Dealing With Boredom During Recovery

When you are struggling with an addiction, boredom is something that you rarely consider. Addictions often fill the time gaps that people have, which leads to feeling bored. When an addiction is broken, and a person enters into recovery, they must learn when they get bored. Boredom, for a person in recovery, can be challenging.

Boredom is defined as having a lack of interest in the current situation. Boredom happens to everyone. How you manage that boredom is what matters, especially when you are in recovery.

Our Addiction Recovery Center Addresses Things Like Coping With Boredom

When you think of drug rehab or alcohol detox, most people think of a very clinical setting where staff members help you overcome the physical dependency on the substance you were using. In the past, this was mainly what drug rehab was about – breaking the physical addiction. Thankfully, things have changed.

Our drug rehabilitation center focuses on the entire recovery process. Not only do we address the physical addiction to a substance, but also the emotional and mental addiction to the substance. We work with clients that may have a dual diagnosis – addiction and another disorder such as depression or post-traumatic stress.

Our program also focuses on reintegrating back into society without the use of drugs or alcohol. Part of this program is learning what to do when you are bored.

Discovering that it is okay to be bored and that you do not have to fill that time using a substance so that you do not feel bored. Our program also helps you rebuild the self-confidence you need to go and experience new things to help alleviate boredom.

Why Is Addressing Boredom So Important?

In the scope of addiction, it may seem silly to focus on teaching people how to overcome boredom. However, this is a very important step in staying in recovery, especially for those who may be dealing with a dual diagnosis.

Boredom can often cause despair. People find themselves bored, and then their minds begin to wander and, in many cases, begin to focus on things that may not be in their best interest. Focusing on a bad event can cause stress and the desire to escape from that stress through the use of drugs or alcohol. Focusing on missing “being high” or convincing yourself that you are now in control of your addiction so a little bit of your preferred substance couldn’t hurt and will help to pass the time can place your recovery in jeopardy.

During your treatment program, your substance abuse counselor will address many different areas of your life so that you know how to cope with these events in the future. To begin, you will be given limited freedom on the property so that you can discover what it is like to be in control of your life again on your own. Each experience will help you build the confidence you deserve to enjoy.

As your treatment progresses, your counselor will schedule outings. Going to local shops and restaurants as a group helps provide the emotional support you need to reintroduce yourself into these situations without the use of drugs or alcohol. Soon, you will feel confident to go to these places on your own without fear of a relapse.

During this process, you will address boredom, how it feels, why it is good, and why it can be bad. The best thing that you will discover is that you are totally in control of your boredom. You can alleviate the boredom by choosing what you want to do, and know that your confidence has been restored, you will not have a problem making those choices.

Addiction Interferes With All Parts Of Your Life

Addiction is so much more than a physical dependency on a substance. Addiction changes how you feel about yourself, how you interact with others, how you cope with different daily issues such as boredom. Addiction takes over your life physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The wonderful news is that addictions can be broken. You can overcome an addiction regardless of how long you have struggled with an addiction, what type of substance you are using, or how many times you have tried to quit in the past. Breaking an addiction is possible, especially when you have the right support, treatment, and recovery programs in place.

If you believe that you or your loved one is struggling with addiction, the time to act is now. Every day that you do not address the addiction can put you or your loved one’s life at risk. There are local drug rehabs that can help. We encourage you to see what our amazing facility can offer so that you can begin your journey to recovery.