As I enter the 9th month of my sobriety journey, I got to considering sobriety’s’ side effects. You might be thinking that I’m referring to the physical and mental challenges of detox. Sure, detox is certainly one of the most pernicious side effects of sobriety, but there are many others I’ve experienced on my own journey that are not related to physical withdrawal symptoms.
As I was watching TV the other night, another of an endless stream of pharmaceutical drug commercials interrupted my show. The ad provided a brief window in the the life of an older man, presumably in his 60’s, suffering from some ailment I had never heard of.
This commercial followed a familiar formula. It was comprised of a series of happy, loving, and fun scenes backed by upbeat music. Grandpa plays catch with his grandson, flies kites, and enjoys a picnic with his wife and adult children. And as they joyously take food from their basket and pass it around, the kiddos frolic in a field of wildflowers that stretches on seemingly forever until it finally falls off into the distant vista of a peaceful ocean.
Whatever ailment this stately old gentleman suffers from was absent from the carefree and bucolic scene portrayed in the ad. And just when it seems like this idyllic portrayal will flow on forever, the narrator’s voice cheerfully notes that all is not well in fantasyland. He warns that “side effects may include:”
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Dry itchy skin
- Heart palpitations
- Blurred Vision
- Weight Gain
- Diarrhea & cramps
- Insomnia
- And Death
What Are Sobriety’s Side Effects?
The sober guy remembers what you said when you weren’t.
– Anonymous
As I listened to the narrator work through his list, I felt great sympathy for any poor soul whose condition is so dire that he would readily accept this long list of health risks in exchange for some relief from his symptoms.
Then, I couldn’t help but to chuckle a little to myself.
My wife asked, “What’s so funny about that?”
“It sounds a lot like the list of side effects you might experience from drinking too much alcohol,” I replied.
And it occured to me that millions of people, everyday single day, trade these alcoholic side effects for relief from the symptoms they suffer from their emotions pain and trauma. Except the only warning you’ll hear in an alcohol ad is, “Drink responsibly”, which isn’t so much a warning as it is friendly and nonspecific advice. What is responsible drinking? I guess that’s up to each of us to decide.
As far as warnings, alcohol labels will advise you not to drink while pregnant or if you’re going to operate heavy machinery. But what about a drunk dude with a chainsaw? I guess that’s okay. A chainsaw isn’t all that heavy.
Seriously, though, my years spent as a heavy drinker and daily pot smoker have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that recreational alcohol and drug use has serious side effects and consequences.
But what about sobriety’s side effects? Beyond detox, which we previously mentioned, what are the side effects of sobriety?
Let’s Consider This Question
When I first considered the question of sobriety’s side effects, the first things that came to mind were a list of cheeky opposites to contrast the list above. I even had a few funny ones pop in my head, but for anyone who had had to overcome a serious detox, all the side effects above apply, including risk of death. So I decided that while satire certainly has its place on this blog, this post will cover some of the less serious, but still important side effects of sobriety.
Physical dependence was just starting to lock me in it’s vice grip when I began a meditation routine in earnest in an attempt to regain control of my life. Fortunately, I managed to dodge the detox bullet.
But I did suffer from, and still have to work daily, through some of the emotional and habitual side effects of sobriety.
Sobriety Side Effect #1 – Antsiness
As I reduced my drinking and eliminated my daily pot smoking, one of the very first sobriety side effects I had to deal with was antsiness – aka restless fidgeting.
Without my nightly bong hit and companion six pack, I literally did not know what to do with myself. Chain drinking beer and chain smoking pot had become activities in and of themselves.
To counteract the sobriety side effect of antsiness, I had to find productive sober hobbies and activities. It’s well known when you drop one habit you need to replace it with another because nature (and your brain) abhors a vacuum. In my case, the destructive habits of drinking and smoking weed needed more than just two replacements since the hole they left in my life was enormous.
So I started taking guitar lessons, coloring in adult coloring books (this one made me belly laugh so hard, I bought three! Juvenile, I know, but hey, laughter is good medicine!), and many more:
- Sober journaling
- Meditation
- Daily hikes
- Blogging
- Family game nights
- Online courses in social media, digital marketing, and coding
- Reading (I’ve read over 25 books in the past 8 months)
- Video games
Each of these sober hobbies entered my life in rapid succession as I looked to distract myself from getting drunk and high and ease the feeling of restlessness that plagued me during the first few months, especially in the evenings.
I’m happy to report that these sober hobbies did and do keep me on track and have resulted in my learning new skills, engaging with spiritual and philosophical ideas, and launching my blog. All this by repurposing time I used to waste on my addiction!
Side Effect #2 – Anxiety
The sober side effect of anxiety is different from antsiness, though they have a somewhat similar flavor. And the latter can cause the former if not addressed, but to me anxiety is the more serious of the two.
