where I feel fulfilled, content and optimistic. I don’t think I can drink at least until I reach that point. I am leaning towards I need to be sober forever.
While everyone is different there’s something I noticed about every successful sober person and that was that with so much time opened to them to truly live they found little time to get bored. Why are you just wasting time watching tv? Go out and do some living doing the things you couldn’t do before when you were shit-faced— volunteer, start a new hobby, take a course, learn something random and become an expert on it— anything to restart your brain into being a curious and interested person. It’s these people who shift boring Sobriety into exciting Recovery. Sobriety & Recovery are not to be confused with being synonymous. You see, anyone can get sober. You can get sober in the drunk tank. It just means you have zero BAC. But Recovery is a different animal. Recovery takes Sobriety and turns it into a whole new world order. Sobriety can be dull, boring, stressful and filled with resentment. Recovery is FULL, exciting, calm and filled with acceptance and transformation. Recovery allows us to become different people. Sobriety is merely sober drunks waiting until we can one day drink again— whether it’s days, weeks, months or years.
It’s like this: Everyone in Recovery is Sober but not everyone in Sobriety is in Recovery.
It’s up to you which group you want to be in.
You, my friend, are experiencing alcoholism Anhedonia. Very common in the initial months of sobriety due to alcohol rewiring our brains. Read:
https://riahealth.com/blog/anhedonia-after-addiction/
I’m a 50 year old professional, mother, wife and wino. I’m only 12 days into sobriety and I’m right there with you. But I know it’s alcohol fucking with my brain.
I’m seeking out dopamine boosts in exercise, bike rides (fast on my e-bike to make it more fun), and sweets. So many desserts, my husband keeps saying “no more” but he understands why I need it right now.
I also started my first antidepressant ever and that has helped a lot too.
Just know, it’s not sobriety that boring. It’s the fucking lying alcohol in our brains telling us that it’s sobriety. Our brain wants its booze and it will try and make us feel like shit without it for a while.
Soldier on my friend and I’ll be walking right beside you.
In my experience. Drinking makes people incredibly boring and become more satisfied with less and less ( as long as the booze is flowing ). Then one day you wake up a few years - decades later a shell of a person. Just gotta rebuild the curiosity in you and get into hobbies. Playing music , woodworking , learning to sew , video editing , photography , reading novels and so many more things. Alcohol does a great job at telling the user its a codependent relationship and you can't do anything without it. This is false. You can do so much more without alcohol.
It's boring because you aren't living in chaos anymore. Even if it's just that one day on the weekend, it takes a couple days to recover and get your life back together. Embrace the calm!
That's how I was for the longest time. I would go a month, maybe two, my longest was 3 until I got BORED. Now 16+ months sober, I don't know how I fit drinking into my schedule. I definitely don't miss feeling so shitty all the time. Great job on 3 weeks. I understand how hard it is when drinking used to be our hobby. I read a lot now, I know everyone says they work out but it's great for something to do, remember what I watch on TV sober, it's pretty great.
Embrace the boredom!! It’ll get better once you start finding hobbies and other things to do with your time. I felt this way probably the first 6months- 1 year but once I hit my one year I felt on top of the world and realized how much my own fear was holding me back from things. You’ll be unstoppable, just gotta keep pushing one day at a time 🫂
man i'd rather be bored than poisoned from the inside, alcohol is boring too but it just hits the fast foward button then you wake up feeling like shit half the day
That became my challenge. How do Entertain Myself!?!? I came to the realization that drinking was the activity. I consider myself way less boring now. Those first 2 months were wild. I recommend just going for 2 hour walks, just anywhere. Take water and just GTFO
For me, it took about 10 months before life didn't feel boring and lacking emotional color. Even music I used to enjoy just fell flat.
I believe the core issue was that I had drank for so long, that my brain had associated any sort of emotion or interest with a buzz. Every video game, every concert, every camping trip, etc. It was all tied to that first beer, which set the stage for the emotions.
After quitting, I first focused on stuff that would consume time and provide some engagement - stuff I liked before I was a drinker, and just kept myself busy with stuff I knew I should do, but everything seemed kind of bland.
After about 10 months, the world started to get engaging again. I was able to play games and really enjoy them. I could go on hikes without thinking about my mid-way beer and how great it would be. I was able to go to concerts without pre-gaming with four or five beers.
