And the thing about alcohol is that it is way more efficient and reliable at creating this effect than natural rewards like having fun with friends or eating a delicious meal. This is the part where you figure out how to enjoy life without a little something extra to help loosen you up. So now comes the arduous task of learning how to manage the tough stuff without a chemical crutch like alcohol. It’s likely your doctor will order some bloodwork, which can be the start of your path to physical recovery.

Drinking Out of Boredom

• First up, I read Catherine Grey’s The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober.
• But when dopamine levels artificially spike (like what happens when we drink alcohol), that’s when trouble starts.
• After destroying her sister’s wedding, Sandra Bullock’s character is forced to confront her issue with alcohol, then enters rehab and comes out 28 days later.

Surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family who encourage sobriety and engage in alcohol-free activities can be incredibly beneficial in combating boredom drinking. By building a strong support network, you can access the encouragement and guidance you need to stay sober and successfully overcome boredom drinking. Danny specializes in brainspotting and reality therapy. Danny has extensive experience in effectively treating incidental and complex trauma.

Bored Drinking: How to Defend Against the Sneakiest Trigger

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a result of having nothing to do. In fact, boredom is a genuine emotion, akin to happiness or sadness. When this emotion surfaces, it reveals our disconnection or lack of drinking out of boredom interest in our surroundings or activities.

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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. 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.

Why Drinking To Cope With Boredom Is Never A Good Plan

The average adult experiences around 131 days of boredom per year, so how you react to this boredom is critical to your mental health. If you justify to yourself, “I drink when I’m bored,” it can quickly lead to overindulgence and health concerns. If you’re a casual drinker, you should understand the ramifications of regular drinking. I loved Catherine’s honest and heartbreaking account of how booze affected her relationships, health and career as a magazine journalist. As well as recounting her rock bottom moments and inspirational recovery, she also shares some brilliant practical advice for enjoying a sober life.

Can Drinking Wine Make You Feel Depressed?

28 days More of a rom-com than a serious look at alcohol addiction, this is a more light-hearted transformation film. After destroying her sister’s wedding, Sandra Bullock’s character is forced to confront her issue with alcohol, then enters rehab and comes out 28 days later. It starts by telling you how Bette’s dead body was discovered, several weeks after dying of alcoholism, surrounded by rubbish in a home that was falling apart. Then it lists all of the ways her poor body had gradually broken down due to her addiction. As well as reading the book, I also attended Allen Carr’s Easyway to Give Up Alcohol workshop in London (there are several around the UK).