SkiStop

Do you avoid any hobbies now that you do not drink?

I really enjoy working in my garage. I've created a pretty nice work space and built up a nice collection of tools. I've built bookshelves, a bench, a cabinet and various other things for the yard and house, and then stained and finished them, too.

I've really enjoyed doing this, but it's always been a hobby I do while drinking beer. I used to turn on the radio to my favorite station, pop open a 12-back of beer, and get to work. I would work for hours with intense focus while I got drunker and drunker. Even though I had to re-do some work, the finished products all turned out pretty nice (at least, my wife has been impressed).

I'm not sure I would enjoy this hobby without the drinking part of it. In fact, looking back, it's hard to say whether it was more about the drinking than the actual woodworking.

I do have other hobbies that do not go with drinking, most of them being outdoors/exercise stuff. I like to ski, hike, bike, etc.

It seems silly to avoid woodworking, but I'm afraid that I'll get no enjoyment from it now or, worse, it will trigger cravings. Maybe in time I'll be able to do it again?

yeahgr8

When i was still drinking new people i met would say so what do you like doing, where i would just stare blankly at them, then they would say well what are your hobbies...i drink and gamble, wtf are you talking about?! Im glad you actually at least still have a hobby, look at it that way;-)

NEOMARXIST

Hey man. I have had to totally change my life activities and what I am striving for inorder to stay sober.

I am a musician but I have had to totally put band life on hold as for me it is far too closely related to drinking/drugging/partying.

I will know when the time is right to get back out there gigging properly again but for now it's strictly life on lifes terms. My biggest hobby other than music was getting wrecked so obviously that has been killed off!! LOL.

freespirit78

Seriously!!! I know what you mean Yeahgr8...I hated when people use to ask what I liked to do for fun. Everything I did revolved around drinking. I remember a former friend, once we stopped being friends told a mutual person that was all I did and I was like that is sooooo not true, but looking back it was true. We has Sunday fun days by the pool = drinking, game night = drinking, get together for lunch or dinner = drinking, shopping = had to stop for a break and get a drink, rafting = drinking, drive up to the snow = had at least one drink....what to do on the weekends go to a bar, what else? Even if we were going to be good and stay home or be at a friends house, drinking. All birthdays and celebrations of any kind = drinking and almost always held at the bar. Now my question is WHY?!?!?!?
So, now my boyfriend and I are coming up with our own new ideas. when I was single and limited my social hanging out and drinking, I went to church....was the best thing for me and worked sooooo well.
We are starting to come up with ideas, little by little...it is hard though, our issue is the people that we hangout with, they are major influences which they shouldn't be.

Anna

I stopped doing pretty much everything, when I was drinking because all I wanted to do was stay home and drink. So, for me sobriety has brought back all of things I loved doing.

least

I have no hobbies to speak of but am finding that I get a lot of cravings to drink when I'm home alone - which is most of the time. Besides drinking to medicate anxiety and depression, I also drank cause I was bored. I'm still bored a lot but just not drinking over it.

If the woodworking triggers cravings for alcohol, maybe best to put it on hold for a while til you're stronger in your sobriety. The wood will still be there when you're ready to come back to it.

bananagrrrl

At least you did a hobby while drinking! I am like the others- drinking was my hobby.

I don't know what to suggest here.

bdiddy5522

Grilling out is a big one for me. That always seemed to be associated with drinking. Mainly because I could go outside and pound beers without my wife knowing exactly how many I had because I was out there alone. I mean, I love grilling, but I used to do it a lot more when I was drinking because it was a good excuse. I still do it, and was actually very scared the first time I did it because it was the last thing I did before I broke down and asked my wife/parents for help with alcohol. It brought back a lot of emotions for me. I do still grill, only now I have a soda nearby.

Mark75

Most everything I did, even the outdoor stuff... skiing, hiking, biking, whitewater, and everything else, especially playing music, at some point, either during or after, involved drinking, and sometimes, other stuff...

There was definitely an adjustment period... but now I am getting back the focus I had, and I don't miss it... I am very optimistic, it is better in many ways with out the alcohol.

Yea I get the garage thing... I've got a killer PA system out there, 6 element FM antenna aimed at a great college FM station... I could spend hours out there... Drinking beer.

It gets better.

Tuning up those Skis??? We are getting clobbered, conditions don't get much better here in the NE!!

Mark

Hevyn

I know just what you mean. I agree with Neo - you'll know when the time is right to resume certain things. We really are learning to live in a new way. I didn't know how to do anything without a drink by my side. I'd pace around wondering what to do with myself. That anxiety ended, though.

