The solution is some form of stimulation, which can be healthy or potentially unhealthy. Alcohol free living is not as simple as just taking the alcohol away. It’s about creating a life you don’t want to escape or numb out from. You’ll meet millions of fellow Reframers in our 24/7 Forum chat and daily Zoom check-in meetings.
Taking a personalized approach allows many families and individuals the chance to adjust treatment to best suit lifestyle, needs, and long-term goals. Have you ever found yourself pouring a drink not to celebrate, but simply because there’s nothing else to do? In fact, boredom has been linked to anxiety, depression, and even addiction. During the pandemic, this issue became even more apparent, with alcohol sales outside of bars and restaurants surging by 24% as people sought ways to escape the monotony of life at home. Boredom can often lead to a misguided belief that alcohol is essential for having fun, especially in the early stages of sobriety. Many individuals feel intense FOMO (fear of missing out) during this time, leading to the assumption that everyone else is enjoying themselves while they are not.
Karlie is originally from Dayton, Ohio, and began her education in psychology at the University of Cincinnati. She participated in research studying ADHD in children, mindfulness and anxiety, and embodied cognition. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she continued her education at the University of Denver and earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling with a side specialization in addiction. During grad school, she treated clients involved in the legal system as well as at a detox facility. After graduating, Karlie gained experience working in a residential program for eating disorders and a private practice before joining the AspenRidge team.
Steps to Break the Boredom Drinking Loop
At the moment, bored drinking might not have a negative impact on your work or family life. If you start noticing these side effects, it’s time to re-evaluate how you deal with boredom. Breaking the boredom drinking loop isn’t just about saying “no” to alcohol—it’s about saying “yes” to a life where boredom doesn’t send you to the bottle.
Life Without Alcohol: Will You Check Out or Show Up?
Her journey began with crisis intervention for families, evolving into roles in community counseling, corrections, and residential facilities. Her expertise encompasses group and individual work, with a particular focus on trauma. Darcie finds fulfillment in working with the LGBTQ+ population, leveraging her skills to support and empower. The best piece of advice she’s ever heard is to never take advice from someone who does not have what you are seeking. Sitting in traffic, for instance, is one of those things that most people would rather forego.
What causes addiction, and why is it so hard to treat?
- That leaves us with the other 60–70% of boredom—the kind that sticks around even after we’ve quit drinking, and can lead to relapse if we don’t know how to handle it.
- Meanwhile, you’re at home wondering how many days it would take someone to find your body after you’ve choked on those peanut M&M’s you’ve been knocking back during your latest Netflix binge.
- In such scenarios, our brain searches for something exciting or rewarding, leading us towards behaviors that can stimulate and intrigue us.
- These stories remind us that boredom isn’t merely a state of inactivity or idleness — it can also be a time for reflection, creativity, and unexpected discovery.
- If you’re like most people I work with, you may have been told that changing your relationship with alcohol is simply about “just drinking less.” But that’s misguided advice.
- Beyond her clinical practice at AspenRidge, Courtney finds solace in outdoor activities, sports, reading, and cherishing quality time with her family and beloved dog.
She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability. In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and fantasy and going to Marvel movies. She enjoys playing board games and having home karaoke nights with her friends. Karlie says the best advice ever received is to not fall in love with potential. She is a trauma-informed clinician who prioritizes the relationship between clinician and client. Addiction impacted her own family and influenced her compassionate and empathetic relationship with clients.
Bored drinking might elevate your mood briefly, but it won’t ever match the satisfaction of mastering a hobby. Before you know it, your list of things to celebrate when bored gets longer, and the im bored .. and drinking gives me something to do. number of drinks you enjoy each week goes up. Even when COVID lockdowns ended, we found in the same survey that 17% of respondents who worked from home were more likely to be excessive drinkers. For those who didn’t work from home, only 12% were prone to excessive drinking.
Boredom Drinking: A Major Roadblock to an Alcohol-Free Life
If those thoughts are 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. As humans, we’re meant to experience the full spectrum of positive and negative emotions – that’s how we’re designed. There can be a bit of stigma around boredom, but it can also fuel so much creativity.
#2. Why We Numb: The Hidden Cost of Distracting from Boredom
Describing her therapeutic approach as evidence-based, Courtney champions a humanistic or person-centered approach as the ideal foundation. Describing her approach as eclectic, Darcie seamlessly combines person-centered and evidence-based practices. Drawing from her background in local improv groups, she infuses sessions with laughter and humor, fostering a non-judgmental space for clients. Darcie believes in collaborating with her clients, tailoring interventions to suit their individual needs. Michael completed his MSW at the University of Denver (2017), followed by a Family Therapy certificate (Denver Family Institute, 2018) and advanced CSAT certification.
- And before long, our brain would even stop searching for an exit or try to make the situation more engaging.
- We’ll also teach you healthy coping skills that support long-term abstinence from drugs and alcohol.
- He further describes his approach as science-driven, constantly reviewing the latest literature and theory.
- And if you have already quit alcohol, then there comes the wave of nostalgia and the reminiscence to the old days where you could just pour a glass of wine to soften the edge.
A sure sign of problematic bored drinking is failing to achieve hobby-related goals. For many people, an antidote to boredom is picking up their knitting, grabbing a book, or writing in their journal. These healthy diversions fill a gap that drinking might otherwise fill. But if you consume alcohol, these signs might indicate that boredom is a drinking trigger. As a drinking trigger, boredom affects more people than you might think. In a 2022 survey of Sunnyside members, 5% said boredom triggered them to drink.
That leaves us with the other 60–70% of boredom—the kind that sticks around even after we’ve quit drinking, and can lead to relapse if we don’t know how to handle it. Believe it or not, in my experience, up to 30–40% of situational boredom can actually be avoided or reduced. Opting out is an underrated and underutilized option—especially for high-functioning people who are used to pushing through.
Naltrexone Interactions: What You Should Know Before Starting Treatment
If she weren’t so damn good at her job, she says she would probably be an electrical engineer. Outside AspenRidge, Jordan enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, and playing volleyball and soccer. She believes she was probably a rodeo queen in another life and recharges by spending time with friends and family. The decision is often met with doubt, questioning if sobriety is attainable. However, the variety of treatment options make it easier for individuals and families to focus on moderate consumption or complete abstinence. An estimated 15 million people throughout the U.S. struggle with alcohol use disorder, but only 10% receive treatment.
Situational boredom is part of life, but it doesn’t have to send you straight to the bottle. You can exit it, numb it, or engage with it—and only engagement builds the skills and resilience to break the boredom → drink → repeat loop for good. Understanding this wiring helps explain why the boredom → drink → repeat loop is so easy to fall into—and why breaking it requires learning new ways to sit with stillness.
Without hobbies, it’s more tempting to take the easier route of having a drink. Reframe supports you in reducing alcohol consumption and enhancing your well-being. These stories remind us that boredom isn’t merely a state of inactivity or idleness — it can also be a time for reflection, creativity, and unexpected discovery. In such scenarios, our brain searches for something exciting or rewarding, leading us towards behaviors that can stimulate and intrigue us. It’s why we might suddenly find ourselves reaching for that remote, a candy bar, or for some, a bottle of alcohol.
You’re prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Most of us would literally rather zap ourselves with pain than sit quietly with our own thoughts.