Use the good vibes to do the hard work of building a healthy lifestyle. It’s also the perfect time to establish healthy habits for your daily life. But you don’t want to develop an unrealistic expectation of what sobriety is like. You don’t want to be unprepared for the inevitable come-down from the pink cloud.

The Roller Coaster Nature of Early Recovery and Getting Support

It’s well documented at this point that marijuana takes around days to leave the system entirely. What this means is that the first 3-4 weeks of recovery, we’re still being affected by drugs and alcohol on some level. If you or a loved one needs help to overcome an addiction, now is the time to get the help you need. Call and speak to a caring professional at English Mountain Recovery located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Seek Peer Support

This knowledge can help you prepare for the challenges that lie ahead and equip you with strategies to handle future urges or setbacks. Additionally, consider seeking guidance from a mental health professional who specializes in addiction treatment to develop a personalized plan for your recovery journey. Pink clouding, also known as Pink Cloud Syndrome, represents a stage in early addiction recovery where individuals experience intense feelings of euphoria, elation, and optimism. It can be likened to a honeymoon phase, where individuals are filled with confidence and excitement about their recovery journey. The concept of “pink clouding” refers to an elated state experienced by some individuals on their path to addiction recovery.

How Long Does the Pink Cloud Phase Last?

Sometimes enthusiasm and euphoria are great motivators to keep going. Not only are you wrestling with your desire to drink, but you also have to navigate your social life as a sober person. Experienced Clinical Director with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Anger Management, Healthcare, Medicine, EMDR, and Life Transitions. Strong healthcare services professional with a Masters Degree focused in Psychology from The University of Memphis.

You have gone through addiction detox, and withdrawal symptoms have ended. If you are feeling really good and are in the early days of your recovery process, you are most likely pink clouding. Other signs of pink cloud syndrome are having feelings of extreme joy and euphoria most of the time. You can clearly see all the wonderful things that lie ahead of you, and you look forward to each day with hope and enthusiasm. In addiction recovery, the “pink cloud” is a term used to describe a high-on-life feeling in one’s journey to treatment and recovery. This condition is a curious but often short-lived phenomenon.

When and How Does the Pink Cloud Start and End

By understanding the nature of this phase and adopting certain strategies, individuals can make the most of the pink cloud stage and set themselves up for long-term success in recovery. During this phase, individuals also reconnect with their emotions, experiencing hope, joy, and excitement once again. This exhilarating experience can strengthen their commitment to sobriety and provide the motivation needed to continue on their recovery journey. Navigating through the withdrawal phase from drugs and alcohol is notoriously challenging and uncomfortable. Surviving this arduous period often leads to a newfound sense of clarity and tranquility, stemming from the body’s liberation from addictive substances.

On the other hand, if the feeling of euphoria lasts for a while, and the person believes they can manage their recovery on their own, they may stop participating in treatment. It is important for individuals to stay active in their treatment plan, even when it is going well and it feels like nothing could go wrong. Studies have found that people with alcohol use disorders who do not participate in a treatment plan are more likely to relapse into alcohol use than those who do participate in treatment. Yes, it is possible that pink cloud syndrome can lead to relapse. When the happy feelings fade, and the person is left to face the reality of their recovery path, they may resort back to substance use to cope with those feelings. This seems to be a question many people are starting to ask due to the rise in drug users within the last decade.

Over the years, he has served as a department chair, adjunct professor, assistant professor, speaker and trainer. Dr. Spann is a founding team member and the former chief clinical officer of Hurdle, a digital health platform for people of color. Call Eudaimonia Recovery Homes today to learn more about our sober living homes, IOP, and MAP Support Program for men and women in recovery.

1. Everyone must take measures to make sure they don’t spiral into the deep.
2. Although it can affect the recovery process, pink cloud syndrome can help many people continue to stay sober.
3. We’re not supposed to be constantly joyous robots with no grasp of reality.
4. Physical activity is a positive way to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay.
5. If The Recovery Village is not the right fit for you or your loved one, we will help refer you to a facility that is.
6. The recovery journey is beautiful over the long haul, but the first few months can be challenging once the pink cloud has worn off.

