What Happens to Your Body When You Stop Drinking? Side Effects & Benefits
Let’s explore why this happens and how we can break the habit. “Because alcohol can change our thoughts and feelings, it’s unsurprising that behaviors can also change,” Sayette said. “Alcohol can lead our behaviors to become more extreme.” Drinking can change the brain in a way that makes people more likely to speak their mind, but the effects aren’t always straightforward. Don’t run yourself dry by trying to fill every minute of every day. Sometimes it’s beneficial to sit quietly with your thoughts, meditate, journal, or just read a book or watch a movie.
Signs of Becoming an Almost Alcoholic
That being said, drinking FOMO is real and must be dealt with. Sometimes admitting the truth to yourself is the first step. Remember, it’s not that sobriety is terrible, but that your drinking because of boredom brain is trying to grapple with the sudden loss of dopamine. I realized that sobriety was not fundamentally boring. Alcohol merely blurred my perception of social situations.
Alternative Activities to Replace Boredom Drinking
The pandemic has been here and, at the time of this writing, is continuing to keep our world in a state of flux. This puts those who have formed an attachment to alcohol in a very vulnerable position. If your boredom drinking has become unmanageable or is causing an addiction, seek professional help right away. Eating well, staying hydrated, getting physical activity, and not stocking up on alcohol for the winter are other helpful strategies to stop drinking out of boredom. Connecting with a support group can also help you build meaningful relationships with people who understand and can support you in your recovery journey.
Focus on eating nutritious food.
It is very common for people to replace alcohol with sugar in the beginning, which is detrimental not only to your waistline and physical health but your mental well-being as well. You have to understand what you’re feeling and WHY you’re feeling this way in order to change it. But if you can’t or aren’t able to do a group class, at the very least, take a tech-free 30-minute walk every day. I promise it will do wonders for your mental health, which, in turn, will help you feel motivated to do more things. Right now, you’re doing a very hard thing, and sometimes hard things feel lonely.
If you’re considering a break from alcohol, it might also be helpful to think about why you drink. “Everyone turns https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to alcohol for a reason,” says Dr. Mosquera. “Maybe it’s relief from your worries or connection with friends.
With time, you’ll start to develop that aforementioned tolerance, which means you have to increase the amount you drink to get the desired effect. At Promises Behavioral Health, we understand that the decision to seek out help for alcohol addiction can be a difficult one. We are here to provide the support and treatments you need to achieve lasting recovery.
Cognitive Function
- I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober.
- That’s worrying because self-medicating feelings of boredom with alcohol can invite health problems.
- Ironically, some of the first things you might notice are similar to what happens to your body when you’re drinking.
- It’s particularly therapeutic to find something to do with your hands.
- Maybe it was all the drama, or just the act of being drunk.
They flood the brain with dopamine and produce strong feelings of satisfaction, happiness, and pleasure. Over time, the brain gets used to the artificially high dopamine level, and you must keep using more to achieve the desired feeling. Boredom can be a scary concept for anyone, but it’s even scarier for those in recovery. They may worry that without drugs or alcohol to keep them entertained; they will have nothing to fill their free time. However, finding constructive and fun activities in sobriety is essential for maintaining long-term recovery.
Engage in Physical Exercise and Outdoor Activities:
- So much of this list is not just about finding things to do, but treating the underlying causes of extreme boredom in sobriety.
- By engaging in these activities, you can effectively quit drinking, replace boredom drinking, and promote a healthier lifestyle in 2024.
- One common response to this sense of emptiness is to reach for food, especially comfort food.
