Euphoric recall is the tendency for a person recovery to look back at their past drug or alcohol abuse in a positive light, often reexperiencing the feelings of the past situation. During euphoric recall, a person will only remember the euphoria associated with their drug or alcohol abuse without remembering the suffering and pain of addiction. Euphoric recall can be dangerous, as it causes a person to look back at their drug or alcohol abuse in a positive light, which could potentially contribute to relapse. When we remember our past drug or alcohol abuse, we are always in danger of ignoring the negative aspects of addiction. All we are able to remember is the feelings associated with intoxication, rather than the harms we caused ourselves and others at the time. We are recommended to “play the tape through” when we begin experiencing these memories. That is, we make an effort to remember more than simply the feeling of intoxication, but also the pain of past addiction and the potential pain we will experience if we relapse. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains, “We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago.” We may have been able to learn lessons from past negative experiences unrelated to drugs or alcohol, but, as men ad women suffering from the disease of addiction, we are unable to recall anything past the immediate feelings associated with substance abuse. We may miss the euphoria of drugs and alcohol so much that we begin to convince ourselves that we are able to drink or use in moderation, or that this time will be different, even though in our experience it has never turned out that way. The effects of drugs and alcohol used to make us feel better, and we are in great danger of looking back fondly at the “quick fix” they provided. The truth, however, is that they do not work for us. Our lives are not manageable in addiction. Instead, we find a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives through recovery that gives us more joy and happiness than the fleeting euphoria of intoxication ever could.
Addiction doesn’t have to be the author of your life story. You can find a new design for living by seeking help now. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in Orange County, California, offers the chance to achieve long-lasting sobriety in a beautiful beachfront environment. For more information about treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
