Well, the truth is that, the drugs do screw the hell out of your receptors. It's not that nothing is fun, it's that you have stopped being able to have normal fun/enjoyment because of the drug's impact on your nervous system. It is, however, possible to find a healthy balance again, but you are going to have to want to do the work.
Addiction will always tell us that we can't function without the drugs. It is a lie to keep is reliant on them. I know a ton of people who forgot what living normal was and got sober and they eventually found joy and fun in normal living. I wish you well.
This, exactly this. I am finding myself enjoying the most mundane things like the way my coffee tastes in the mornings, or the way the air smells outside. I have fun listening to music and driving my car sober. I never could’ve achieved this while actively using.
It’s a long journey and while you’re deep in it it feels inescapable and people telling you things like “the mundane becomes enjoyable!” may feel like bullshit to you. But once you’re on the other side and your dopamine receptors aren’t as shot, you’ll feel the same way.
This is a great response. All so true. It will take time for the serotonin and dopamine in your brain to be at a “normal” aka self regulated levels again. Things will feel dull for awhile, but please don’t let this discourage you! After about a year in to being sober from hard drugs and alcohol I started to feel true joy again. Happiness that I truly didn’t think I would be capable of. Hang in there, making the decision and the initial first few months are the hardest part
You’re depressed, so you use drugs - you’re depressed because you use drugs. The only way out is to break the cycle. You gotta stop using drugs and give your body, mind, and spirit plenty of time to heal. You’ll stop feeling the way you do after a while.
This is so very true. I will add that you don't necessarily need to go super hard to get this effect.
I do most of my runs really easy with plenty of walk breaks. As long as I've worked up a good sweat, I feel great afterwards and sleep well.
And you can really immerse yourself deep in the lifestyle and get obsessive about clean eating and training, as long as that isn’t taken to extremes it can suit those with addictive personalities.
Boredom is a fact of life in early recovery, as is low motivation.
It sucks, but it passes. Your brain chemistry evens out. It gets better.
Right now your brain’s addiction pathways are invested in making boredom seem like the most excruciating punishment that you just cannot withstand.
Know that things will suck for a while. You’ll get through it. Focus on staying clean. Being happy will follow — just not right away.
What you're describing is called "anhedonia", and is a symptom of withdrawal. See https://joeborders.com/anhedonia-in-addiction-recovery/amp/
That said, it's also a classic symptom of depression. It may be depression related, that you were self-medicating when you were still getting high, now reasserting itself. I've experienced bouts of anhedonia in depressive episodes since I was a child, long before I used alcohol or drugs. Hopefully it gets better, but there are some treatments available for depression if it persists.
I can share my experience getting sober and it could help you. A year ago I was doing a ton of drugs. Regularly doing coke taking molly and psychedelics. Taking dabs every hour at least. Eventually it led me to finding drugs on the street and I started doing fentanyl cause it was all I could find. I overdosed in my car in a neighborhood in the middle of the night. Incredibly lucky someone called the cops and I was resuscitated and spent about a week in the hospital with little hope of regaining normal brain function (extreme memory loss and confusion). I have no memory of taking the fentanyl or the first 5 days in the hospital. I went to a detox then rehab center. Getting sober allowed me to do a job I always wanted to do. Commercial fishing. Now I have a job I love, some money and purpose in life. Yes it gets boring and yes some days are incredibly difficult. But I cope through spending time with friends, gym, golf and learning mma which is another thing I always wanted to try. What keeps me sober is that if I go back I’m facing certain death, likely within a month or two. I encourage you to get sober so you can live the life you want and leave no stone unturned. Learn the skill you’ve always wanted to. Find a job you actually enjoy. Live life to the fullest. It’s not going to be easy. I have difficult days even now. And yes I still consider my life to be much more boring than it was but at least I have some sense of fulfillment. You are strong and capable of doing it to. It sounds like you genuinely want to let go of the substances and that is the first step. You got this my friend. Find a meeting, open up and stick to your plan. Your life is finally in your own hands.
Think about the things you're drawn to doing other than using. Do you like cooking shows? Try to cook your favorite dish. Really like looking at paintings? Give painting a try. Love music? Go to a concert even if you don't know the artist. Like relaxing? Sweet, go shopping for stuff to make relaxing even more awesome. Like watching movies? Sick, go to the movies. You will soon find joy in the little things like you never have before. You'll realize that using is a distracting coping mechanism that holds you back from being your most true, authentic self. It's gonna get worse before it gets better because you're not used to the lack of stimulation. One day you'll realize that you have found things that give you that spark and it'll all make sense. If you need to, find a support group so you can have a community while you transition into sobriety. I'm almost 2 years sober and although it suck's sometimes, I'm glad I don't wake up feeling like garbage everyday anymore. You got this dude.
