National Anti-Boredom Month and Addiction Recovery

First, if this is your first time reading this blog. My name is Matt and I’m a recovered(ing) Alcoholic, Addict, a technology entrepreneur, and founder of You Are Accountable. You can read more about my story here: https://www.youareaccountable.com/matt-celebrates-8-years-of-recovery

We do our best to write real, helpful, blog posts about addiction in addition to the recovery work we do to support our members at You Are Accountable. When looking at topics to blog about this month we came across that July is National Anti-Boredom month (yes it is a real thing).

At first, that gave the team here a chuckle, but we realized that being bored, and finding how to have fun again when you’re new in recovery is actually crucial and a super hard thing to do.

For me, in my early twenties, “day drinking” was by far the activity I looked forward to the most on my weekends. At the time, to me, nothing sounded like more fun than sitting out in the sun, and playing some beer pong or beersbee with some friends. Unfortunately, the reality is, towards the end of the day, I would be too messed up to enjoy it, if I even made it out at all.

Once I got sober, that activity was gone. I didn’t know how to hang out with my friends, or what to do with myself in general. In early recovery, being in a setting where everyone was drinking felt awkward at best, and at worst, made me extremely depressed.

The truth is that finding fun in recovery actually took a lot of work and trial and error in the beginning. But, like everything else with recovery from addiction, the hard and extremely uncomfortable work pays dividends in the long term.

I started out by thinking about what I used to enjoy before my addiction took hold. I realized that I had lost touch with literally every activity that used to make me happy. For me, it generally revolves around outdoor activities. I loved to hike, climb, camp, ski, play basketball, and of course hang out with friends. In comparison, spending my days drinking and using drugs seemed empty compared to those activities that I used to love.

At first, my re-entry to having sober fun was a lot of work. The first thing I did was rent a beach volleyball court and invited my friends. This felt SO awkward, but I’m so fortunate that I had supportive friends and actually had a lot of fun. However, the excitement was short lived and I was back trying to figure out how I fit in with my friends that still drank, albeit normally. I didn’t know who I was anymore now that I wasn’t the “party guy”.

The next thing I did was I got involved in my local 12 step community where I was able to find other young people that were navigating through the same challenges. At first, these “friendships” seemed to lack the depth I had with my longtime friends. With that being said it was still immensely helpful to find other people I could relate to and be with in order to fill that void in my life that had developed. Over time, these friendships actually evolved into something very special and now I have two groups of friends, sober and not sober, that actually all hang out together.

As time went on, another amazing thing happened. I started to feel comfortable in my own skin again. I realized that I was the same “party guy” as before, I just didn’t drink or do drugs now. That meant I was truly able to enjoy and participate in activities with my friends that drank while being sober. Since then, I’ve been to all my friends' bachelor parties, weddings, events, etc including my own.

Because of the uncomfortability I pushed through early on I truly can say I have a very non-boring life that is worth living and staying sober for. I have a beautiful family, and I had the wonderful gift of teaching my three year old daughter how to ski this year.

I’ll leave it at this, if you feel that your newly, or not so newly sober life is boring, and unfulfilled, think back to a time before you started abusing substances and start with those activities.

And of course, as they say, don’t quit before the miracle happens!

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Looking for help? Let's Chat

Jason's Story - From Rock Bottom to New Heights: My Journey of Recovery and Reinvention

