Drinking When Bored? What It Could Mean Addiction Treatment

Curious about how your drinking habits stack up? And if you’re curious about your drinking habits, the following quiz may be helpful to you. You need to reset your reward pathways and that’s not going to be possible as long as you are drinking alcohol.

Sober and Bored? Here’s What To Do About It

• But when dopamine levels artificially spike (like what happens when we drink alcohol), that’s when trouble starts.
• Similarly, some people turn to alcohol because sitting at home alone leads to feelings of boredom.
• You should be able to go about living your life without drinking alcohol, but you feel utterly useless and have no idea what to do with yourself.
• There is space for that now, I know you don’t think there is but there is and there is money for it.

I felt like anything could happen when I got rid of my inhibitions. And frankly, after years of drinking, I was really out of shape. drinking because of boredom And I wanted to get more healthy while I was not drinking.

• Eventually, feeling bored all the time leads to increased alcohol consumption.
• That’s worrying because self-medicating feelings of boredom with alcohol can invite health problems.
• Dealing with monotony and underlying mental health issues typically requires self-awareness and outside assistance through various forms of therapy addressing underlying conditions.

Create a Healthy Support System

• If you or someone you know is drinking alone because of a drinking problem, help is available.
• Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a result of having nothing to do.
• Thank you for listening to this episode of The Hello Someday Podcast.
• Mindfulness practices and stress management techniques can empower you to cope with boredom and negative emotions without turning to alcohol.
• 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.

But you don’t need to do that 24/7, and it takes time and distance from that thing, like your bottle of wine, to allow yourself to look around and be open to other things. And if you can’t think of what your interests are, right away, start following someone else’s passion. Take an interest in other people and what they love.

The Boredom Drinking Loop

In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery. 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.

The American Psychological Association recommends CBT to root out “faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking” that may be driving unhealthy behaviors. If you do manage to meet your friends, the added drinks from socializing might affect your ability to get home, placing a burden on your friends. A sure sign of problematic bored drinking is failing to achieve hobby-related goals. Say you have downtime on a Saturday afternoon after a challenging week at work. “Getting through the week” might be your rationale for pouring a glass of wine. There are plenty of situations where having a drink is a great way to celebrate an accomplishment.

Drinking Out of Boredom: Why It’s Risky Business

But like all areas of life, it is worth thinking more deeply about drinking and why we do it. Essentially, alcohol serves as a form of self-medicating your stress away. If you’re feeling anxious, alcohol may provide temporary relief.

If drinking becomes alcohol use disorder, it can lead to shame, denial, and other negative emotions that can make someone reluctant to spend time with others. This can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and stress when not drinking, which might make sober times feel particularly empty or boring. If drug addiction treatment you drink to alleviate boredom, your brain starts associating alcohol with relief from that negative feeling.

Start building healthier drinking habits today.

However, how much alcohol you consume alcohol and how often can be worrying. Drinking alone could be a symptom of a larger issue—especially if it leads to heavy drinking. Regardless, drinking alone can signify deeper psychological or emotional issues.

The association between drinking and having a good time has been perpetuated and promoted for years by companies marketing beer, wine, and spirits. Given the ubiquitous nature of alcohol advertising, you might look forward to having that drink as soon as you walk through the door at home or meet your pals at a bar. You feel more relaxed after that drink and look forward to the reward. Pretty soon, the anticipation starts to happen more frequently.