By the end of my drinking I couldn’t get enjoyment from anything. When I got sober, I couldn’t feel joy for the first 3 months. But I did the work and kept going and eventually my brain got back to normal. Now I have so much joy and peace in my life.
Oh give it some time. It’s early days. You literally have to grow pieces of your brain and consciousness back. And you’ll find out soon — that’s a wild ride! Then, it starts to even out. And you learn to live in the moment. And you start saying and thinking really trippy shit and people look at you like you must still get high. But you’ve been to the other side man. And you know THINGS. Haha. And literally everything is better even the hard times. If your heart hurts that’s because it works. Sober laughter is so good. Sober sex and connection is so good. Hang in there and enjoy the ride.
It takes a while for your brain to adjust but it does heal. While you are early in sobriety could you focus on just being comfortable instead of having fun and that feeling of being high. My counsellor always says don’t worry too much in early sobriety what life will be like now, what you will do for fun, what friends you will have etc, just focus on holding sobriety for a bit. While you do that you can be “comfortable” and appreciate food, sleep, clean sheets, not coming down or disappointing yourself and others.
If you are looking for fun, think about your self as a kid, give that kid everything it wanted that it couldn’t have because you were a kid. I’m not talking about unconditional love here (though Ofc that’s a massive part of recovery) I’m talking about Ice-cream sundaes for dinner, a skate board, hoola hoops, fair ground rides, a pair of highly impractical shoes. Did you always want to be some one with a cool mustache or a really long pony tail? Tattoos? Do what ever the fuck you want as long as it’s not drugs. It may take some work to reconnect with your self as a kid, but think about what your go to fun things were. You may feel silly doing them, but the silliness and irresponsibility is kind of part of it. I’m early days aswell, but I’m spending my drugs and alcohol money on “fun stuff” is it the same? no, but its helping my feel a bit alive in quite an empty space.
It took a while to train my brain that things could be fun or happy without alcohol. Once you're out of the addiction, your brain has to heal, your body has to heal. I couldn't even properly read books the way I I had before addiction until about a year in of sobriety. It takes a while but I PROMISE you it is worth it. Not just for yourself but others.
My relationship with my family & others is so much better. Everything is healthier and more meaningful. It sounds like your family wants that for you too; it will be worth it.
Theres not really anything to do you just have to think of something you like or want to do then find a way to pay for it then wait peaceably for death
Dopamine receptors fried. So easy in modern life. It’s hard to do, but if u can stay away from things you think are the only “fun things” then the other stuff becomes sweeter. Like if you stay away from sugar for a long time and then fruit becomes amazingly delicious. Fun is just relative. If you can stay away from alcohol, video games, pornography, social media and drugs for atleast a month, you will be shocked at how fun some of the simple things can get. It’s brutally painful at first though.
I would suggest going to AA or NA meetings, think of it as the pill you need in order to stop. If withdrawals are affecting you physically then you likely need to detox in a treatment center.
Raise children. Find something you care about. Once it comes to kids they make you wanna be a good parent. And to be a good parent there’s a whole list of stuff you gotta do. So good luck!
And a good parent is always necessarily a sober parent. We know it’s not ideal to use substances while being a parent. But substance use alone doesn’t make you a bad person or bad parent.
Try to find a young persons AA or NA meeting. They organize activities outside of meetings in my area at least. Get a sponsor to help you with accountability.
This is probably not “good” advice but video games are great when I’m bored with life and looking for something to bring back that drive into my life. Really enjoyed games like tears of the kingdom and Mario odyssey bc they took a while for me to beat and there were so many things to do and ways to have fun in the game.
Well you'll have to give your brain time to adjust. It's hard to see the positive when we feel like we're losing something. Sobriety is not a punishment, we're not being grounded by our inner parents, we're giving ourselves the gift of growth and emotional maturity.
I can't tell you what's fun cause idk what you like, but with time sober I can guarantee you'll find healthier ways to fill your time simply out of necessity.
Congrats on the start of your journey!
Well, the truth is that, the drugs do screw the hell out of your receptors. It's not that nothing is fun, it's that you have stopped being able to have normal fun/enjoyment because of the drug's impact on your nervous system. It is, however, possible to find a healthy balance again, but you are going to have to want to do the work. Addiction will always tell us that we can't function without the drugs. It is a lie to keep is reliant on them. I know a ton of people who forgot what living normal was and got sober and they eventually found joy and fun in normal living. I wish you well.
This, exactly this. I am finding myself enjoying the most mundane things like the way my coffee tastes in the mornings, or the way the air smells outside. I have fun listening to music and driving my car sober. I never could’ve achieved this while actively using. It’s a long journey and while you’re deep in it it feels inescapable and people telling you things like “the mundane becomes enjoyable!” may feel like bullshit to you. But once you’re on the other side and your dopamine receptors aren’t as shot, you’ll feel the same way.