By Jason Ertrachter • February 4, 2025

With over a decade of alcohol and drug abuse, it became clear I could not drink responsibly or consume in moderation. Upon further review, I came to understand I was never able to drink responsibly and was predisposed to consume in excess. Moderation is a construct I still don’t understand. Alcohol, drugs, sugar, ego, all things I love to indulge in. At 25 years old, weeks before the pandemic, I found myself being escorted by security from my beloved office in a sought-after industry in a glamorous part of Los Angeles. Pursuing a career in talent management, the late nights, weekly drinking, daily drug use culminated in the unavoidable fear, anxiety and sense of calamity that led me to recovery. I asked myself, “What was the common denominator between lost jobs, friends lost, arrests, hurt feelings and selfishness?” People, places, things were always changing, but the one constant in my story was me with drugs and alcohol. Walking into the West Hollywood Recovery Center on Monday February 5th, 2020 at noon was not my first meeting. It was, however, the first meeting at which I listened and actually took suggestions. Meetings as a teenager, and again in college when my drug use got bad, were simply to get people off my back. As I look back, I understand that I actually needed to get out of my own way, not have those who loved me off of my back. I am grateful to have gotten sober during a time when the world shut down and so many struggled. I had nowhere to go, no outside distractions to challenge my commitment. I fully emerged myself in meetings and all that AA had to offer for young people. There were thousands of virtual meetings at every hour of the day, but more importantly, rooms and outdoor meetings in LA that never missed a beat. There was an underground community of meeting makers that continued to go to in-person meetings, masks on, hugs and fellowship. I found that the work of early recovery far outweighed the isolation. I left the entertainment industry with two years of sobriety. New career opportunities opened up pretty quickly for me. Transitioning into the startup and tech sales world, I was able to move back home to New York and be closer to my family. As my sobriety continued, new career paths continued to present themselves. When I was introduced to Matt and AJ, I was immediately impressed with their mission and welcomed the opportunity to join the team. I am confident that the combination of my personal and professional success, as well as my CARC, CRPA certification, made my decision the perfect one for me. Having hit my stride in my own recovery, I now see that that my purpose is to help others. It is a purpose I do not take lightly. I bring the same energy and focus that has helped me to get where I am today to other individuals and families alike looking for a better way.

Stephanie's Story - My Journey to Addiction Recovery and Giving Back

By Stephanie Myers, CPRS • January 29, 2025

My name is Stephanie Myers, and I am excited to be part of the incredible team at You Are Accountable . As difficult as my journey prior to recovery was, I am grateful for every step along the way. My recovery journey began five years ago through what I believe was divine intervention. At my lowest point—mentally, physically, and spiritually—I was led to a 12-step recovery program. Most of my life was spent seeking relief from my internal and external struggles. During my teenage years, I thought I had found a solution, but my addiction only progressed, leading me to the depths of despair. My addiction compromised my morals, diminished my integrity, and left me with a profound sense of hopelessness. Overwhelmed by guilt and shame, I realized that everything in my life had to change. I became willing to do whatever it took to shift the trajectory of my life. Gradually, I connected with others who understood my pain and had found their way to recovery. I dedicated myself to internal work and began to fill the spiritual void that I had been attempting to fill with substances. Today, my life is filled with purpose, love, and more beauty than I could have ever imagined five years ago. It is my passion to help others realize that there is hope on the other side of addiction. As a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, I strive to help plant the seed of recovery and help others grow along their path to recovery.

Brittany's Story: Overcoming Addiction to Find Hope, Healing, and Purpose

By Brittany Pealer, CRPS • January 28, 2025

My name is Brittany, and I’m honored to be part of the team at You Are Accountable . My journey to recovery has been filled with struggles, lessons, and, ultimately, transformation. For years, I lived in the utter hopelessness of addiction, believing there was no way out. A "normal" life felt completely out of reach, and even as a child, I never felt like I had a true purpose. Throughout my active addiction, I found myself trapped in a relentless cycle. I would put one substance down—whether through treatment or court-ordered intervention—but almost immediately, I would pick up another. Each time, I restarted the same painful, destructive cycle, convinced that I could never break free. It wasn’t until I realized that recovery is an inside job that things began to change. Changing people, places, and things (and substances) can only do so much for so long; true recovery requires doing the hard work within. My turning point came when I became pregnant with my first daughter. For the first time in my life, I found a reason to fight for something greater than myself. That moment marked the beginning of my journey to recovery, and through that journey, I discovered the life I never thought was possible. Today, I’m blessed with an amazing job, a beautiful family with two incredible daughters, and an active role in my recovery community. As a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) and Recovery Coach, I am passionate about helping others find hope and healing. I understand the challenges of breaking free from addiction, and I’m living proof that it’s possible to create a life filled with purpose, joy, and connection. Recovery has given me everything I once believed was out of reach, and I’m honored to walk alongside others as they embark on their own journeys to freedom.