This type of attitude is dangerous to addiction recovery because the recovery process is rarely perfect and there is most likely going to be struggles along the way. The pink cloud may create unrealistic expectations for the person as they begin their recovery https://sober-home.org/mesclun-vs-mesculin-everything-you-need-to-know/ process. It is beneficial for individuals recovering from addiction to understand the realities of the process. Otherwise, a person experiencing pink cloud syndrome may be caught off guard if something does happen to hinder their recovery process.

Breaking free from the damaging cycle of addiction is a huge relief, and your new life in recovery holds so much promise and potential. After years of numbing your feelings by drinking or using, it’s normal for optimism to abound and positive emotions to run high. There are many things you will need to deal with in your recovery from addiction.

Although they may feel good about themselves, this doesn’t mean they’re cured. It’s easy for those with alcohol use disorder to make a few key mistakes during the pink cloud phase, says Estes. It’s better to get this kind of support in place before you deal with life challenges after the pink cloud phase. You can work with a therapist who specializes in addiction treatment, or follow a different treatment plan while also working with a therapist to address other challenges in your life. The euphoria of pink clouding can make you feel like you’re, well, in a cloud.

However, we should stay mindful that it can derail our recovery if our responsibilities fall to the wayside. It would help if you didn’t construe the loss of a pink cloud as anything more than a passing of an emotion. It doesn’t mean that your sobriety has failed and will be miserable from now on. It doesn’t mean much of anything at all, except that you stayed sober through another learning experience. For some, the pink cloud gets them through the first few months sober more happily.

It’s important to have the right mindset about pink clouding to avoid relapse. Pink clouding describes the hopeful stage following detox from drug and alcohol use. It’s not uncommon for people in recovery to have feelings of euphoria and positivity following graduation from treatment or even detox.

Either way, there’s a good chance you might experience a phenomenon called pink cloud syndrome, a “high on life” feeling that often occurs during the early days of sobriety. While pink cloud syndrome is characterized by these symptoms, there is no specific timeline for when the symptoms will start. Some people experience pink clouding within a few days of detoxing and starting sobriety, while others experience it after a few weeks.

“Pink clouds also offer a shift in outlook in life that is much needed in early recovery. One can go from a state of helplessness, hopelessness and despair to feeling optimistic for the first time in their lives,” he says. When it comes to the pink cloud, not everyone experiences the same symptoms, says Estes. “Being on a pink cloud can sometimes mean a detachment from reality—people become preoccupied with the good feelings and forget about the journey in front of them,” she says.

The person can see clearly and experience life in a new sensory way. This common syndrome tends to make new recovery patients feel like there’s no need to attend AA meetings, addiction recovery meetings, or even check in with their doctors. However, this false self-confidence can prove to be detrimental when this syndrome goes away. If patients lived on the highs of this condition, its sudden fade-away could lead these patients to depressive lows. These individuals won’t be ready for this sudden shift, which can increase the chance of a relapse. The person would most likely feel overconfident and a need to act independently of any groups they’re currently in and even refuse treatment.

Having a circle of support provides reassurance that you’re not alone in facing difficulties, aiding in navigating through tough moments more confidently. Recognizing this phase is crucial, as it highlights a period of emotional highs that, while encouraging, may also distract from the continuous work required for lasting https://sober-home.org/ recovery. AddictionResource aims to present the most accurate, trustworthy, and up-to-date medical content to our readers. Our team does their best for our readers to help them stay informed about vital healthcare decisions. Effective and truthful communication is required to continue to get the best out of this syndrome.

I would feel great and decide to dip my toe back in those waters. I could drink at a party and then not have anything again for a week or two. You feel on top of the world, full of energy, and approach each day with a peppy, “I can do anything” attitude.