Marijuana had served loyally as my ‘go to’ form of relaxation for over two decades. Being without it resulted in my experiencing significantly higher anxiety. To combat this, I doubled down on my daily meditation practice and learned a number of relaxation breathing exercises. My favorite breathing exercise is what’s called 4-7-8 breathing, you can learn about how this works here.
Developing my meditation and breathing helped to calm me both physically and mentally. As a bonus, I also slept more soundly and woke up more rested. My productivity increased exponentially.
Additionally, I now use meditation techniques like RAIN and breathing whenever I encounter a social situation where there is a lot of drinking or pot smoking going on. The result is that I am perfectly comfortable being in the company of people enjoying these substances without feeling compelled to join them or judge them.
#4 – Weight Gain
Weight gain is a common side effect of sobriety as recovering alcoholics and addicts are known to dramatically increase their sugar intake. I was certainly guilty of pounding the sweets! Heck, they got me through Dry January.
The technical term for this is ‘addiction transfer’. You see, in many ways sugar is a suitable replacement for alcohol because it affects the very same pleasure centers of your brain. Your brain has become conditioned to experiencing these artificial dopamine rushes and could care less if the rush comes from sugar or alcohol.
Sure, you’re consuming fewer or no empty alcohol calories, but replacing those with candy, desserts, and high fructose corn syrup can more than offset any caloric savings from alcohol. Additionally, long term heavy consumption of sugar comes with its own long list of side effects and chronic conditions that go far beyond weight gain.
So tread carefully! Swapping sugar for alcohol may reduce alcoholic cravings in the short term and may provide some temporary relief. But addiction transfer is no long term solution. You’ll need to find natural and healthy ways to produce dopamine instead.
According to Healthline:
A balanced diet that contains adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics and a moderate amount of saturated fat can help your body produce the dopamine it needs.
Lifestyle factors are also important. Getting enough sleep, exercising, listening to music, meditating, and spending time in the sun can all boost dopamine levels.
Overall, a balanced diet and lifestyle can go a long way in increasing your body’s natural production of dopamine and helping your brain function at its best.
– Healthline
Sober Side Effect #4 – FOMO
Fear Of Missing Out is a major side effect of sobriety. This side effect stems from a lifetime of being exposed to marketing campaigns produced by and for the benefit of the big alcohol companies. Afterall, drinking alcohol is fun, glamorous, and sometimes sophisticated, no?
The result of all of this brainwashing is that in sobriety we fear that parties, concerts, sporting events, etc will be less fun. Worse, still? We’ll be less relaxed and less social, and as a result, less fun. In fact, you’ve been led to believe that attending these functions sober pretty much guarantees you’ll be Sergeant Buzzkill or Debbie Downer killing everyone else’s fun.
If you believe you’ll miss out on all of the sexy fun that alcohol and drugs promise, you’re wrong. The only things you’re certain to miss out on are:
- Hangovers
- Forgetting what the hell you did last night
- Regrettable one night stands
- And possible DUIs
Sobriety’s Side Effect #5 – Losing Friends
Okay, this is a tough one. But ask yourself this:
How many of your relationships are based around alcohol and drugs?
Be honest. The answer may surprise you. Shit, they don’t call ’em “drinking buddies” for nothing. Some of my oldest friendships from high school and college were based (and continue to be based) entirely on getting drunk and smoking a lot of weed.
Sure, there was/is often some excuse attached to the drinking and drugging. These excuses include things like concerts, baseball games, and pub crawls (okay, the last one has a single purpose!). But the goal never changed: get as F’d up as possible without making a total ass out of yourself.
But, if you do wind up making an ass out of yourself, we’ll forgive you anyway. And we expect you to do the same for us. As a bonus, we’ll all have something to rip on each other for. Fun times!
Even as responsible parents, we live in a Mommy Wine Culture and Daddy Beer Culture where the shear frequency given to excuses to drink is startling. Our adult excuses, ahem reasons, consist of beer and wine tastings, book clubs, card games, tailgating, and weekend getaways to wine country.
But if you’re not drinking anymore, the ‘Microbrew Festival” and the weekend in Napa lose their appeal. So do happy hour, pub crawls, and clubbing.
While some of your friends will understand and support your decision, others my actively work to derail you. Not because they are bad people, but because your example is exposing their own challenges and insecurities.
Staying sober often means having to make new friends and run in new social circles centered around non-drinking activities. Your drinking buddies will run in the opposite direction. And you’ll have to let them if you plan to take your recovery seriously.
Final Thoughts
Being sober is about more than not drinking or drugging. It’s about creating a new lifestyle for yourself, your friends (old and new), and family. This sober lifestyle will include new activities, hobbies, and social situations. You’ll do more, you’ll learn more, and you’ll live your best life. Sure sobriety is not side effect free, but sobriety’s side effects sure beat the alternative.
Now, let’s start off by giving you a good laugh!
