Addict dealing with boredom

make some art or do something you always wanted to do but never had the time for with addiction. addictions keep us from doing what we really want to do, but we forget that because the addiction wipes it out, so we have to find those things again. try sitting in the quiet and thinking about what you always wanted to do, and then make plans to do it, get the necessary supplies, etc.

Thanks Key!!! Seems like a year ago, cant wait to make more time .

Thanks Boogie!!! Hope your doing good.

Gracias Bizi!!

Still love your name Comfortably Numb . Yes, for sure one day at a time, last night was very rough due to bad things happening at work, but pushed through it n survived to day 31 of sobriety today!

Exactly!! Ive for sure been kept from creative success due to my addictions, depression n BP, and really looking forward to have the peace and proper resources to go for my dreams.

I really appreciate the support, its war out there!!

Congratulations man. I am clean from gambling 6 years this December.

Wow! That is so long, congrats!

Do u go to GA or do on your own?

If I was sober the last six years I could only imagine how much better my life would be, but guess there is a timing for everything.

Just wanted to update this thread with news of my 90-day clean birthday .

Im so excited as this was a huge benchmark for me. I remember thinking if I was able to quit I would get to 100 days by the end of the year and Im gonnnna make it!

Life is so different for me now.

I have tons of hope, my entire thinking and decision making process is different.

This has lead for me to stay out of trouble, reduce my debt a little, entirely change my diet and exercise patterns, make better relationships, formulate both short and long term plans, and even clean my apartment way more (this is a miracle).

The best part is Ive made amazing friends in my city when for two years I had none. People working on being clean are so great to be friends with as u dont have to tip-toe around things and everyone is so honest.

Next month I start a leadership position in my 12 step program and cant wait to be more active.

If u are looking to take an addiction seriously please think of going to a program as they work! If it can work for me, it can work for anyone as I was on deaths door and for the price of a few hours a week I get an incredible value.

A lot of work to do, but for now I have found a peace that has eluded me for so long.

Also have not been depressed or bored anymore, and that is one true gift.

Way to go brotha

Wow, thank you for the update— so much great news!!

I am so happy to hear this!!

Thanks Boogie, I hope u are doing great. 2018 is gonna be great for both of us!

Lets goooooooooooooooooo!

Thanks Key Tones!

Im up in the PNW with ya, I hope I can survive the winter. The gloom gets to me after a month or so but has not set in yet. As long the sun comes out once in a while Im fine, last year was so brutal and hope to avoid the negative reaction if its 6 months of cold, darkness and misery.

Why, greetings neighbor!

I am a vampire, LOL. I don’t mind it too much.

Right when the time changes, I will complain about darkness before and after work, but then I forget about it.

Video games for me for distracting.

Glad things are going so good for you!

I wish I was a vampire, this is the perfect location for you guys!

We are starting to see teenagers in GA due to video games and also the betting on them. I think there is an epidemic coming. Also sports betting in the US may be legalized in 2018 and they will put sport betting parlors all over, great work government, will tear hundreds of thousands of families apart in time.

Im sad to say I got sick the last few days and Ive been struggling for first time since I got sober from gambling. I dont feel the urge to gamble but my whole routine is off including not working so I dont get paid. It already got really slow at work and taking like 50% pay cut, things like this can snowball for me and send me down the dark path, but I will try to fight as hard as possible and not go backwards.

Just wanted to update for the fellow addicts out there.

Today Ive gotten to 128 days sober. Its a miracle as the end of 2017 and the start of 2018 have been extremely rough. I got really sick, my work dried up and having money problems, my car had to be replaced sinking me more into debt, my life was threatened by some crazy guy while driving, and some other fun stuff.

Since I didnt go into addiction I didnt bury myself in a bigger hole. I do have bigger debt now and have to wait until my work gets busier when tourist season starts in March, but Ill survive. I just eat less and not buy anything and try not to think about it. I focus on exercise, diet, sleep, and being healthy.