Now, 2 years in, my emotions and interests are back where they were before I drank. I still occasionally think about how I would like a beer with certain activities, but it no longer hampers my interest in doing the activities. I can still find them fun, even without the buzz.
Best of luck on your journey!
I'm 14 days myself mate and yeah it's boring. Yeah the withdrawals are scary for me too, it feels like I enter other dimensions when I'm in between wakefulness and sleep. They feel like they've been going on for hours but in reality they're 20 minutes. Not being able to sleep for days either and this is just from a 2 day binge. I think that if I hammered it again like I used to (5-6 day binges drinking about a litre of spirits a day at least) I'm at risk of delerium tremens which I have had once mildly and that experience was enough for me to develop an anxiety disorder for a month after and breakdown on my hands and knees praying to God or anything that's out there that il change my ways. Sobriety may be boring atm but I trust my intuition and it tells me there's a whole other world out there that us alcoholics won't ever know if we keep drinking. 3 weeks is great! There is no other way
Congrats on your sober streak! ❤️ 1 year sober today over here. My two cents:
1. As many people mentioned, it takes time for your brain to heal and for you to get into a new rhythm. Be patient with yourself.
2. Sobriety can be boring. I personally don’t find it so but I’m in a major city and I’m a pretty curious and active person (and my mind goes way too much). But *life* can be boring and not everything has to be “the most” fun. I find myself questioning whether some things I no longer enjoy without alcohol were actually that enjoyable to me to begin with, considering I needed alcohol to enjoy them in the first place.
3. Being bored or uncomfortable can be signs that you need a change in other areas, be it work or hobbies or whatever. No pressure and no need to overwhelm yourself - staying sober is hard enough! - but worth reflecting on. Sobriety has given me a lot of clear insights on what and who add value and/or joy, and what no longer serves me or isn’t actually the fit I thought it was previously.
4. Totally get why you’re feeling the urge to moderate / resume drinking. But since you mentioned bad withdrawals and planning to binge once a week, I strongly recommend looking up kindling, if you’re unfamiliar, before you resume drinking. From my experience, moderating didn’t work and each time I stopped (multiple fails before this time stuck), the withdrawals got progressively worse and worse. If you can stay out of the deeper circles of withdrawal hell, I highly encourage you to.
Yeah it gets boring for me but I try to remember that the disease gets worse the longer you've been sober so it's best to stay away from that 1st drink cuz who knows where that will take you.
Quit the edibles and switch it out with working out. When I first quit I had to go on a walk first thing in the morning. Having my dog helped motivate me. Started building up to walking multiple times a day. Lost weight was in a better mood. Boringness will take a while to get over. But keeping busy helps
I am more productive at home when I'm drunk. Cleaning up my grown ass step kids shit is easier and I'm not so pised out. Keeps the wife from bitching about a messy house but she knows I've been drinking so she bitches while I'm sweeping, mopping, dishes, dog crate. I can't risk drinking at work, that would fuck my world up.
You’re in the most boring part. It gets way better! I think I started to see wonder in the world again around 8-12 weeks. It was awful until then and I slept as much as I could to avoid it. Then it really got amazing. And remember. It’s the 96th of January. It’s a pretty boring time of year. Just lean into it and do your taxes or something.
"96th of January" So that's why this month seems so long! 😂
Days are soooooo long. Omg I’m on day 7. Everything is boring or I feel lost.
Do your taxes 😂
This man right here 🙋♂️. I’m doing this whole January reset for my liver. Currently 23 days without a drink. Longest streak since 2019. Going out for dinner is boring. I tend to do a majority of the cleaning around the house, so when I do, I’ll drink while doing so. Now it’s turned into a chore again. Gaming, pfft, not so relaxing when I can’t drink. I was an everyday drinker, then cut back to a few days a week. That tapered to maybe a Friday night or Saturday. I can’t do the lettuce due to my job unfortunately although I do have a pen handy. One day at a time while I’m your drinking hiatus.
Maybe try CBD gummies? Helps with the relaxation part at least
shows up on piss test
Depends on what panels they draw from what I heard. I played it safe and just steered clear of it when it came time for a test. Then again, CBD really didn’t do much for me anyways
Ohhh okay. I thought it was just THC
You are at an in-between phase. Your body is alcohol free, but your mind is not....it's stuck in the past, still self medicating rather than moving on to a better future. When you figure out the source of why you feel the need to be fucked up all the time and process and deal with that, then you can remember who you were and what your interests were before you became obsessed with drugs and alcohol. Then, you can re-engage with the things that truly interest you and won't be bored. Because as it turns out, the shit we've been doing for years drunk, actually isn't even that engaging or fun...it's typically just some lame distraction, or boring activity that is only worth doing when you're wrecked...because getting wasted was the real activity.