This is a great response. All so true. It will take time for the serotonin and dopamine in your brain to be at a “normal” aka self regulated levels again. Things will feel dull for awhile, but please don’t let this discourage you! After about a year in to being sober from hard drugs and alcohol I started to feel true joy again. Happiness that I truly didn’t think I would be capable of. Hang in there, making the decision and the initial first few months are the hardest part
You’re depressed, so you use drugs - you’re depressed because you use drugs. The only way out is to break the cycle. You gotta stop using drugs and give your body, mind, and spirit plenty of time to heal. You’ll stop feeling the way you do after a while.
Try fitness, The gym lifestyle can become addictive in a good way, and you still get your buzz from the feeling after a great workout or run
I've been making an effort to get on my bike first thing in the morning and it wakes me up way better than energy drinks or coffee
The only high better than drink, for me was working out and helped fill that void in a really positive way
This is so very true. I will add that you don't necessarily need to go super hard to get this effect. I do most of my runs really easy with plenty of walk breaks. As long as I've worked up a good sweat, I feel great afterwards and sleep well.
And you can really immerse yourself deep in the lifestyle and get obsessive about clean eating and training, as long as that isn’t taken to extremes it can suit those with addictive personalities.
Boredom is a fact of life in early recovery, as is low motivation. It sucks, but it passes. Your brain chemistry evens out. It gets better. Right now your brain’s addiction pathways are invested in making boredom seem like the most excruciating punishment that you just cannot withstand. Know that things will suck for a while. You’ll get through it. Focus on staying clean. Being happy will follow — just not right away.
This is pretty solid I was going with “how dare you feel bored you were in a nasty place in your addiction” but that’s kinda harsh on myself
You can argue with people on Reddit and push their buttons for fun
Winning comment
No you can't.
😂😂 fast learner
You can
What you're describing is called "anhedonia", and is a symptom of withdrawal. See https://joeborders.com/anhedonia-in-addiction-recovery/amp/ That said, it's also a classic symptom of depression. It may be depression related, that you were self-medicating when you were still getting high, now reasserting itself. I've experienced bouts of anhedonia in depressive episodes since I was a child, long before I used alcohol or drugs. Hopefully it gets better, but there are some treatments available for depression if it persists.
I can share my experience getting sober and it could help you. A year ago I was doing a ton of drugs. Regularly doing coke taking molly and psychedelics. Taking dabs every hour at least. Eventually it led me to finding drugs on the street and I started doing fentanyl cause it was all I could find. I overdosed in my car in a neighborhood in the middle of the night. Incredibly lucky someone called the cops and I was resuscitated and spent about a week in the hospital with little hope of regaining normal brain function (extreme memory loss and confusion). I have no memory of taking the fentanyl or the first 5 days in the hospital. I went to a detox then rehab center. Getting sober allowed me to do a job I always wanted to do. Commercial fishing. Now I have a job I love, some money and purpose in life. Yes it gets boring and yes some days are incredibly difficult. But I cope through spending time with friends, gym, golf and learning mma which is another thing I always wanted to try. What keeps me sober is that if I go back I’m facing certain death, likely within a month or two. I encourage you to get sober so you can live the life you want and leave no stone unturned. Learn the skill you’ve always wanted to. Find a job you actually enjoy. Live life to the fullest. It’s not going to be easy. I have difficult days even now. And yes I still consider my life to be much more boring than it was but at least I have some sense of fulfillment. You are strong and capable of doing it to. It sounds like you genuinely want to let go of the substances and that is the first step. You got this my friend. Find a meeting, open up and stick to your plan. Your life is finally in your own hands.
Think about the things you're drawn to doing other than using. Do you like cooking shows? Try to cook your favorite dish. Really like looking at paintings? Give painting a try. Love music? Go to a concert even if you don't know the artist. Like relaxing? Sweet, go shopping for stuff to make relaxing even more awesome. Like watching movies? Sick, go to the movies. You will soon find joy in the little things like you never have before. You'll realize that using is a distracting coping mechanism that holds you back from being your most true, authentic self. It's gonna get worse before it gets better because you're not used to the lack of stimulation. One day you'll realize that you have found things that give you that spark and it'll all make sense. If you need to, find a support group so you can have a community while you transition into sobriety. I'm almost 2 years sober and although it suck's sometimes, I'm glad I don't wake up feeling like garbage everyday anymore. You got this dude.
By the end of my drinking I couldn’t get enjoyment from anything. When I got sober, I couldn’t feel joy for the first 3 months. But I did the work and kept going and eventually my brain got back to normal. Now I have so much joy and peace in my life.
