I Drink When I'm Bored

[HappyDude20]

Perhaps it's due to being a college student...

But it would be naive of myself to not admit the this past year living at university has entailed most nights of the week either drinking, smoking weed or both.

Here I am, at the time of this writing, bored. This produces a feeling of either wanting to escape, or at least to liven with current entertainment. Interestingly enough, I wake up every morning with a sense of regret and hangover the nights I do drink; never truly having enjoyed them. The reality is I wake up at 9am and do quite well throughout; i'll eat heathly, exercise, lift weights, study a bit, etc... but when nightfall comes I'm wanting to break away from boredom. I've called it "escaping" before. At times I'll think this isn't a problem, considering i'm only in college... but then again, I'm 24. Here at university I've met all ranges of individuals who drink or not. Some can sip a small drink throughout an entire night, i've come across cute girls that frequent bars in their pursuit of getting totally hammered. For example, my current roommate who is a good friend will have one drink an entire night and this is usually done while he is in his room studying. I admittedly, at night will drink to get a very good buzz going (Hey, at least i'm admitting it).

There are bouts where I'm be a complete health freak throughout my days and will eat nothing but egg whites, vegetables, exercising and lifting weights for a month on end... but then the next month will revert and smoke weed on a daily basis and even pour myself a drink in the afternoon as I lounge around in the pool.

I can say that drinking is fun, and though it is.. I feel its a nowhere road. For the longest time my best friend and I never drank. Somehow, here we are.. buying a bottle or two a week.

Iono, I thought i'd just open the discussion on the topic. Here I am, Friday night not wanting to drink...but somewhat bored, hoping but knowing it's not a good excuse.

 

[Abstract]

I drink 4-7 days a week, every week, and usually it's when I'm drinking alone, watching TV.

I don't know if I have a problem, but I'm hoping to drink less starting October, when I run out of duty-free alcohol. I'm overseas now, so I'll buy another 2 litres because it's so cheap and I can buy good stuff, but after that, I'm going to cut down.

 

[rockyroad55]

I drink whenever I play FPS games online.

 

[HappyDude20]

I wrote this thread last night, expecting to go and drink at one point. I ended getting a few boxes of pizza for my roommates and I, then hitting up the grocery store and having a bottle of Whiskey in the cart. At the last moment before check out I dumped the bottle and got sodas instead.

Then I started craving a drink, or some sort of escape around 11pm. I decided to go for a drive and just listen to music. It helped. Didn't drink at all.

Here I am, 11:41am and it's extremely hot here in Los Angeles. I would prefer a day of going up to the roof, poolside and drinking some mixed drink... but the reality is I need to type up a few essays.

Iono.

My roommate does all this so effortlessly.

 

[parajba]

Enjoy it while you can! At uni we partied every night. Best time of my life. London is really wicked btw.

Fast forward to 2012 - I'm now 36, eat super healthy food, exercise a lot, I have a family and a 'grown-up ' job (banking), but boy I do miss those days of 'effortless' fun.

 

[GimmeSlack12]

I always found in college it was more of an association with other like-minded people that lead to a lot of drinking. Heck, once out of school I ended up hanging with people who went beyond just "weed and alcohol". Not that I ever felt that I had a problem, but the persistent crappy feeling after those nights made me finally dis-associate a bit from that sort of nighttlife.

It wasn't the case of not hanging out with those people, but rather avoiding those situations. You learn in time to deal with these things in your own way.

 

[Shrink]

While I have a rule about "diagnosing" from a distance, it seems clear that if you are asking if you have (or are developing) a problem, you probably are. Just using the word "craving" is a bad sign.

Your description of your drinking patterns are troubling. If this is the beginning of a problem, nip it in the bud. Get some brief professional help, or talk to someone certified in alcoholism counseling.

I am not suggesting that you are alcoholic (although from your description I'm concerned about the direction you are going), but make sure it doesn't become a serious problem.

 

[fox10078]

I was a everyday drinker, I even once left a set because I had to get beer before 2am, Terrible times. Now I barely ever drink, only when I'm around fun people.

 

[ucfgrad93]

While I have a rule about "diagnosing" from a distance, it seems clear that if you are asking if you have (or are developing) a problem, you probably are. Just using the word "craving" is a bad sign.

Your description of your drinking patterns are troubling. If this is the beginning of a problem, nip it in the bud. Get some brief professional help, or talk to someone certified in alcoholism counseling.

I am not suggesting that you are alcoholic (although from your description I'm concerned about the direction you are going), but make sure it doesn't become a serious problem.

Agreed. I would definitely try and cut back some.

 

[HappyDude20]

Enjoy it while you can! At uni we partied every night. Best time of my life. London is really wicked btw.