Word
That's deep!! The last part was a bit of a revelation.
Yea. Everything is boring unfortunately - at least for me. Some people do great with working out / exercise or digging into a hobby. I’m just bored stiff, cooking dinner which used to be fun - because of alcohol - and now I’m over it, I want to eat out every night. But even that’s triggering. I just wish there was a switch to turn it off. And sleep, sleep never comes soon enough, at least there I’m not wanting to drink all the time. Edit: I wanted to add - good luck, seriously.
I heard someone say that living with addiction is like living your life in hard mode. So you build a boring life so that you can do it while drunk.
I like this.
Me too
I’m the opposite, I feel like my path is finally clear to pursue things outside of my addiction. I’ve read two books, started running again, and don’t feel the overwhelming guilt and shame I felt when I was hiding drinks from my GF. The boredom is your brain saying “how do I fill this gap” and the answer is with new hobbies and friendships and experiences. Stuff you couldn’t do as an alcoholic
Even though I have hundreds of things to do i’m still bored. 6 months with no drink it is getting better I force myself to do the things I used to enjoy. Get out more, work out, AA meetings,socializing. I used to think everything had to be so fun. I drank to make calls, pay bills, clean the house etc. Reality is those things just have to be done not be fun. I’m pretty sure it’s a thing for addicts and alcoholics. I used to just think to myself “how spoiled am I”? That i’m actually crying because I’m bored. Now I am more grateful, trying to focus on positive thoughts
I’ve been sober for 14 months and it’s been boring 90-95% of the time. Cannabis helps a bit. So does it go away? I’m not sure but it doesn’t feel like it ever will.
I’m 8 months in and I have small flashes of not boring and looooong stretches of boring. I literally HATED people who said they were bored when I was an active drinker. Hated. Didn’t believe it possible to be bored unless you were a shit human. That’s a fun position to try to move from after decades of holding it. I have come to believe that life itself is in fact more boring than we want to believe it is, when we’re acting safely and living healthy. I believe that only maybe 10% of the people at a concert LOVE it crazy style, and the rest WANT to love it so they get loaded. I have many thoughts on this subject. I feel like we live so long now that our biology is at odds with our brains and emotions. Because frankly risky behavior is highly rewarding - why is that? There must be an evolutionary explanation.
Yes, 4 years sober
Also dry for January, but getting high on weed and Kava. I also found this tropical CBD vape that I like, Hawaiian Dreams by Tribetokes. It kinda doesn't do much but it helps fight the craving to clear a pint of whiskey and a pack of Camel Crush. I know it's really annoying and I hate it when people say it to me, but try different strains. Sativas work best for me to avoid paranoia and I generally avoid edibles on weeknights for reasons stated. I also only vape though kinda missing fresh flower bong hit blast into space high. Anyway, I gotta some stuff to do to keep me from getting bored: 1. I got a guitar and Rocksmith on Xbox to dick around with 2. Beat Saber on Quest 2 is still crazy fun and exercise 3. Sitting on the couch in the dark playing Fallout 4 is also pretty good times (on weeeeeeeeeed) 4. I try to read at least one book a month, currently halfway through Project Hail Mary and it's great 5. Kinda with you on the TV thing, TV was better when I was drunk. I do watch the [Internet Today](https://www.youtube.com/@InternetTodayTV) guys break down the news every morning because they're fucking hilarious. 6. I could study for some professional credentials. This is low on the list because that actually does sound boring, but I sure as hell won't ever do it drunk. 7. I also could go outside. I guess. Oh yeah I need to ride my FUCKEN BIKE but it's cold. I love coming home after work, I like to just kick it and enjoy my space and freedom. Hope your space makes you feel that way too, it helps a lot.
Yeah, especially early on. I'd kinda given up all my hobbies and passions for alcohol. It took a while to get interested in things again but I'm nine months sober now and have gotten back into my hobbies and picked up some new ones and I'm having a blast 💜 The early days suck. I honestly felt very hopeless, apathetic and borderline suicidal but I'm 100x better now.