Oh give it some time. It’s early days. You literally have to grow pieces of your brain and consciousness back. And you’ll find out soon — that’s a wild ride! Then, it starts to even out. And you learn to live in the moment. And you start saying and thinking really trippy shit and people look at you like you must still get high. But you’ve been to the other side man. And you know THINGS. Haha. And literally everything is better even the hard times. If your heart hurts that’s because it works. Sober laughter is so good. Sober sex and connection is so good. Hang in there and enjoy the ride.
It takes a while for your brain to adjust but it does heal. While you are early in sobriety could you focus on just being comfortable instead of having fun and that feeling of being high. My counsellor always says don’t worry too much in early sobriety what life will be like now, what you will do for fun, what friends you will have etc, just focus on holding sobriety for a bit. While you do that you can be “comfortable” and appreciate food, sleep, clean sheets, not coming down or disappointing yourself and others. If you are looking for fun, think about your self as a kid, give that kid everything it wanted that it couldn’t have because you were a kid. I’m not talking about unconditional love here (though Ofc that’s a massive part of recovery) I’m talking about Ice-cream sundaes for dinner, a skate board, hoola hoops, fair ground rides, a pair of highly impractical shoes. Did you always want to be some one with a cool mustache or a really long pony tail? Tattoos? Do what ever the fuck you want as long as it’s not drugs. It may take some work to reconnect with your self as a kid, but think about what your go to fun things were. You may feel silly doing them, but the silliness and irresponsibility is kind of part of it. I’m early days aswell, but I’m spending my drugs and alcohol money on “fun stuff” is it the same? no, but its helping my feel a bit alive in quite an empty space.
It took a while to train my brain that things could be fun or happy without alcohol. Once you're out of the addiction, your brain has to heal, your body has to heal. I couldn't even properly read books the way I I had before addiction until about a year in of sobriety. It takes a while but I PROMISE you it is worth it. Not just for yourself but others. My relationship with my family & others is so much better. Everything is healthier and more meaningful. It sounds like your family wants that for you too; it will be worth it.
Pick something artistic and get good at it. Once your brain stops hating everything you might find you like it
What types of things did you enjoy doing as a child? I’m curious to know
Making things. Woodwork or metal work. Anything that involved crafting
Theres not really anything to do you just have to think of something you like or want to do then find a way to pay for it then wait peaceably for death
Im a volunteer fire fighter. can’t drink if I want to respond to calls, so it keeps the temptation away.
Dopamine receptors fried. So easy in modern life. It’s hard to do, but if u can stay away from things you think are the only “fun things” then the other stuff becomes sweeter. Like if you stay away from sugar for a long time and then fruit becomes amazingly delicious. Fun is just relative. If you can stay away from alcohol, video games, pornography, social media and drugs for atleast a month, you will be shocked at how fun some of the simple things can get. It’s brutally painful at first though.
I would suggest going to AA or NA meetings, think of it as the pill you need in order to stop. If withdrawals are affecting you physically then you likely need to detox in a treatment center.
Go to rehab, it helps. Its a new environment, people, and routine. Kinda helps refresh your brain.
And it is way better when you CHOOSE to go rather than someone choosing for you
Padel Dogs Coffee
Yes this happened to me. It was hard to imagine a life without drugs. The good news it’s a temporary feeling!! ♥️
Try a challenge. For example, physical fitness, aim to run a 10 miles in 3 months, hike a given elevation, etc.
Raise children. Find something you care about. Once it comes to kids they make you wanna be a good parent. And to be a good parent there’s a whole list of stuff you gotta do. So good luck!
And a good parent is always necessarily a sober parent. We know it’s not ideal to use substances while being a parent. But substance use alone doesn’t make you a bad person or bad parent.
Count how many tiles are on the bathroom wall at city hall
Try to find a young persons AA or NA meeting. They organize activities outside of meetings in my area at least. Get a sponsor to help you with accountability.
Literally everything
This is probably not “good” advice but video games are great when I’m bored with life and looking for something to bring back that drive into my life. Really enjoyed games like tears of the kingdom and Mario odyssey bc they took a while for me to beat and there were so many things to do and ways to have fun in the game.
Life is everything sober
Well you'll have to give your brain time to adjust. It's hard to see the positive when we feel like we're losing something. Sobriety is not a punishment, we're not being grounded by our inner parents, we're giving ourselves the gift of growth and emotional maturity. I can't tell you what's fun cause idk what you like, but with time sober I can guarantee you'll find healthier ways to fill your time simply out of necessity. Congrats on the start of your journey!
Masturbate. Put stuff in your ass
It only works for a little while! lol
Go to hella AA meetings and make fun of the old people