Fast forward to 2012 - I'm now 36, eat super healthy food, exercise a lot, I have a family and a 'grown-up ' job (banking), but boy I do miss those days of 'effortless' fun.

I do feel this is a time when I have that freedom and liberty to drink; however I am 24 and remember years ago being on a constant bender when living in Asia, probably because the drinks were so cheap.

I always found in college it was more of an association with other like-minded people that lead to a lot of drinking. Heck, once out of school I ended up hanging with people who went beyond just "weed and alcohol". Not that I ever felt that I had a problem, but the persistent crappy feeling after those nights made me finally dis-associate a bit from that sort of nighttlife.

It wasn't the case of not hanging out with those people, but rather avoiding those situations. You learn in time to deal with these things in your own way.

The high school crowd, post high school were the people that got me into drinking and smoking weed. I remember drinking cheap beer at high school parties to get a buzz going and then smoking weed to the extent of doing it daily for months on end. Since, I've stopped weed for the most part.. At times going months without it, but more recently this summer have been smoking about once a weekend. This same high school crowd, of which I no longer communicate with, have all moved onto harder drugs.. and once ran into them at a party (of which I never attend now) and saw them doing cocaine. I'm glad I went to university, as all of them all work crappy jobs and never went above completing a few units at a community college before quitting.

While I have a rule about "diagnosing" from a distance, it seems clear that if you are asking if you have (or are developing) a problem, you probably are. Just using the word "craving" is a bad sign.

Your description of your drinking patterns are troubling. If this is the beginning of a problem, nip it in the bud. Get some brief professional help, or talk to someone certified in alcoholism counseling.

I am not suggesting that you are alcoholic (although from your description I'm concerned about the direction you are going), but make sure it doesn't become a serious problem.

Personally and honestly, I feel these cravings are a result of boredom, or habit. I've never enjoyed the taste of alcohol and the effects of feeling buzzed are only fun for a short while during the fact. I will easily admit that it is a habit; at times i'll drink for nights on end...and other times will drink once every few weeks. It's just like binge eating for me; i'll eat when I'm not hungry but only because I have to do homework.. I'm simply avoiding the real problem. Like weed, I used to smoke to escape from troubles at home such as parents divorce years ago. I don't enjoy using alcohol or weed as a crutch to distract me from my current realities; such as dealing with a GF, typing an essay, hating current living situations... I think it boils down to not liking not being in control of my day-to-day.

When I'm on a roll and am getting things done i'll not even think about alcohol or weed. My ex-gf just recently turned 21 and she's jumped into the bar and drinking scene. This doesn't parallel my current outlook, but as a college student it can be somewhat difficult to say no when at a party. Not that difficult, I've said no numerous times. The problem lies that when I drink or smoke weed (always at night, i'm totally fine during the day) is that I never have just one drink, or one bowl/blunt/etc.

I was a everyday drinker, I even once left a set because I had to get beer before 2am, Terrible times. Now I barely ever drink, only when I'm around fun people.

Thoughts like these make me think that, "sure! i'm in college I can do this." I feel glad knowing i'm no longer around my high school friends that I knew till the age of 22. The odds are in my favor that at the time anyone is reading this, those guys are probably smoking weed right now, drinking liquor, smoking cigs and maybe doing cocaine...doesn't matter what time of day. They're all in a band, play frequently at Los Angeles venues and consider it to be part of the lifestyle...yet, they are the ones at the age of 24-25 still living at home, working minimum wage jobs, supporting their addictions.

When I drink, I don't feel that productive. It gets me lazy, prevents me from going to the gym the next day. When I smoke weed, oddly enough i'll clean my apartment, i'll be productive will school work so long as it doesn't involve long readings. But weed is somewhat hard to come by here; well not really...just not worth the trouble.

To not go off topic,.. the problem for me is always and only at night. 7pm, 8pm rolls by and i'll want a drink, just because its night. No matter if it was a long day or not..Those times I've gone to 7/11 to get a beer, i'll taste one sip and think to myself that its never worth it.

Moderation seems to be a difficult word in my vocabulary.

 

[GoreVidal]

Regardless of how much you drink, make sure you get a physical every year and have them test your blood and your liver enzymes. My doc recently told me that my liver enzymes were 2-3x above normal and that my liver is "calling out for help". I'm a fairly moderate to sometimes heavy drinker, though usually just a bottle of wine an evening, sometimes 2 on the weekends and a glass or two of whiskey if I'm out with friends. I used to be a much heavier drinker at about a liter of rum or vodka a day. So maybe that is where my liver is getting revenge from.

 

[rombo]

I am now dealing with not being able to at all. My body just straight rejects any alcohol. I was a heavy drinker for years, if I was bored I drank. It can be extremely difficult not being able to have a few drinks while out with friends.