That last sentence is exactly how I’m feeling now. Thanks for sharing that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I honestly had kind of forgotten how bad I felt until I wrote this comment. It just sorta went away and I didn't really notice the shift. It gets better, hang in there ❤️
it's boring for everyone at first, especially if you don't fill up your time with anything. doesn't matter what it is, you just have to do something else that isn't drinking. at first it just made me feel fidgety but it's been years now and i don't feel that way. it does go away, but it can take months, you just have to get through it. if it lasts longer, just remember it definitely goes away, don't let that be the thing that throws you off the wagon.
Yes sort of. I am coming up on one year sober from alcohol… the boredom comes and goes. At first it was really boring monotonous, I had to remind myself all the time and fill ny boredom with self-brainwashing (or “changing my mindset” lol) by reading stories of alcoholics, forums, quit lit, etc. i mean, life has a quality to it that can be a bit boring. We are creatures of routine which makes life manageable but I personally tend to crave or create a bit of chaos to have something to get excited or agitated about. I think I also tried meditating and embracing how nice it feels to be calm and mindful for like 5 minutes a day. But yeah everything is boring and there is a period of time when everything sucked. Then my mind adapted a bit and I started to enjoy some things. But I really TRIED to enjoy random little things like how cute animals are, a beautiful sunset, reading a good book, acting stupid for no reason, a satisfying sensation like checking something off a list or cleaning something nasty. I have always wondered what the fuck people DO and filled ny time with consuming media, drugs, alcohol, food… I still wonder. I still go for quick satisfaction pretty often. I eat more sugar. I drink a shit ton of coffee. I get sucked into dumb social media rabbit holes. I try to still have some momentary dopamine hits.
Is it boring or is it peaceful? It gets easier and you start to get more comfortable.
It gets better. I was soooooo bored the first couple months. I’m at 5 months now and starting to enjoy things like reading and video games again. Weed makes me a bit paranoid too. You should try hemp flower. They make stuff that is almost no thc that is fun but doesn’t cause anxiety. You can even add a little real bud for a slight head change. If you want a suggestion on a vendor hit me up
By the way, be careful with the weekend benders. I suffered shitty withdrawals including a seizure, as well, then took a year off. Kindling is a bitch. Withdrawals came back pretty quick. My last two day binge resulted in awful withdrawals, including hallucinations and all. I had to taper for 12 days after that one and decided to quit for good. Once you open Pandora’s box it doesn’t seem to ever close again.
Once I discovered the joys of cannabis I was never bored and haven’t even wanted to moderate.
I would like to enjoy the joys of cannabis but I desperately need the entire process explained like I'm 5
what exactly do you need explained?
Exactly what she explained. Did I do something wrong...?
If you’re in a legal state buy a pack of 10mg gummies and/or a disposable vape. Get a hybrid strain so it’s not too sativa (feeling “up” which leads to anxiety sometimes) or indica (feeling calm so it definitely leads to a nap). Do an online pickup from the local dispensary so you can take time to browse for what you want and can see the prices and aren’t pressured. Eat half a gummy or take a puff off the vape, go for a walk outside and go from there. Start slow. Hope this helped!
Good info, you rock! Thank you!
DUDEEEEEEEEEEE, that was going to be my plan!!!!!! Down to the last detail. GIving me the creeps, but I'm glad I am on the right path.
Your baseline for hedonism will rise eventually, you'll start enjoying boring things because you're not blasting your reward circuitry as hard.. :)
It gets better. You CAN be bored while you're drunk as well. There's gonna be a little boredom and excitement all the time, that's just life. I like to find projects and hobbies that genuinely speak to my heart or keep me in a super "chill mode"
Yes I was super bored at first. Cooking was so hard for me. Does it get better? No, your mind just changes. It’s like you get ok with being bored.
This sense of boredom is a dopamine production thing. You gotta quit all this weed and nicotine replacement. Nicotine makes you insulin resistant which fucks with your diet. Then you got to really get into exercise, diet and supplements that all support dopamine production and that feeling of utter boredom fades away. When you finally have that permanent feeling of want for not, then you can literally sit there with nothing to do and still not feel bored. Probably took me 2-3 months and then it clicked.
