Boredom
Often people who stop using drugs say life feels boring. Some reasons for this feeling include the following:
1. A structured, routine life feels different from a lifestyle built around substance use
2. brain chemical changes during recovery can make people feel listless (or bored)
3. People who use substances often have huge emotional swings (high to low and back to high). Normal emotions can feel flat by comparison.
People who have been abstinent a long time rarely complain of continual boredom. The problem of boredom in recovery does improve. Meanwhile you should try some different activities to help remedy the problem of boredom in recovery.
List five recreational activities you want to pursue:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Have you started doing things that you enjoyed before using drugs? Have you begun new activities that interest you? what are they?
Can you plan something to look forward to? What will you plan?
How long has it been since youve taken a vacation? a vacation doesnt have to involve travel, just time away from your regular routine. what kind of break will you plan for yourself?
Here are some tips to reduce feelings of boredom:
1. Recognize that a structured, routine life feels different from a lifestyle built around substance use.
2. Make sure you are scheduling activities. Forcing yourself to write down daily activities helps you fit in more interesting experiences.
3. Try not to become complacent in recovery. Do something that will futher your growth. Sometimes boredom results from not challenging yourself enough in your daily living.
WHich of the suggestions listed above might work for you? It is important to try new ways of fighting boredom. Boredom can be a trigger that moves you twoard relapse.
next installment: avoiding relapse drift