Does anyone else have like no idea what they enjoy doing for fun, now that they are sober?
Like every time someone asks me what my hobbies or interests are I have no idea how to respond.
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I just started where I left off with things I always saw other people doing and said “someday” travel, hiking, skiing, marathons, whatever floats your boat. You get to try new things now that you don’t have the horseblinders of addiction on anymore
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I hear you. I need to come up with some hobbies also. But really I guess just daily things - cooking, watching movies, playing with my dog, and working my program of recovery - those are my hobbies. I could make things up like playing air banjo, solo karaoke, telepathic influencer. But it would be nice to have some cool actual hobbies
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I’m actually more active and finding more and more interest.
At first I couldn’t imagine life without a drink or drug. Now I can’t imagine it with it.
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That’s how I felt in the beginning. Like I knew what I used to like. But everything became alcohol for me. Alcohol was my best friend, partner, hobby, etc. It was a weird experience because I had to (still do sometimes) force myself to do hobbies.
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I do hike and bike and swimming and travel.
I’ve found so many more things to do now that I’m sober.
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Lol I’m sure this happens to everyone in the beginning. It’s part of learning ourselves all over again !
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I’ve been really struggling with this as well. All I can think of is what I USED to enjoy doing when I was younger. Trying to find my interests and hobbies all over again.
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I feel like the problem with figuring out what interest us, well me, early in recovery is once I try something I want the "instant gratification" of knowing how to do something or fully enjoying it and when I don't have that I quit it. I need to break myself of this. It's like when we were younger and we say, got a bike or skateboard or some new thing that you have to learn how to do before you can enjoy it. We fall over and over but keep going till we get it and then it becomes a new love. But I feel like we lose that over years of addiction because we stop working for it. We are so use to the instant high. I've been fighting through it and finding it easier each time. I started Olympic weightlifting and it is very technical. I've wanted to quit so many times but I just keep practicing, watching videos and taking advice from people I know that are good at it. I went from not even having the mobility to hold a barbell in the front rack position with no weights to cleaning 255lbs in a year. Just slow down, think of things you may enjoy or maybe always wanted to do/learn and write them down. Then do some research on what it takes to get good at said things and push through the negative thoughts. I know I'm only pushing 80 days but I had 4 years before this relapse and it was the best 4 years. I just got complacent and stopped "working my program". You got this. 
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I’ve been struggling with this as well. I’ve spent my entire life molding myself into someone that is useful or palatable to other people. So at the age of 30, I’m having to completely get to know myself. Figure out the things I actually enjoy, and not just what I’ve been pretending to enjoy.
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Not only do undergo a complete physic change, we also have the chance to really dig deep within to find out who we really are sober. I can say that my interest in life have changed 10 fold. I went from a materialistic person to I don’t want stuff dragging me down. It was and still is tough to completely let go of my old ideas. I’m work in progress. As for fun hobbies, I love hiking and being in nature. Hiking gives me a way to escape the pressures of everyday life. Also, riding my mountain bike. The challenge is setting aside time to do our hobbies.
I’d like to mention, in California, AA has setup these Young people committees, in different counties, which put on lots of sober events. I haven’t gone to one YET, but I’ve heard they are a blast. The last one was a talent show. There are lots of fun things to do in sobriety.
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Yea-h...thats EXACTLY what I'm afraid of..the PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms)..these symptoms occur after the initial Withdrawal symtoms...I'm not sure what your substance of choice is? But with meth, its: Depression, Anxiety, Anehdonia, which is the lack of or no interest in activities or hobbies you used to enjoy, before substance abuse took over..thats ONE of the things that is keeping me stuck in this vicious, insane cycle called addiction...I mean...I can deal with the sleeping for a week, that's the easy part, but it's the intense mood swings, Depression, no interest or pleasure in hobbies or activities I used to enjoy. Eventhough I have a desire to get clean, I don't want to feel miserable, just like I am now..what's the difference? I know in the long run it will pay off, but I gotta go through a whole freakin year, yes.. A whole "YEAR" of being a miserable f**k?? So..I Feel Your Pain, btw...Any suggestions on how or what I can do to get past all that, to make it to the BEAUTIFUL, Other Side? Thank you!
Dan W., Congrats on your 80 days, that's HUGE! How did you do it?
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You're funny, Air banjo?! Lol that's cool... lol
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Very creative answer..I like that!
Meetings pretty much everyday, journaling, staying in contact with strong sober network, church, life group once a week, therapy once a week, staying in the present by grounding myself and practicing mindfulness, doing a daily moral inventory and spending as much quality time as I can with my wife and daughter. All this while working 12 hour shifts 4 days a week and raising my 2.5 year old daughter. In the beginning all of these are very crucial for me but as I learned in my past 4 years of sobriety before my relapse, I can let up a little on some things like therapy once a month and 2-3 meetings a week etc...top five though l for me are -prayer literally on my knees morning and night, meetings, write five things I'm grateful for each day, talk with at least one person in recovery each day and read 3-4 pages of recovery literature daily.
And when I can't make a regular in person meeting I can always find a zoom meeting through the "everything AA" app!
Well said
Turning our lives around doesn't come overnight. It's going to take some time to learn who you are all over again. When I first stopped drinking I just couldn't imagine doing anything in life without picking up a drink.
Then I started to understand that there is a lot that life has to offer. I think everyone at one time or another should go to the local airport and tell them that you want to go up for what's called a discovery flight. You will learn how to do a PreFlight inspection, they will get you in the seat and teach you how to start the airplane up and then you will taxi to the runway and take off and you will be the pilot in control.
The instructor will be in the other seat making Corrections as needed. It's a great experience. Life has been waiting for you to lay down the bottle so that you can take the controls.
Give sobriety a chance and don't expect so much out of sobriety so soon. You didn't get this way overnight so you're not going to get better overnight. But I promise you that if you keep on hanging in there it does get better!
This could be you.