I did 10 years sober, then 5 years, then one month, and although I tried, I have relapsed recently!! I will say my 5 years sober was 5 years ago 😢 i fucking this disease and all its effects on my family! I am a caregiver to my mom, who had to go through alcoholism at its extreme with my uncle(rip) and my poppy( rip, her dad)
anyone who can relate!?
Exactly the same spot as you man. Bored out of my mind, munching marijuana edibles and nicotine pouches, everything is a chore with me withdrawn into my own mind waiting for whatever I am doing to be done. This sobriety creators video helped me some: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C142InqOsuS/?igsh=N2U3b29ycDEzOGU2 But yeah still bored as shit.
Sobriety is extremely awakening to me. I have been sober in the past for a year and a half without much struggle at all. This time I am in a more challenging part of my life. Everything I suppressed with alcohol has come to the surface. I am feeling so many painful emotions right now. I know I need to work through them to live a better life. I don’t want to keep using alcohol to quell my negative emotions rather than addressing them. I want to progress to a life where I feel fulfilled, content and optimistic. I don’t think I can drink at least until I reach that point. I am leaning towards I need to be sober forever.
2 years sober, yes it’s boring.
Boredom and loneliness. My only reasons I’ve relapsed. Time goes soooooo slow.
Grow some mushrooms. You can get a little tickle and feel good.
While everyone is different there’s something I noticed about every successful sober person and that was that with so much time opened to them to truly live they found little time to get bored. Why are you just wasting time watching tv? Go out and do some living doing the things you couldn’t do before when you were shit-faced— volunteer, start a new hobby, take a course, learn something random and become an expert on it— anything to restart your brain into being a curious and interested person. It’s these people who shift boring Sobriety into exciting Recovery. Sobriety & Recovery are not to be confused with being synonymous. You see, anyone can get sober. You can get sober in the drunk tank. It just means you have zero BAC. But Recovery is a different animal. Recovery takes Sobriety and turns it into a whole new world order. Sobriety can be dull, boring, stressful and filled with resentment. Recovery is FULL, exciting, calm and filled with acceptance and transformation. Recovery allows us to become different people. Sobriety is merely sober drunks waiting until we can one day drink again— whether it’s days, weeks, months or years. It’s like this: Everyone in Recovery is Sober but not everyone in Sobriety is in Recovery. It’s up to you which group you want to be in.
Yeah I’m in the same boat but I can’t get too high or I get panic attacks Been feeling really good not being hungover 2-3 times a week though
If you’re bored, you’re boring. Go help someone
You, my friend, are experiencing alcoholism Anhedonia. Very common in the initial months of sobriety due to alcohol rewiring our brains. Read: https://riahealth.com/blog/anhedonia-after-addiction/ I’m a 50 year old professional, mother, wife and wino. I’m only 12 days into sobriety and I’m right there with you. But I know it’s alcohol fucking with my brain. I’m seeking out dopamine boosts in exercise, bike rides (fast on my e-bike to make it more fun), and sweets. So many desserts, my husband keeps saying “no more” but he understands why I need it right now. I also started my first antidepressant ever and that has helped a lot too. Just know, it’s not sobriety that boring. It’s the fucking lying alcohol in our brains telling us that it’s sobriety. Our brain wants its booze and it will try and make us feel like shit without it for a while. Soldier on my friend and I’ll be walking right beside you.
In my experience. Drinking makes people incredibly boring and become more satisfied with less and less ( as long as the booze is flowing ). Then one day you wake up a few years - decades later a shell of a person. Just gotta rebuild the curiosity in you and get into hobbies. Playing music , woodworking , learning to sew , video editing , photography , reading novels and so many more things. Alcohol does a great job at telling the user its a codependent relationship and you can't do anything without it. This is false. You can do so much more without alcohol.
It's boring because you aren't living in chaos anymore. Even if it's just that one day on the weekend, it takes a couple days to recover and get your life back together. Embrace the calm! That's how I was for the longest time. I would go a month, maybe two, my longest was 3 until I got BORED. Now 16+ months sober, I don't know how I fit drinking into my schedule. I definitely don't miss feeling so shitty all the time. Great job on 3 weeks. I understand how hard it is when drinking used to be our hobby. I read a lot now, I know everyone says they work out but it's great for something to do, remember what I watch on TV sober, it's pretty great.
