wolfpackfan45

I'm not an addict, my son is. Please know that everyone gets bored and restless at times. I find it worse in the winter months when it's gloomy outside. Try a new hobby or exercise routine. It will pass, I promise.

Mikie9

Others have said so much, but here is what I am working on. I have to fill the time, I have to have something to look forward to. this is a pretty common need for us humans.

This time of year is hard on me as well. Cold. dark. grrr. But I know this about myself, that I hate cold and dark so I tried reading and planning for when spring comes again. My something to look forward too is this spring when I can go outside again, and actually feel good! Sure, feeling wise staying indoors and reading is no where as good as catching a buzz, but waking up feeling good sure is something to look forward too.

For me, catching a buzz is the lazy way to get the good chemicals in my brain to flow, but it took a little time to start to see it happening.

MIRecovery

I think that many times we think we want excitement when in reality all we know is that something is missing from our lives that needs to be filled. I have found giving of yourself is an excellent way to fill this void. I get my fix through AA but there are a zillion ways. There is no shortage of people that need help and all you have to do is reach out help them. Teach someone to read, be a big brother, help at the homeless shelter, the list goes on and on. By giving of yourself you get back so much more than you ever gave and that empty feeling goes away.

Itchy

Go skydive or scuba dive, downhill ski or sailboard, climb a mountain or a rock, spelunk a cave or walk the Grand Canyon, hike The Freedom Trail or a glacier, fish the Alaska salmon runs, fish the Amazon.

I could go on but there is an endless list of things and the really good ones take days to weeks of training to do with any panache at all. So stop worrying about what you won't change if actually doing something does not motivate you.

I wrote here early in my recovery a discovery of my own boredom, and it was also why I became an alcoholic.

"Boredom is wanting to do something, anything, as long as you don’t have to actually do something to do it."

Mikie9

"Boredom is wanting to do something, anything, as long as you don’t have to actually do something to do it."

Itchy.. thank you, this is exactly where I am at. It is easy to think we are in no mans land but we aren't. people have been quitting addictions for centuries.

This may get deleted, but my focus has been on this statement that I made one of the last few nights I was drinking my time away. it is the last page of the journal I started when I decided I needed to figure out how to quit catching a buzz to entertain me...

"Get busy living, or go get drunk and high, and go ahead and die already, that's all I am doing, waiting on death with a buzz to entertain me."

For me, shut down with a buzz, or crank it up and live. Simple choice really. I am not saying cranking it up has been a cake walk... but I tried the other and came to the conclusion that it sucked to live that way. My sober days have had many trying moments, but NONE of them made me think waiting to die was what I was doing with my time.

FamilyMan2153

Anna, I can't say that I have any other new activties. I go to AA and have gone back to where I did some treatment to speak. It was good. Seeing people early in recovery is always a good reminder. I have done a gratitude list. Not in awhile so maybe I shoud look at it again. I guess one worry is that I hear people speak at a meeting stating they were in relapse for a year or more before they finally drank again. When my thinking gets all screwed up I feel like I am headed down the wrong path. Maybe I just over-think. What a shocker.

FamilyMan2153

Mikie, I remember those days. When I knew I was an alcoholic and really thought that was it. This is how I will die. It was a dark time but I remember looking at my wife, kids and around my house knowing someone else was going to raise those kids be cuddled next to my wife or living in my house. That was 18 months ago and I am in a better place. I have read everyone's posts, twice, and they really help. Thank you

Mags1

I think I've gotta experience the cold wet windy miserable days here in the uk, to appreciate the odd sunny day thrown at us, some years, lol.

Never mind, it's spring soon

ImperfectlyMe

Hey familyman, sorry you've hit a bit of a rut. We've all been there I think a feeling of disconnection from our old giddy adventurous zesty selfs. Like others have said may be a touch of the winter blues this has been a brutal one. vitamin D3 helps with this.

And on a side note I had to tell you Ive always looked up to you. You were one of the first to welcome me with wonderful words of wisdom when I joined. You made a great first impression of yourself and SR, so thanks!

FamilyMan2153

Thanks IM. I am working my way through it. I talked to my wife about it. She was a little taken back but like most things I find it better to be honest and discuss the issues. It is easy to talk about things when it is all great but even after a period of sobriety things can get a little off track. My wife told me to go get a tan. A little natural vitamin D. Who knows. Glad you are doing so great!!

MythOfSisyphus

I feel you, FamillyMan. I've been kind of in that same kind of a funk. For me there are lots of reasons, some may apply to you. The first is that this is shaping up to be a really crappy winter. It got cold really early and has stayed very cold since. Usually it's not too bad here til Dec/Jan but it was below zero in Oct. That puts a damper on things for me since in good weather I like to get out camping or hiking at least twice a month (more if possible).

School has been grinding me down a bit as well. I went back at almost 40 and I'll turn 45 this spring. I won't graduate with my bachelor's til the end of the year. At first it was exciting, but now I just want to finish and get my life back.

Lastly, I guess the new has worn off of sobriety. I too figured I'd die an early death and be mourned by almost no one. Now I realize I have family and friends and things to live for. In the beginning just being sober was a wonder, and it was enough. Maybe after 15 months it's finally sinking in that my life if boring?

But I try to remind myself that this too shall pass.