DJSid

Hello all. Just wondering who else out there has had experience with regaining interest in things you used to love to do before alcohol took over. I used to enjoy reading, writing, playing guitar and photography and haven't pursued any of my hobbies and interests in a long time. I am currently taking action to get sober and I am hoping my creative ambitions return along with a clear head and physical health.

Twinings

Good luck to you DJSid,
I am hoping some of my interests come back too...with time and more sobriety, i'm sure they will.

Dee74

Interest and creativity does return Sid, absolutely - but do try to keep in mind as drinkers we do a lot of damage to mind and body - it may take a little while for things to heal

D

KateL

I used to be an actor but never got that big break. Then I realized I had wanted to act just to be famous and admired by millions because I felt I had never really been admired by anyone. I wasn't bad at it but when I got sober, I realized it was nasty, back-biting, dark business, full of either manipulators or others like myself, searching for approval. So I changed tact with my creativity and became a writer. I love it. I started about two years after I became sober. I did attempt it a bit before, believing that many great artistic people were driven by drugs and alcohol which were mind expanding, like Dylan Thomas and Edgar Allen Poe. (mad) Even they only wrote their best stuff, after editing during moments of clarity. So that is a total myth. When I look at what I wrote whilst drunk, I realized it was just mad jibber-jabber. It is a bit better now

Leana

I was sober for about 2 years before serious health problems (directly related to drinking) surfaced. It took another 2 years to diagnose and treat the problems. It has just been in the past year that my health is returning to a good state. I am slowly getting back to things I used to love to do but more importantly I am trying new things and finding new creative outlets. Good Luck.

Inca

My interests went out the door over time when I was drinking. I have so much more fun now spending time doing things I love to do. Especially crafts, reading, playing tennis, and watching movies. Even little things that used to be a drag like walking my dog is actually fulfilling now. I started getting back into things by trying out what the city has to offer (museums, plays, etc), made a trip to the bookstore, and enrolled in some classes. Meet up is also a good way to try out new things in the area and see what you enjoy in addition to the hobbies that you already have.

sugarbear1

It's just part of recovery. Your interests should come back to you!! Give time time and heal well!

Mikie9

I concur. They will come back but give it a little while. We are different people now than when we were before we started drinking to fill the time. It is natural for old interests to not be as exciting as they were before we had being drunk to compare them too, if that makes sense.

For example, being active was always something I liked before going down the drinking/drugging road. I have been getting back into it and it is making me feel good, but I am not 20 yrs old anymore so I have to realize that and I have a lot of healing to do before I can enjoy the same amount of exertion that I once could.

Reading tho, omg I have been loving reading and that is sorta new for me. I have always read some, but right now it is such an escape

ReadyAndAble

Definitely, it comes back. I found that after I was clear of the bottle for a while, I not only approached old activities with fresh enthusiasm, but also began to explore entirely new creative outlets and social activities. At a certain point, recovery stopped being about the end of one thing, and started being about the beginning of other things.

Mikie9

Thank you for this