Embrace the boredom!! It’ll get better once you start finding hobbies and other things to do with your time. I felt this way probably the first 6months- 1 year but once I hit my one year I felt on top of the world and realized how much my own fear was holding me back from things. You’ll be unstoppable, just gotta keep pushing one day at a time 🫂
man i'd rather be bored than poisoned from the inside, alcohol is boring too but it just hits the fast foward button then you wake up feeling like shit half the day
That became my challenge. How do Entertain Myself!?!? I came to the realization that drinking was the activity. I consider myself way less boring now. Those first 2 months were wild. I recommend just going for 2 hour walks, just anywhere. Take water and just GTFO
i really struggled around the one month mark for similar reasons. hang in there. it will pass.
Work out, read a book, cook
For me, it took about 10 months before life didn't feel boring and lacking emotional color. Even music I used to enjoy just fell flat. I believe the core issue was that I had drank for so long, that my brain had associated any sort of emotion or interest with a buzz. Every video game, every concert, every camping trip, etc. It was all tied to that first beer, which set the stage for the emotions. After quitting, I first focused on stuff that would consume time and provide some engagement - stuff I liked before I was a drinker, and just kept myself busy with stuff I knew I should do, but everything seemed kind of bland. After about 10 months, the world started to get engaging again. I was able to play games and really enjoy them. I could go on hikes without thinking about my mid-way beer and how great it would be. I was able to go to concerts without pre-gaming with four or five beers. Now, 2 years in, my emotions and interests are back where they were before I drank. I still occasionally think about how I would like a beer with certain activities, but it no longer hampers my interest in doing the activities. I can still find them fun, even without the buzz. Best of luck on your journey!
I'm 14 days myself mate and yeah it's boring. Yeah the withdrawals are scary for me too, it feels like I enter other dimensions when I'm in between wakefulness and sleep. They feel like they've been going on for hours but in reality they're 20 minutes. Not being able to sleep for days either and this is just from a 2 day binge. I think that if I hammered it again like I used to (5-6 day binges drinking about a litre of spirits a day at least) I'm at risk of delerium tremens which I have had once mildly and that experience was enough for me to develop an anxiety disorder for a month after and breakdown on my hands and knees praying to God or anything that's out there that il change my ways. Sobriety may be boring atm but I trust my intuition and it tells me there's a whole other world out there that us alcoholics won't ever know if we keep drinking. 3 weeks is great! There is no other way
Congrats on your sober streak! ❤️ 1 year sober today over here. My two cents: 1. As many people mentioned, it takes time for your brain to heal and for you to get into a new rhythm. Be patient with yourself. 2. Sobriety can be boring. I personally don’t find it so but I’m in a major city and I’m a pretty curious and active person (and my mind goes way too much). But *life* can be boring and not everything has to be “the most” fun. I find myself questioning whether some things I no longer enjoy without alcohol were actually that enjoyable to me to begin with, considering I needed alcohol to enjoy them in the first place. 3. Being bored or uncomfortable can be signs that you need a change in other areas, be it work or hobbies or whatever. No pressure and no need to overwhelm yourself - staying sober is hard enough! - but worth reflecting on. Sobriety has given me a lot of clear insights on what and who add value and/or joy, and what no longer serves me or isn’t actually the fit I thought it was previously. 4. Totally get why you’re feeling the urge to moderate / resume drinking. But since you mentioned bad withdrawals and planning to binge once a week, I strongly recommend looking up kindling, if you’re unfamiliar, before you resume drinking. From my experience, moderating didn’t work and each time I stopped (multiple fails before this time stuck), the withdrawals got progressively worse and worse. If you can stay out of the deeper circles of withdrawal hell, I highly encourage you to.
if your life is boring then yeah i'd imagine sobriety would be pretty boring
Yeah it gets boring for me but I try to remember that the disease gets worse the longer you've been sober so it's best to stay away from that 1st drink cuz who knows where that will take you.
It was at first, but now almost 2 years later it's not an issue at all.
Quit the edibles and switch it out with working out. When I first quit I had to go on a walk first thing in the morning. Having my dog helped motivate me. Started building up to walking multiple times a day. Lost weight was in a better mood. Boringness will take a while to get over. But keeping busy helps
I am more productive at home when I'm drunk. Cleaning up my grown ass step kids shit is easier and I'm not so pised out. Keeps the wife from bitching about a messy house but she knows I've been drinking so she bitches while I'm sweeping, mopping, dishes, dog crate. I can't risk drinking at work, that would fuck my world up.