Reset

I feel a little weird about saying this, but things are going pretty well just a month in. Way more positives than negatives.

And I'm the type of person who is always looking for the other shoe to drop, so naturally the doubts start to creep in: is this a pink cloud? What's waiting around the corner?

So I was wondering if anyone had some insight on this. What are some indicators of a pink cloud? For how long should I be on guard against it? Did any of you have it and then get smacked upside the head when it went away? What happened and what did you do about it?

Thanks in advance.

biminiblue

I had a period at about two months when every day seemed like...I don't know how to describe it...it was euphoric at times. I can totally see how the term Pink Cloud came to be. I think it was my brain and nervous system healing and trying to find an equilibrium after the depressant of alcohol was removed. There was a lot of bouncing around emotionally and physically.

It did go away.

That's okay, life is still getting better all the time, just no feet-off-the-ground feeling. I see posts occasionally about - "is this all there is?" and the desire for more. I am pretty content, but I don't expect everything to come up roses forever. Life still happens.

ScottFromWI

I don't think there's any way to quantify the length or duration of the "pink cloud"....simply know that at some point it might change. Life is full of challenges, but you are far better prepared to deal with them sober, right?

zjw

i've always felt if its a pink cloud whatever enjoy it while you can. I woke up today myself feeling exceptionaly well I have no idea why. I'm afraid to question it too much. I've felt pretty good all day too. it baffles me.

tommorrow could be the pits tho so who knows i'll just enjoy it while i can.

Kallistia

I'm still confused on exactly what "pink cloud" is - I've looked it up on google but I cannot find anything really comprehensive on it other than it's something those in early recovery experience that can lead to relapse when it goes away. No real description of what "it" is.

tomsteve

welp, im thinkin one indicator of a pink cloud could be thinkin no storm clouds will appear. thinkin life now will be daisies and sunshine all the time.

what i do is ride em, knowing that just as in rough patches of life that this,too,shall pass.

i dont think you should be on guard against them. were supposed to be happy and enjoy life. ride em!
with the knlwledge that life isnt always sunshine and daisies.

tomsteve

prety much its experiencing happyness,joy,serenity,etc like hasnt been experienced before.
people can think that with the removal of alcohol that all problems have been solved and there wont be storm clouds in life.
then when a shoestring breaks instead of learning how to fix a broken shoestring they drink.

Reset

That's what I was wondering as well.

Madmartigan

This concept has crossed my mind lately. When good things happen or the possibility of good things happening in my life really put me into a euphoric state. I've kinda been coping with it by trying to "keep my feet on the ground". I enjoy those moments but remind myself that counting my chickens before they hatch isn't good. It's kinda funny how there are so many old sayings like the ones I use in my head that are relevant to sobriety and life.

dwtbd

I'm not exactly sure what some mean by 'pink cloud' and it seems to have a more derogatory connotation than not. Early into my quit I experienced some times of almost mild euphoria , it was wonderful so I like the phrase as it captures the experience nicely. It like my brain and emotional processing centers were giddy and sharing the gratitude of no longer being alcohol soaked. I recommend enjoying the nice place it can put you in. At the same time I was experiencing what felt like a new and broader range of all emotions, maybe the years of numbing and suppression let out a flood of backwater. I remember catching myself welling up at sentimental scenes in sitcoms
Things have evened out a lot more, but I do have a sense of being more connected and in tune with my emotional responses , probably not for the first time in my life but more so now , maybe I am just paying more attention than I used to. Overall more optimistic than not, and not as bad in pessimistic moods.
Enjoy when you can, it's nice , yeah?
I never had a crash when the cloud was 'over' and I still get glimpses of it after two years.

fantail

Like bimini & dwtb, my pink cloud is a euphoria/giddiness/deep gratitude. I also get huge bursts of energy and make tons of plans.

I only identify it as a "pink cloud" because it's got a touch of the manic about it. It's definitely a mood that comes on. I enjoy it completely I don't think there's anything inherently bad about it. It's just that I also get really bad moods... the flip side, like bimini mentioned, of my brain rebalancing itself. So it's good practice to keep at least a little bit of cognitive distance from my moods. If I had a pink cloud day and thought "this is what life is like sober! bliss forever!" and then had a dark & stormy day and thought, "no, THIS is what life is like sober! everything is meaningless!" then I'd be in a dangerous place for relapse.

stargazer016

I wonder what percentage of recovering folks actually experience the Pink Cloud? I am nearly six months in and never experienced anything close to what many here are speaking about.

sg1970

I've been wondering about what is "pink cloud" and what isn't as well.

I had moments in early sobriety that almost felt drug induced. Everything was awesome, beautiful, great mood, etc... Almost like a high.

Now at over a year I have a very peaceful, contented feeling most of the time. I think that describes it better than joyous or happy. Very serene. Of course everything is relative and if you had experienced my mental bottom you might understand that babysitting a room full of 6 year olds could seem serene compared to it. But anyway my whole general attitude has shifted. My perception of life situations and reactions to them are different. I will say I immersed myself in recovery from the get go. Working the 12 steps very hard, reading spiritual books, grabbing any tip I could from here, cutting out unnecessary drama, etc... I have been through a couple of tough periods but it came back. I've never been naïve enough to think life will be without bumps.

Perhaps it is the pink cloud. As someone said above I will take it while it lasts.

tursiops999

I can only share my experience. During months 3 and 4 of new sobriety, I had lots of days in which I felt a warm, gentle euphoria and feeling of deep contentment. I was going to AA meetings every single day and working the steps, so I think that was part of it. I'm sure my mind & body probably appreciated the better care I was giving myself.

At about month 5, I went through a difficult phase on my job with lots of overtime. The "pink cloud" feelings went away, but I still felt reasonably OK - better than I felt while drinking for sure.

That early euphoria hasn't really repeated, but overall I feel more happy, stable, and sane. I don't think it would necessarily lead to relapse unless one chased it, like chasing a high. The important thing for me was just to keep working at my recovery plan, and accept that feelings would come and go, and while generally life gets better, it doesn't mean every moment is blissful.

MIRecovery

I say if you are in a pink cloud enjoy the heck out of it but continue to work an active program of recovery.

Mean old mister life will show eventually but all we have is today and we need to make the most of it

Gottalife

I am aware there is probably a chemical element to this feeling, but I like to look on it as a taste of what sobriety can be like, a period of grace if you will.

Everything is relative. If you had been banging your head with a hammer for a while, it would feel great when you stopped. It would feel even better when the bumps and bruises have healed.

Likewise, when I stopped drinking it felt pretty good relative to how it felt when I was drinking. When the bumps and bruises started to heal, it felt better again. My experience has been that the so called pink cloud feeling is just a taste of what is to come if one uses the positive time to apply a recovery program. If the opportunity is wasted, the crap nearly always comes back. If the opportunity is taken, the pink cloud while nice, is nowhere near as nice as life can be as a recovered alcoholic. But you might have to do some work to get that experience.

Delfin

I was definitely on a pink cloud that started about two weeks after quitting, peaked at about a month and ended at about 2 months. It was, as others have said a sense of being giddy all the time and feeling emotions intensely. I know it was a pink cloud because the giddiness is gone and I feel a more mellow feeling of happiness that feels more real. It was lovely while it lasted, but I knew it wouldn't last forever. Even without a pink cloud, life is pretty great, so it's all good.

Delfin

GnikNus

I never experienced any "pink cloud," only the steady and ongoing benefits of living sober- positivity. The only time I experienced brief elation was when I was drinking. I traded short term buzz for long term peace of mind.