My doctor was telling me that everyone has a pre-determined amount of alcohol they can process in a lifetime. Wether its 5000 or 50,000 drinks, stretch them out man you got another 50 years ahead of you.

 

[rdowns]

24, bored and in college? Get a job.

 

[entatlrg]

I'd stay away from the alcohol altogether and just stick with the weed. No hangover, not addictive, can get things done, excess doesn't make you a bumbling idiot ...

Just don't smoke it, buy a quality vaporizer, will save your lungs and not affect work outs like smoking does.

I used to party hard and drink lots in my late teens and early twenties. Didn't like what booze was doing to me, hangovers suck, too much alcohol can turn pretty much anyone into an idiot so I just quit with it, wasn't for me.

Weed I have no problem with, I wish people would choose it over alcohol. In my mid twenties I got serious about entrepreneuring and starting a business so I didn't smoke or drink.

After some years of very long hours and hard work I was able to work less, semi retire in a way. Since then, some years I've smoked a lot, others not at all, depended what I was doing. If I was traveling, being active with other things like hiking or whatever I had no desire to get high. But, when I'm bored or relaxing, watching a movie it's fun and relaxing to get buzzed. Eliminates boredom for sure, sparks creativity, I'll even end up often working on the computer for a few hours on product designs.

I've seen booze ruin a lot of good people, marriages, executive carriers, it's sad. But booze is legal and accepted so it's 'okay'.

On the other hand I know a shocking number of white collar people, successful CEO's that love to get high, they no longer drink and have enjoyed weed for years, no side effects, no dead brain cells. None of them are chronic needing to get stoned all day, everyday. They do it when they feel like, like me could take it or leave it, no big deal.

I'm not a fan of alcohol, weed I have no problem with. Legalize it, tax it, put the money into funding job growth, health care, something.

 

[Shrink]

The more I read of what you post here, the more concerned I get. We're not just talking about drinking too much occasionally, we're talking about drinking even though you don't like it. That is definitely problematic.

This is not just "try to drink a little less", this is something that should be of concern to you, and about which you should take some real action. Try to avoid the bulls**t rationalizations (I only drink at night, it's just boredom).

It's not when you drink, or even how often you drink...it HOW you drink WHEN you drink.

 

[HappyDude20]

The more I read of what you post here, the more concerned I get. We're not just talking about drinking too much occasionally, we're talking about drinking even though you don't like it. That is definitely problematic.

This is not just "try to drink a little less", this is something that should be of concern to you, and about which you should take some real action. Try to avoid the bulls**t rationalizations (I only drink at night, it's just boredom).

It's not when you drink, or even how often you drink...it HOW you drink WHEN you drink.

I wholeheartedly agree. I've never been one to drink socially at a bar or club. When I drink it's usually been to get a good buzz going. I feel the days of heavy drinking are behind me, as years ago I would drink so much I used to black out a few times. Those were the years where I feel I was doing nothing with my days. Here at university and recent times i've had responsibilities and because of that i've never felt the urge during the day to drink. I feel good when I have things to do, missions to accomplish. It's only been at nightfall when there seems to be nothing interesting/fun to do that i'll want a sip of something.

This situation comes at a time when people around me are first starting to drink, seeing as many friends are in their senior year (as am I), yet i'm the one wanting to break away from the drinking cycle. During the day, i'll consider my vice to be food. I'll eat greasy pizza slices to avoid during work and eventually get a food coma to knock me out. This happens from time to time... and I find interesting that whether its on the good or bad side of things, I'm always at the extreme. You've heard about my bouts with drinking or smoking weed, but when it comes to the healthy side i'm the same; i'll make healthy juices for every meal, eat egg whites and only healthy foods that are not fried or greasy... same goes with exercise, i'll run 3 miles in 23 minutes, lift weights and devote two sessions a day at the gym. There's never any moderation with me it seems.

Anyways, to current situations: Its Saturday evening, 6:30pm. I have some homework to do, reading primarilly. I'm not in the mood to find a drink or smoke anything. My (ex)GF is driving me a bit bonkers but all that makes me want to do is get outta the house.

 

[fox10078]

Thoughts like these make me think that, "sure! i'm in college I can do this." I feel glad knowing i'm no longer around my high school friends that I knew till the age of 22. The odds are in my favor that at the time anyone is reading this, those guys are probably smoking weed right now, drinking liquor, smoking cigs and maybe doing cocaine...doesn't matter what time of day. They're all in a band, play frequently at Los Angeles venues and consider it to be part of the lifestyle...yet, they are the ones at the age of 24-25 still living at home, working minimum wage jobs, supporting their addictions.

