It’s why we might suddenly find ourselves reaching for that remote, a candy bar, or for some, a bottle of alcohol. In the meantime, the Soberish community is here to support you and help you get there. I certainly would have if I’d read this article five years ago.
The Takeaway: How To Deal With Being Sober and Bored
Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill many bacteria at once and thus can have a huge effect on the gut microbiome. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics, on the other hand, are much more targeted and can be tailored to the bacteria likely causing the infection. The woman’s doctors suspected that, in addition to clearing her UTIs, these heavy doses of antibiotics wiped out helpful bacteria in her gut. This likely cleared the way for various fungi in the gut to take over. Some of these fungi can ferment carbohydrates, essentially brewing their own alcohol.
Use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify triggers.
Your friends are out getting drunk, the same as they always do. 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. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, your doctor may even recommend medication to help treat depression and anxiety. I have gone to bars with people I genuinely like as a sober person, and I don’t stay for longer than an hour or two if nothing is happening.
Connect with Others in Recovery
If you are still in the flirtation stage of drinking out of boredom, it’s a great time to intervene and make a concerted effort to handle boredom in healthier ways. The contrast between the heightened emotional state while drinking and the flatness of mood when sober can make everyday life without alcohol seem uninteresting – sometimes unbearably so. This can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and stress when not drinking, which might make sober times feel particularly empty or boring. But when dopamine levels artificially spike (like what happens when we drink alcohol), that’s when trouble starts.
Effects of Bored Drinking
- You need to reset your reward pathways and that’s not going to be possible as long as you are drinking alcohol.
- By implementing these strategies, you can effectively manage boredom and negative emotions without turning to alcohol, improving your overall mental health and well-being.
- However, boredom drinking can result in a damaging cycle that is difficult to break and can negatively impact ongoing mental health.
- If you have someone you trust, let them know if you are feeling down or lonely – so they know you won’t mind if they check in with you more often.
