Let’s address another reason life without alcohol feels boring. If you’ve created an entire social life around drinking, it is natural to be afraid of life without it. Acute anxiety and depression from the withdrawal process can ease within a few days to a week. But for many people, lingering feelings of anxiety, depression, and general malaise can last weeks, months, or even longer.

Tips For Growing Up My 20 Years of Recovery

• When serotonin and dopamine levels are low, we become less motivated and less interested in our surroundings.
• I realized that sobriety was not fundamentally boring.
• Your friends are out getting drunk, the same as they always do.
• I hated sobriety after my first trip to rehab when I had to be drug tested every few weeks to remain at Johns Hopkins and graduate on time.
• Let someone who knows what to do guide you out of whatever darkness or paralysis you find yourself in.

It’s going to be tough at first, but what isn’t? Anything worth having you have to work for, so get to work. If you’re lonely, it’s time to meet people. I’m Gavin Newsom.And, it’s time to have a conversation.

Build a strong support network.

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. I found myself planning little outings when I got sober because I needed to figure out what it meant to have fun again. Have you always wanted to learn to dance salsa? Get on Google, find a class, and make it happen. Plus, you might meet some cool people, and that’s always a double win.

• I have since learned I am not alone in experiencing this phenomenon.
• A professional will be able to work with you and see what solutions will make you feel better.
• Staying busy is a great way to stave off boredom and create space for healing the parts of your brain that took a walloping from drinking.
• It’s also responsible for moderating moods and emotions.

Yes, Alcohol Can Be Fun—But What Else Are You Missing?

The difference between then and now is that I have tools to get back to true freedom–where all the nonsense I am putting myself through mentally has no validity. It is not the mere fact that I am away from mind-altering substances, but it is because of the spiritual actions that can free my mind from itself. If you feel like sobriety sucks, you need more support. You can find the balance in recovery you need.

Even though breakups, job losses, and an unexpected death of a friend or family member, can be devastating, they will all happen at some point. And you need to know that you can make it through without relapsing. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Quitting Alcohol Timeline: What Happens When You Stop Drinking?

You can choose to alcohol rehab sit where you are for a moment, assess, and figure out a way forward. Eliott Edge, manager of the Hekate sober bar in New York City, agreed. I also want you to know that it should not be treated lightly, because this boredom can unlock some old behaviors. Only you can answer what comes next—will you go ham and begin knocking back bottles and partying like a maniac right away? Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser.

The longer you stay away from alcohol and give your brain some much-needed TLC, the less you’ll feel like life is dull and uninteresting. So it’s not that sobriety is inherently boring; it’s that your serotonin and dopamine levels are now very low. When you use alcohol (or any substance) to artificially boost serotonin and dopamine levels in your brain, you create an imbalance in the brain. I’ve been where you are, as have thousands of other sober people who had to learn to have a life again after sobriety.

Man I’m tired of trying to maintain sobriety. I’ve been doing all the things that’s supposed to be great for sobriety but fucking hell nothing is improving. This page may contain sensitive or adult content that’s not for everyone.