15 days Sober life seems so boring
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1
15 days Sober life seems so boring
Let me start by saying I'm 26 and I got so bad that if I quit drinking for 8 hours I had massive withdraws. I couldn't eat anything for days I barely had soup I was drinking a half a gallon of vodka every 4 days for 2 weeks and before that I drank every day of my life for 5 years but typically only a half a pint a night and 2 beers.
I woke up on the 4th of this month and said I'm done drinking after throwing up nothing every day for a week.
For my first 5 days I thought I was going to die. Massive stomach pain shakes so bad I couldnt even move my mouse to click on a tv show on my PC i had to use 2 hands to hold on to a bottle of water or a spoon. I could barely drink water or eat yogurt which is all I could eat and chicken broth. Lived on that for 3 days before eating some rice and bread on the 4th day. I didn't sleep for 48 hours staring at the walls at night for the first 2 days. I moved back home and thankfully my mom had sleeping pills and I went to sleep for 4 hours.
Went to the doctors 5 days in being sober she gave me Clonazepam to help me sleep and to help with the withdraws I had no insurance but it only cost me 10$ for 21 pills and I was to take 3 a day after that I was a lot better but now coming in my 15th day I'm depressed and bored as hell going to look for a job in a few weeks and my doctor gave me Escitalopram to help with my depression.
I'm so thankful for the Clonazepam and Escitalopram I have no idea how I would make it without it like others here did. My appetite is back to normal and my pshyical issues are gone but yeah it took 5-7 days for the pshyical stuff to end.
Now I'm here to say its all psychological issues now I miss having just a few drinks before bed watching some of my favorite tech tube videos but I'm at home and my mom would know plus I remember the massive withdraws that I had. But GOD life is so boring being sober trying to get back into gaming again. Being 26 all my friends are 3 hours away and though I do have a car they have lives of their own. I'm not a religious person so I will not drag myself to listening to religious speeches at AA.
Running out of things to do and being home is causing me major depression. Next Friday I'm driving to my friends for the weekend but I have no idea how I'm going to make it to then. Plus this darn weather in Michigan makes it hard to go outside and just walk around and do things.
I woke up on the 4th of this month and said I'm done drinking after throwing up nothing every day for a week.
For my first 5 days I thought I was going to die. Massive stomach pain shakes so bad I couldnt even move my mouse to click on a tv show on my PC i had to use 2 hands to hold on to a bottle of water or a spoon. I could barely drink water or eat yogurt which is all I could eat and chicken broth. Lived on that for 3 days before eating some rice and bread on the 4th day. I didn't sleep for 48 hours staring at the walls at night for the first 2 days. I moved back home and thankfully my mom had sleeping pills and I went to sleep for 4 hours.
Went to the doctors 5 days in being sober she gave me Clonazepam to help me sleep and to help with the withdraws I had no insurance but it only cost me 10$ for 21 pills and I was to take 3 a day after that I was a lot better but now coming in my 15th day I'm depressed and bored as hell going to look for a job in a few weeks and my doctor gave me Escitalopram to help with my depression.
I'm so thankful for the Clonazepam and Escitalopram I have no idea how I would make it without it like others here did. My appetite is back to normal and my pshyical issues are gone but yeah it took 5-7 days for the pshyical stuff to end.
Now I'm here to say its all psychological issues now I miss having just a few drinks before bed watching some of my favorite tech tube videos but I'm at home and my mom would know plus I remember the massive withdraws that I had. But GOD life is so boring being sober trying to get back into gaming again. Being 26 all my friends are 3 hours away and though I do have a car they have lives of their own. I'm not a religious person so I will not drag myself to listening to religious speeches at AA.
Running out of things to do and being home is causing me major depression. Next Friday I'm driving to my friends for the weekend but I have no idea how I'm going to make it to then. Plus this darn weather in Michigan makes it hard to go outside and just walk around and do things.
Last edited by jdowne04; 04-19-2019 at 04:03 PM. Reason: Spelling
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,492
Congratulations on 15 days of sobriety. I'm glad you have gotten through the physical issues. Early recovery often requires lifestyle changes to support your sobriety. Our members have compiled a list of things to do when you're bored 
:
https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ething-do.html (Looking For Something To Do?)
:https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ething-do.html (Looking For Something To Do?)
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,772
Welcome to the family. When I stopped drinking I thought sober life would be boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. I remember everything I do and say and never make a fool of myself. I wake up feeling good and ready for the day. I take good care of my dog and cats and their happiness and good health is my reward.
I suggest you start practicing gratitude every day. It will make life more meaningful and can make you happier too.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/o...pier.html?_r=0
When I stopped drinking I thought sober life would be boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. I remember everything I do and say and never make a fool of myself. I wake up feeling good and ready for the day. I take good care of my dog and cats and their happiness and good health is my reward. I suggest you start practicing gratitude every day. It will make life more meaningful and can make you happier too.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/o...pier.html?_r=0
Life Goes On
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 6,069
jdowne04,
I'm glad you're here and writing about your situation. What you've accomplished so far is really amazing. Congratulations on over two weeks sober!
What really helped me in your situation was to make a schedule. That sounds kind of dumb, maybe, but it helped me to focus on Doing Things, a necessary evil when trying to get rid of the boredom.
The schedule can be made up of anything, really. Clean your room, paint the kitchen, play a video game, do a crossword, go to an AA meeting just to check it out (you don't have to like it, but you might maybe be surprised, how would you know without going?), go for a walk, cook something. The important thing is to fill up your day with a variety of things to do so that you can get yourself away from that rut.
