Ask a Therapist: How Do I Know If My Drinking Is a Problem?

Don’t get down on yourself because you can’t get wasted at the bar with your friends anymore. You don’t want to fall down that rabbit hole. It’s hard to fill that time, especially when dealing with alcohol cravings and triggers. My friends and I got together for happy hours after work. On the weekend, we went to bars and clubs. During the day, there were all-inclusive brunches. It all felt normal, even the terrible parts like awful hangovers and hangxiety. There are many places where you can support from other people. From AA meetings (which you can attend online or in-person right now) to apps, there are many ways to get support. Legal problems can be another red flag.

Maybe just focusing on one thing for now, the drinking, might make it all seem more manageable. For a lot of people, distraction seems to be key in the early days. If you can distract yourself with a long walk outdoors and burn some calories, so much the better! I know for me a therapist helped me with all of the issues you described. I just why do i drink when im bored drink because I get bored. You work hard all day, so it’s nice to come home and have a glass or two of wine to relax. I like to de-stress on weekends. I don’t do clubs anymore, but dinner parties with good food and wine—only good wine—they’re the best. Hangovers after thirty are the worst! I can’t drink like I used to—I mean, I try!

LIfe After Rehab – Stories of Success

It may even help to get your own therapy or join a support group for people facing similar issues. When you’re both sober and calm, talk to your loved one about the damaging behaviors and issues that you’ve noticed. Encourage them to open up to you by listening, Sober House without being judgmental or accusatory. Recreational drugs, such as marijuana, cannabis, or stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines are used to manage uncomfortable emotions, situations, and memories. Their use can lead to drug abuse and addiction.

But that’s quite a drive from where I live, is only possible 3 months a year, and is getting quite expensive even just going a few times a year. I sincerely am not judging them. I just tell them why I quit , and I think their insecurities get triggered. This is when they start joking that I must have gotten a DUI… to make themselves feel better, I suppose. Volunteering is a great way to reconnect to your community. Helping others actually boosts our own mental health and feelings of self-worth. AND, it helps us to become less self-absorbed which, quite frankly, a lot of us are. Before I started drinking too much, I loved to write. I kept a notebook and pen beside my bed in case I woke up in the middle of the night with a brilliant song lyric or poem.

Boredom Drinking Alcohol Abuse Rehab Programs

If a person eats in front of the TV or computer when bored, they may overeat or eat unhealthy foods. Similarly, eating while on the go or while traveling may cause overeating and lead to unhealthy dietary choices. If a person’s cupboards and refrigerator are full of appealing but unhealthy foods, the person may feel why do i drink when im bored inclined to eat them when they feel bored. I resisted, and have managed to reject the impulse to booze so far. But with no definite end to the lockdown in sight, I think it will be an uphill battle. Casual drinking is a pattern of low-risk drinking that involves consuming alcohol in low doses on rare occasions.