What is a Pink Cloud?

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ASK JOE:
What is a Pink Cloud?:

what is a pink cloud

JoeHerzanek


Q:
What is a Pink Cloud? What does the term “pink cloud” mean?

“I fell off my pink cloud with a thud.”
~Elizabeth Taylor

A. Being “on a Pink Cloud” means to feel almost like being high, but without using drugs or alcohol.



The first few days or weeks in recovery are normally a time of adjustment for the addict’s body and mind. Early recovery can be a roller coaster of emotions—often frustrating and stressful. After this will come a leveling-out period in which many people will have an almost euphoric feeling, sometimes referred to as a “pink cloud.”

This ah-ha experience can last for days or even weeks—I really have this recovery thing figured out; I can do this!

I remember feeling this way myself. It was almost like a natural high. But the addict should be careful not to think that he or she is cured, because this could lead to another try at controlled using (i.e., a slip or relapse).

Five months after leaving treatment I tried some controlled using. For me this verified that I indeed was addicted, and I quickly got back to working on my recovery.

A person in recovery can almost plan on experiencing a pink cloud, but the ensuing relapse doesn’t have to happen.

Why Don't They Just Quit? Hope for families struggling with addiction.

Updated and Revised

This “Q & A with Joe Herzanek” is excerpted from Part 5 of “Why Don’t They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know about addiction and recovery.“

RELATED:
Relapse. It Happens.
~by Joe Herzanek

 

 

MORE ASK JOE:

> Do you have to stop seeing all your old friends in order to recover?

> Is a relapse—failure?

> If someone can stop using drugs or alcohol for weeks at a time, they “aren’t an addict—correct?

>Chronic Pain Management & Pain Pill Addiction: What to do?

>How can I know if my addicted friend or loved one is telling the truth?

>”I need help because I’m not able to deal with my live-in Fiance’s need to get drunk every night.”

>Should my husband “back off?”

>Gambling vs. Drug Addiction? What is your opinion?

>How can I tell if someone is an addict/alcoholic or just a heavy user?

>What is Methadone? What is Harm Reduction?

RELATED:

> Self-Tests: Alcohol and Drug Addiction

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  1. Pingback: Ask Joe: "I need help because I'm not able to deal with my live-in fiance's need to get drunk every night" | Changing Lives Foundation Blog

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