When I drink, I don't feel that productive. It gets me lazy, prevents me from going to the gym the next day. When I smoke weed, oddly enough i'll clean my apartment, i'll be productive will school work so long as it doesn't involve long readings. But weed is somewhat hard to come by here; well not really...just not worth the trouble.

I'm in college and I knew I had to stop. And weed is quite plentiful here on sunset blvd, I smoke lots and it doesn't get in my way. But if it did, I would stop.

 

[iStudentUK]

I've entered the proper world of work this year (ie a career not just summer jobs during uni). I think it would be easier for me to fall into drinking too much now that it would have been at uni. There is a strong drinking culture in the City- the pubs are packed on weeknights after work and (apart from Friday) quiet by about 9. Many don't even open Saturday or Sunday. Professionals in the City often work long hours and so want relief, plus there are many organised events to entertain clients etc. I'm trying to be careful not to fall into the trap of drinking every day.

I had great fun at uni, but remember fun isn't just drinking! I was fortunate to have some friends who thought the same way. Yes we would go out to the pub/parties a couple of nights a week, but there were other social events (student societies offering lectures or debates, events in the local area like sites to see, cinema, punting etc). I think people miss out if they view uni fun as simply drinking- that's only part of it! Try to find other ways to unwind after studying.

 

[roadbloc]

I'd stay away from the alcohol altogether and just stick with the weed. No hangover, not addictive, can get things done, excess doesn't make you a bumbling idiot ...

Just don't smoke it, buy a quality vaporizer, will save your lungs and not affect work outs like smoking does.

I used to party hard and drink lots in my late teens and early twenties. Didn't like what booze was doing to me, hangovers suck, too much alcohol can turn pretty much anyone into an idiot so I just quit with it, wasn't for me.

Weed I have no problem with, I wish people would choose it over alcohol. In my mid twenties I got serious about entrepreneuring and starting a business so I didn't smoke or drink.

After some years of very long hours and hard work I was able to work less, semi retire in a way. Since then, some years I've smoked a lot, others not at all, depended what I was doing. If I was traveling, being active with other things like hiking or whatever I had no desire to get high. But, when I'm bored or relaxing, watching a movie it's fun and relaxing to get buzzed. Eliminates boredom for sure, sparks creativity, I'll even end up often working on the computer for a few hours on product designs.

I've seen booze ruin a lot of good people, marriages, executive carriers, it's sad. But booze is legal and accepted so it's 'okay'.

On the other hand I know a shocking number of white collar people, successful CEO's that love to get high, they no longer drink and have enjoyed weed for years, no side effects, no dead brain cells. None of them are chronic needing to get stoned all day, everyday. They do it when they feel like, like me could take it or leave it, no big deal.

I'm not a fan of alcohol, weed I have no problem with. Legalize it, tax it, put the money into funding job growth, health care, something.

It seems I have the exact mindset as you. Cannot abide alcohol. Love a good toke from my bong.

 

[0098386]

24, bored and in college? Get a job.

Or if you have enough money already- a hobby.

 

[Shrink]

Or if you have enough money already- a hobby.

I realize and appreciate the the suggestions offered OP are given in the spirit of good will, however, IMO, boredom is not the issue...a job or a hobby will not fix this problem. Boredom may be a predictable antecedent to the problematic behavior, but the behavior itself must be addressed.

Inability to adequately control alcohol use (abuse) is the problem.

The is the issue that must be addressed, and possibly other issues, based on what OP has written.

I am basing these suggestions solely on OP's writing. But based on that, alcohol misuse, possibly associated with other significant issues, are that which require attention.

 

[725032]

http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

 

[RedburnIV]

Idk Ive never been into drinking that much. I do smoke every day tho. Give me some fine stinky green any day.

 

[kolax]

I brewed my own beer and ended up with 70x500ml bottles.

My liver's insisted I sell my home brew kit.

 

[HappyDude20]

I realize and appreciate the the suggestions offered OP are given in the spirit of good will, however, IMO, boredom is not the issue...a job or a hobby will not fix this problem. Boredom may be a predictable antecedent to the problematic behavior, but the behavior itself must be addressed.

Inability to adequately control alcohol use (abuse) is the problem.

The is the issue that must be addressed, and possibly other issues, based on what OP has written.

I am basing these suggestions solely on OP's writing. But based on that, alcohol misuse, possibly associated with other significant issues, are that which require attention.

I agree that a hobby of sorts may only be a temporary excuse, while my actions determine the true underlying problem. I've not had a drink since Tuesday, but I believe when it comes to drinking I jump in completely. For example, right now I have no desire to drink but if I do purchase a bottle say in a few days, then that bottle will last me about two to three days...tops, while I know many people that could make that bottle last at least a month.