It blows my mind that after 32 years of being an addict that I had other options the whole time. That just by making better decisions and not going into my addiction, I can weather the storm and not cause more problems.

It helps I have also not been depressed for 128 days too, but Ive made so many gains, I go into anti-depression mode right away when getting down as I cant go back to the way I was last year. As long as I can see a glimmer of hope I will fight.

Woot!! Congratulations on 128 days!!

That is fantastic news, thank you for the update!!

Way to go brotha.

Thank u Boogies!!!

Appreciate it Key Tones, hope u are doing great!

You are doing great!
I think I have my drinking under better control,
I think I drank 2 times in 2 months which is so much better than nightly!
This past friday I was bored so went to whole foods and drank a few beers and played trivia with hubby and friends and ate too much.
I really must find alternative activities to do with my husband that don't include drinking!
They just started an internet thread in the addictions forum...below this as this is a sub forum so you may want to post there too.

When my bipolar was really off I was compulsively drinking alcohol.
I was secretive and would guzzel my beers, hid them from hubby. drink on the way home. over eat, gained 45 pounds in 2 years.
I have been out of control.
you can see in my signature line the medications I take. zyprexa is a new one for me and it has changed my life.
I feel back in control again. I am not some crazed addict. I have control over my eating for the most part.
have lost 13 pounds in 9 weeks.
Have only drank twice in 2 months.

I have said that I have an addictive personality.
alcohol, internet, food, picking.
With zyprexa I have much better control in all areas of my life.
I am still on the internet too much.
like I should be in bed now with hubby reading...but it is more rewarding being on line than in bed.
I call it mental masterbation.
bizi
55 year old female married, no kids, 2 cats.

Thanks Bizi!

I hear what you are saying. For some reason alcohol for me has never been a problem which is weird as Im addicted to gambling, food, Internet, and a few other things. When I quit gambling my food addiction went insane and I gained 15 pounds. Im happy to say Ive got it under control and losing weight again.

Addiction just sucks in general and Ill always have something going on but seems if I can not gamble I do really well and can dabble in other ones without the same horrific consequences, but I still want to work on these other addictions as it really sucks at times being controlled by these habits.

When I stopped drinking/drugs I took up some creative hobbies. When I was a kid I was very creative and I wanted to go back to that. I tried painting, drawing, coloring books, writing, music... what stuck with me was painting (I'm bad at it but it's fun), coloring books (good distractions from urges) and music (I have played guitar for most of my life, and I am learning piano now). It's not a 100% successful thing of course but I have been working really hard to channel my negative addictive impulses into positive creative actions.

I'm so glad zyprexa is working for you! I've never heard of that. what type of med is it? Is it specifically for addictions?

It is not very productive but I write, play video games, and clean clean clean.

11-28-17 day 1 AF
11-29 AF
11-30 AF
I made it AF all of December! (31 days)
1-1 AF
1-2 DD
1-3 AF thru1-25 AF
1-26 mod 3 beers
1-27 AF
1-28 AF
1-29 AF
1-30 AF
1-31 AF (63days alcohol free and 2 drinking days, since november 28th)

very happy about these numbers!!!!!
bizi

goal for feb...is to be AF as much as possible...mardi gras is coming up so that will be a big challenge for me!

Wooot!! Super Bizi!!!

Zyprexa is an anti psychotic.
I am taking a small dose to help stabilize my moods in order for me to help control my urges impulses and drinking. and weight loss. even though it is a know weight gainer.
I have lost 15 pounds since taking it.
bizi

I get the boredom totally. I’m an alcoholic , been clean 6 years now. To begin with it sure does suck and often seems like the days are 3 times longer. Keeping busy by doing things for other people was the key for me. Slight gestures right through mowing their lawn. Anything that had nothing to do with me. Even visiting people. Sounds lame but works better than anything else I found. It’s amazing the good it does relationships too. Best of luck to u. Don’t give up! It gets easier.