5 Subtle Signs You Might Have Alcohol Use Disorder

Stress, anxiety, and loneliness can all be potential triggers for boredom drinking. People may turn to alcohol as a way to cope with these negative emotions, but in doing so, they may be putting their mental health at risk. Many scientific studies have proved a positive relationship between boredom/loneliness and excessive alcohol use.

How to Stop Drinking Out of Boredom: Tips and Advice for a Sober Life in 2024

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. Are there certain days where boredom is more likely to sneak in? At the beginning of those days, plan to work on a hobby or some other activity when nothing else is scheduled.

Your ability to manage stress and regulate mood changes.

Drinking is a social habit; it’s one of the many ways people, especially young adults, celebrate occasions or have fun. However, there’s a difference between having a couple of drinks with peers and solitary drinking. We’d all love to be the type of person who rises at 6AM, drinks kombucha, quickly writes a book and then goes for a refreshing hike – all before midday – but for most of us that’s not realistic. So if you wake up after a night of knocking back tequilas and behaving like a goblin, you don’t need to make it worse by drowning in self resentment. You need to figure out the cheese and crackers sitting in your favorite chair and reading a book. Or is it just fun and fulfilling and it makes you happy without the wine?

Addiction Therapy Programs

Sunnyside is not designed to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website. We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol. As part of your daily “boredom prevention plan,” schedule a reward for not drinking when you otherwise would. A sure sign of problematic bored drinking is failing to achieve hobby-related goals. There are plenty of situations where having a drink is a great way to celebrate an accomplishment.

Effects of Bored Drinking

• Waking up with a violent urge to vomit and your phone battery on three percent is a solid indicator that you can’t say the precise amount you drank last night.
• You may become more depressed, more anxious, or start losing sleep.
• Part of it is definitely that I’ve had a rough month and struggle with depression, but another part is simply that it’s a slow day.
• On the other hand, Acamprosate can help to repair brain damage from alcohol dependence.
• So try not to brush any of these comments off, she suggests.
• If you’re interested in learning more about me or the work I do or accessing free resources and guides to help you build a life you love without alcohol, please visit hellosomedaycoaching.com.

I certainly would have if I’d read this article five years ago. Feeling bored, sad, lonely, or anxious about something are all very human things to feel. By focusing on eating healthy, nourishing foods, you are actively working on reversing those symptoms. If nothing else, it starts to chip away at any notion you might have that you’re unworthy. If you have the time, sign on to a longer-term project like helping with this year’s charity bake sale or the big 5K race your city holds yearly. You’ll get to meet new people and be a part of something positive.

Why You Get Sugar Cravings After Quitting Alcohol

If those thoughts are drinking out of boredom very negative, then hanging out in your own brain isn’t going to be a great experience. This is where the real work of sobriety is – facing up to your own mind. Sunnyside is the leading alcohol health platform focused on moderation and mindfulness, not sobriety.

Instead, it’s a step-by-step formula for changing your relationship with alcohol. The course will help you turn the decision to stop drinking from your worst case scenario to the best decision of your life. You will sleep better and have more energy, you’ll look better and feel better, you’ll have more patience and less anxiety. And with my approach you won’t feel deprived or isolated in the process. So if you’re interested in learning more about all the details, please go to You can start at any time and I would love to see you in the course.

• Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time is dangerous, and can even lead to coma or death.
• The more alcohol you drink, the more difficult it is to make rational decisions.
• Many people use alcoholic beverages to enhance experiences.
• It was something I looked at every day, and it inspired me to keep going.
• She cherishes quiet moments with a good book, her two beloved cats, and the tranquility of nature’s walking trails.
• Also, our brain’s ability to adjust to novel situations relies on repeated exposure with positive outcomes.

If she won the lottery tomorrow, Jill would create a pet sanctuary where the community would unite. Drinking to combat boredom can be problematic, but you can prevent long-term consequences if you identify it early. Many people use alcoholic beverages to enhance experiences. Drinking at concerts, sporting events, and dinner can, as one casual drinker put it, transform a situation into a moment.

• But I’m going to explore solutions for people who sit at various points along the “sobriety is so boring” spectrum.
• Just imagining the next few hours slowly creeping by – with nothing but my thoughts to occupy me – really makes me crave that drink.
• If you’ve reached a point where you can’t experience joy in anything and use alcohol as a way to escape, don’t brush it off as a rough phase.
• I remember the first time I texted someone in sobriety just to say hi, I’m at my son’s baseball game, just wanted to see how you’re doing.
• Plus, you might meet some cool people, and that’s always a double win.
• Sure, having a single drink while alone might not seem like a problem if you eat well and exercise.
• Alcohol is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States.

Now there were a bunch of other ideas that came up on the call that I wanted to share. People talked about taking a chocolate making class and getting a kit and doing that. I always have, but they really really helped me in early sobriety.