One thing I'm glad to be doing again is reading. I gave it up when I drank because I didn't retain anything. I'd read half a book & not remember a thing. Same with movies - would rent one, watch it - & not have a clue what it was about the next day. Sad! Never again do I want to go back there.

Horselover

Ditto!!

freespirit78

Ah, again to see I am not alone. I feel like I can only be around sober friends or those that I have confided in for now. Or the first few months. But quite honestly I don't think I am ever going to have a huge desire to hang out with my friends, cuz everything is about drinking. And I don't want to be associated with that anymore.

SkiStop

Have you ever rented the same movie twice, because you didn't remember watching it the first time? Yup, done that a few times.

I hear you on the reading, though. I've always loved to read fiction, and that's something that does not go with drinking, at all. I'm reading John Irving's new book which is only ok (I love a lot of his older stuff), but it is very enjoyable and relaxing to read at night.

That's exactly what I'm talking about with working in the garage, especially the part about the wife not knowing exactly how many beers I was pounding.

soberinwpg

I have a couple of days w/o my kids this long weekend. I actually had to open a recovery book that listed suggestions of activities. I am clueless. All I could think of on my own was playing slots or sleeping. LMAO. NOT good.

dasha

Hi,Ah yes The Hobby, well my favourite which is a nice armchair venture.. And went hand in hand with my drinking was buying and selling goods on Ebay.. The trouble with the drinking come end of week fri.. ME AND MY MRS,would pick up a box of wine, and
proceed to get thoroughly trashed.. Often drunk fast on an empty tum! Dangerous way
to go... As id normally tan 2.5 bottles worth to her 1.5, and of course them boxes you
never know how much you,re drinking... then of course ending up wasted trying to bid
on items.. Or slurrrilly askin questions about items..worst still tryin to list goods.. AND
makin an absolute balls up... hence the old sayin dont mix biz with pleasure.. then of
course managing to spill wine on the lap...would be the signal to stop... so am doing still these hobbies now without booze..TEA AND COFFEE..in hand, and its just fine to be on
the ball, and sharp to whats what..accident free HeHe..

Fubarcdn

The only hobby that I avoid now that I loved when I was drinking was bar hopping.
I don't think it would be much fun now sober as I find intoxicated people really annoying now.

WakeUp

I have wholesome hobbies, some of them had a drinking component, like backpacking. I'd get to camp, and start sipping on the whiskey until my flask was empty.
I still have the same hobbies, I just substitute the drinking for somethign more wholesome. Take away the whiskey, but make a pot of tea to sip in camp.

freespirit78

Yup me too!!! And I agree....
This meanings for awhile I am going to miss some birthday parties and going away parties but I need to look out for me right now.....

Omega10

Many of my hobbies required me to be sober - kayaking, roller blading, ice skating. The closest I come would be drinking wine while cooking. I have to eat, so I really could not avoid that activity. I just drink juice or tea instead while I am cooking and stay focused on what I am doing.

I think for me it will be a lot harder when spring/summer time hits, and I want to sit in my yard. I spent a lot of nights out there drinking. I'm also not looking forward to patio season - that first really warm day of Spring is going to be a nasty trigger day for me. Giving up drinking is a lot easier in the winter while I am hibernating.

I've already started to think of ways to occupy myself once the warm weather hits to make sure I don't relapse. I've already put feelers out to some of my non-drinking friends to see if they want to form a roller blading club. I've also started investigating sailing lessons, since it is against the law to drink and operate a boat.

Roadr440

Those hobbies.. Yes i remember them!!! like you skistop I avoid them and they have been on hold for me for coming up on 1 year now. I have put my sobriety first, you see i want this so bad to stay sober I will go to any length and what every it takes, I'm 54 now and I think this is my last chance at sobriety and i want to guard it with all my tools that i have learn this last year.



I agree with Neo you will know when the time is right to get back in your woodwork, for me i'm just starting to get back into my hobbies, I call them baby steps, like you skistop i love to work in the garage, i have a old muscle car i'm restoring and only now have i starting to mess around on it. Or who knows skistop maybe it's time to try something different if you think it might trigger you? I know for me i'm going to be very careful..



My first post on sr was about hobbies skistop and a member here gave me this advice as someone gave him and i read it from time to time and hope it helps you like it did me. (Thanks so much Hevyn for this)


"Someone said on here recently that when we're kids, we have a natural high/happy feeling all the time - we're excited about life and we don't need anything to enhance that feeling. We don't start out needing a substance to enjoy things. I allowed alcohol to suck the life out of me for decades & it did feel strange without it for the first year or so. I focused on what I thought I was loosing, rather than what I'd be gaining."



Best of luck Skistop