With understanding and a few targeted strategies, you can retrain your brain to seek healthier, more fulfilling ways to escape boredom. In her time here, Karlie trained as a clinical supervisor and an Acudetox therapist. She has a passion for working with clients to help them develop a more profound sense of identity to navigate depressive and anxious symptoms. She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability.
Am I An Alcoholic – If You Have To Ask, Read This First
- According to Medical News Today, the average adult in the United States experiences around 131 days of boredom per year.
- Many people claim that they drink for the totally opposite reason – they find themselves drinking out of boredom.
- The key is to stay curious and open to new experiences, which can create positive outlets for your energy.
Danny spent the first nine years of his career working in youth residential treatment. After managing that program for six years, Danny moved to AspenRidge and now leads the clinical team. While it doesn’t automatically indicate alcohol use disorder drinking out of boredom can expose users to the extensive list of short- and long-term health effects due to ongoing alcohol use.
- While it doesn’t automatically indicate alcohol use disorder drinking out of boredom can expose users to the extensive list of short- and long-term health effects due to ongoing alcohol use.
- She has worked in behavioral health since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2019.
- Many ex-drinkers find that boredom after quitting alcohol is one of the hardest emotions to deal with—especially when alcohol used to be their go-to solution for downtime or restlessness.
- But if you can spend time with those thoughts, you will be better prepared to make changes that can positively affect them.
- Various factors lead individuals to abuse alcohol, including genetic traits, environmental reasons, and societal factors.
- This can lead to risky behaviors, accidents, and strained relationships.
The Science behind Alcohol, Age, and Metabolism
Most people drink to fill some sort of void, like boredom, loneliness, an unhappy relationship, job-related stress or anxiety. When the alcohol wears off, your problems will still be there, and you’ll likely reach out for more alcohol to escape them again. 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. Now, working with sober curious folks who want to break their drinking patterns, I’ve seen how often boredom becomes one of the hardest emotions to face on the alcohol-free journey.
Alcohol and Adaptation
Understanding this connection is the first step towards breaking the cycle. Outside of work, Brionna finds solace in arts and crafts, particularly crocheting and creative writing. She cherishes quiet moments with a good book, her two beloved cats, and the tranquility of nature’s walking trails. Outside of her professional endeavors, Megan finds joy in the company of her partner and pets. She relishes spending time with friends, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and exploring the great outdoors during milder weather. When he’s off the clock, Chandler is equal parts maker and explorer—reading, crocheting, gaming, crafting, puzzling, hiking, rafting, and snowboarding.
#3. How to Engage with Boredom and Feel Alive Again
There, she earned dual bachelor’s degrees before pursuing a master’s degree in psychology. During her academic years, she dedicated herself to assisting refugees fleeing war and violence in their home countries. Some drink for pleasure or at social events, while others find themselves drinking for no reason at all.. Regardless of the intent, there are significant health implications that arguably make alcohol the most dangerous substance on the market. Learning healthy coping skills, unfortunately, is not as intuitive as it might seem. Dealing with monotony and underlying mental health issues typically requires self-awareness and outside assistance through various forms of therapy addressing underlying conditions.
It’s not usually the first option that comes to mind—because unlike distraction, engagement takes effort. Boredom is a state of restlessness or dissatisfaction that shows up when your mind is under-stimulated, under-engaged, or disconnected from meaning. It often arises when in a space that is empty of activity, engagement, or purpose.
Alcohol Detox Programs in New Jersey: Step-by-Step Recovery Guide
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. While a drink might provide a brief moment of relief, alcohol is a depressant that can have negative effects on mental health over time. People who drink regularly to deal with boredom or other emotions may find that it worsens feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression. Instead of alleviating these feelings, alcohol can amplify them, creating a negative feedback loop that is hard to escape from. When boredom leads to drinking, people often reach for a drink without realizing the long-term consequences.
The cycle of drinking to fill time leads to mental, emotional, and physical challenges that can be hard to reverse. Repeatedly drinking in this way can lead to a condition known as alcohol use disorder (AUD), which is characterized by an inability to control alcohol consumption despite negative consequences. The more often someone drinks to cope with boredom, the more likely they are to develop an unhealthy reliance on alcohol.
Whether it’s boredom at home, stress from daily routines, or a need for excitement, there are healthier ways to fill the void. This article dives into why boredom often leads to drinking, the risks it poses, and practical strategies to help you find joy and purpose without turning to alcohol. If you’re ready to take control and build better habits, you’re in the right place. If you have been using alcohol to cope with boredom for a while, you may even find yourself starting to drink preemptively before boredom hits.
Anna Smith, LP – Assistant Clinical Director
Boredom is a natural state or emotion that’s part of the spectrum of things we feel as humans, and we all experience boredom in different forms and at different times. Facing your unhappy thoughts can be overwhelming, and it’s natural to need a break or a distraction from time to time. But you should turn to other, more productive ways to cope with your boredom that won’t be detrimental to your health. There’s a modern myth that life is supposed to be fun and exciting all the time.
In another life, he’s pretty sure he was a Viking explorer—and he might still lobby for a holiday that celebrates Viking culture. Michael completed his MSW at the University of Denver (2017), followed by a Family Therapy certificate (Denver Family Institute, 2018) and advanced CSAT certification. His lens is family systems (Bowen/structural) with a Rogerian, humanistic stance. Nate Denning is the Lead Admission Representative at AspenRidge Recovery. Before moving to AspenRidge, Nate served as operations director at a local organization that has sober living homes throughout the Denver area.
One could argue that boredom may well be responsible for some of the greatest works of art, literature, and invention in human history. And boredom can become the empty space where that question echoes the loudest. However, in our day, most of us don’t need to fight for food or drinking because of boredom shelter. Our admissions team is available 24/7 to listen to your story and help you get started with the next steps. Recovery is hard work, but we think you’ll find it’s well worth it. Unstructured time leads to unpredictable behaviors, which are problematic in recovery.
Whatever the reason for your boredom, drinking can create a negative cycle around it. So whether you are an absent-minded drinker or a lonely or anxious one, what can you do to prevent drinking out of boredom? Here are 5 tips to help you make changes to your drinking habits that could help you feel better, for good.
When the mind is left unstimulated, it craves something to engage with. Alcohol offers a quick and easy solution, seemingly transforming a dull moment into something a bit more lively. However, this temporary fix masks the real issue rather than addressing it.