I learned from my treatment days that clonazepam isn't such a great idea for people like us. (My primary doctor prescribed it too.) There are other non-addictive medications that can help with sleep and anxiety. You might want to look around for a psychiatrist who has some expertise in addiction.
Just some suggestions for your consideration.
O
I'm glad you're here and writing about your situation. What you've accomplished so far is really amazing. Congratulations on over two weeks sober!
What really helped me in your situation was to make a schedule. That sounds kind of dumb, maybe, but it helped me to focus on Doing Things, a necessary evil when trying to get rid of the boredom.
The schedule can be made up of anything, really. Clean your room, paint the kitchen, play a video game, do a crossword, go to an AA meeting just to check it out (you don't have to like it, but you might maybe be surprised, how would you know without going?), go for a walk, cook something. The important thing is to fill up your day with a variety of things to do so that you can get yourself away from that rut.
I learned from my treatment days that clonazepam isn't such a great idea for people like us. (My primary doctor prescribed it too.) There are other non-addictive medications that can help with sleep and anxiety. You might want to look around for a psychiatrist who has some expertise in addiction.
Just some suggestions for your consideration.
O
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
Hi and welcome to SR Jdowne
I drank all day everyday - my idea of fun was open a bottle...
so when I stopped drinking I had no idea how to amuse myself, how to have fun or keep myself from being bored....
U dunno about you, but I realised I was pretty much doing the same things I used to when I was drunk - sitting on the couch channel surfing is ok for a drunk guy but sober me needed more.
There's about 100 suggestions in Anna link on things to do
It may seem like the days drag on forever right now - make the most of that cos soon you'll wonder where the day went
D
I drank all day everyday - my idea of fun was open a bottle...
so when I stopped drinking I had no idea how to amuse myself, how to have fun or keep myself from being bored....
U dunno about you, but I realised I was pretty much doing the same things I used to when I was drunk - sitting on the couch channel surfing is ok for a drunk guy but sober me needed more.
There's about 100 suggestions in Anna link on things to do
It may seem like the days drag on forever right now - make the most of that cos soon you'll wonder where the day went
D
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,645
Well if you did a cost-benefit analysis on your post, you may find that the costs far outweigh the benefits of drinking.
Benefits:
You might not be bored for a few hours due to intoxication
Costs:
Everything else you wrote
Congratulations on 15 days sober.
Keep up the good fight.
Benefits:
You might not be bored for a few hours due to intoxication
Costs:
Everything else you wrote
Congratulations on 15 days sober.
Keep up the good fight.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 598
It is difficult. Like Dee for me having fun was opening and drinking a bottle. For me the most critical time is the two hours after work when I rushed home to open that bottle . I do not have answers for you, do not know what will work for you . For me I go to gym, driving range, work in the garden etc. Any physical activity that I can do alone. I am not ready for social interaction yet.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,339
The medication may be helpful to you to get through the extended period of withdrawal, but it's not going to mean that you are no longer wanting to drink.
You have an association of wanting to drink while gaming and other habits that suggests you really need to consider the other things to occupy your time than those as a means to occupy your time. You're not getting the buzz that you are used to from those, and you are missing the booze that goes along with that combination. Consider that the boredom is a luxury compared to being in a place where you are going to just get sick again.
I take Escitalopram for major depression, but it didn't work immediately, so consider that, as well as the fact that your brain is used to having an influx of booze that used to stimulate you (even though it is a depressant). You need to not drink for it to work for you and give it some time. The benzo you are taking is helping you to feel as good as you are now, that's what it did for me in rehab, but I, too, was cautioned about that as a basis for feeling well without forming a dependence upon it.
Recovery is another responsibility to take upon yourself, it's not just a time of feeling better for a while and you're going to be fine thereafter.
You have done a major thing in stopping and in seeking help, how can you build upon that now? Getting a job sounds like a very good idea, to occupy your time and to bring in resources that will allow you to do other things than you have been up to now. It takes time to find a job, so why not start now on that project, by looking at opportunities, updating your resume, and putting in some applications? Finding work can be a job in itself for a while.
Keep coming to SR to get more advice and encouragement, you are doing a great thing for yourself.
You have an association of wanting to drink while gaming and other habits that suggests you really need to consider the other things to occupy your time than those as a means to occupy your time. You're not getting the buzz that you are used to from those, and you are missing the booze that goes along with that combination. Consider that the boredom is a luxury compared to being in a place where you are going to just get sick again.
I take Escitalopram for major depression, but it didn't work immediately, so consider that, as well as the fact that your brain is used to having an influx of booze that used to stimulate you (even though it is a depressant). You need to not drink for it to work for you and give it some time. The benzo you are taking is helping you to feel as good as you are now, that's what it did for me in rehab, but I, too, was cautioned about that as a basis for feeling well without forming a dependence upon it.
Recovery is another responsibility to take upon yourself, it's not just a time of feeling better for a while and you're going to be fine thereafter.
You have done a major thing in stopping and in seeking help, how can you build upon that now? Getting a job sounds like a very good idea, to occupy your time and to bring in resources that will allow you to do other things than you have been up to now. It takes time to find a job, so why not start now on that project, by looking at opportunities, updating your resume, and putting in some applications? Finding work can be a job in itself for a while.
Keep coming to SR to get more advice and encouragement, you are doing a great thing for yourself.
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