The Pink Cloud of Sobriety
And why we need to talk about it
The Pink Cloud
The pink cloud is the the feeling of promise, elation, giddiness and wonder that many (but not all) people experience in early sobriety. Your body and mind are thrilled to no longer be hungover or in active withdrawal. You are finally experiencing what un-poisoned life feels like!
It’s very similar to the honey-moon period in relationships where it feels like anything is possible, and you’re living life in a state of bliss.
In terms of recovery, this helps us see and feel the benefits of what it feels like to not have alcohol coursing though our veins.
When this phase arrives and how long it lasts is different for everyone. For some people it can start within a few days of stopping drinking. For others, it will arrive a few weeks later.
It can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
While the pink cloud phase feels differs for everyone, common experiences include:
-feelings of elation and euphoria
-commitment to positive lifestyle changes
-confidence about your ability to stay sober
-zen-like feelings of deep calm
-increased emotional and social awareness
-a preoccupation with reading/learning about recovery
-increased desire to improve other aspects of your life: eating well, exercising, meditating etc.
-the idea that you don’t need support
However, (ugh! I wish I didn’t have to write this):
Just like the honeymoon phase in relationships, the pink cloud phase does not last forever. The world does not stop spinning and problems don’t stop cropping up because you quit drinking (although, thankfully, many of the self-inflicted problems go away).
Why we need to talk about it:
Many people don’t know about or expect the elation of the pink cloud...and therefore also don’t know how crummy it can feel when it (inevitably) bursts. If people knew that this was a normal part of the recovery process, knew to expect it and knew it doesn’t last forever, they would be more mentally and emotionally prepared.
When you go into something knowing what to expect, knowing where the rough patches will be, your liklihood of sticking with it is much greater than when you think something is going to be easy peasy lemon squeezy only to find out it’s an utter slog. If you’ve felt the pink cloud of sobriety burst, I want you to know it’s totally normal and when it bursts, it’s an invitation to go deeper into your sobriety practice, not abandon it.
When the pink cloud wears off, which it always does, it can be easy to give up on your sobriety.
It can feel like sobriety is no longer ‘worth it’ because you don’t like having to deal with big, overwhelming emotions like frustration, fear, disappointment, anger and grief, that you (truly) didn’t deal with during your drinking days.
We don’t have experience dealing (actually dealing) with the hardships of life without numbing and this is why it is SO IMPORTANT to learn the practice of emotional sobriety - because life will still happen. Big feelings and overwhelm will still occur - going back to drinking won’t change any of that.
The pink cloud phase is normal. And it’s normal for it to go away. AND it’s normal to think that sobriety isn’t that great afterall, because life is still hard. But you know what? Drinking does not make it any easier. Consider why you decided to stop drinking in the first place.
When the pink cloud bursts is where the rubber meets the road and asks you to do the hard work that is required in recovery. If you’re needing help in recovery and traditional support methods like AA or Rehab don’t feel right to you (I have an article on that here), reach out for support.