Drug and alcohol addicts may wonder how they can quit their substance of choice if they can never again experience the pleasure, hormone rush, and adrenaline that substance abuse brings. However, recovered addicts will confidently assure you that you can get high naturally without the use of drugs.
If you or your loved one is addicted and you’re wondering how to get high without drugs, read on. This article will discuss the high addicts get from substances, the differences between a natural and drug-induced high, and how to get a natural high.
What is The High of Drug Addiction?
The "high" of drug addiction is the intense euphoria or pleasure caused by the release of dopamine and other chemicals in the brain, which temporarily activate the brain's reward centers. Different substances produce different types of pleasurable experiences. For example, stimulant drugs make the user feel energetic, happy, and euphoric, depressants cause the user to feel calm, at peace, and distant from reality, and hallucinogens result in an out-of-body, alternate existence.
Drugs and alcohol travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where they increase the production of naturally occurring pleasurable hormones like dopamine and oxytocin. These hormones are natural and allow all humans to experience reward and pleasure. Taking drugs or alcohol increases the amount of hormones in the brain, and causes an artificially elevated feeling of euphoria and pleasure.
Why Addicts Crave The Euphoric High of Drugs and Alcohol
The first time a person consumes drugs or alcohol, they may experience a wave of euphoric pleasure that they crave to repeat. There are many reasons people wish for the euphoric high of drugs and alcohol, including the following reasons:
- To escape difficult emotions
- To perform better at work or school
- To feel alive, purposeful, or happy
- To relieve feelings of anxiety or depression
- To self-medicate for physical, emotional, or mental disorders
- To relax or party with friends
- To fit in with their peers.
How Does the High of Drugs Cause Addiction?
The high that drugs and alcohol cause often leads to addiction, because it causes the user to crave the feeling again. When people use their substance of choice repeatedly, the body starts to develop tolerance. This means that the body requires increasingly larger doses in order to experience the same effects as before.
At the same time, the body becomes physically and mentally dependent on the drug, meaning that it cannot function optimally without the usual amount of substances the addict consumes. Trying to quit or lower the dosage of the drug leads to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that are often too difficult to bear, so the addict starts using the substance again to rid themselves of the effects.
What is A Natural High?
A common cliché in the world of addiction recovery is that recovered addicts can ‘get high on life.’ This means that once a person digs to and deals with the root of their addiction, and becomes sober, life itself is so beautiful and pleasurable that you can get “high” from it.
Ultimately, there are physical things you can do to replicate the high that drugs bring. The goal is to naturally increase the production of dopamine and other hormones in the brain to help you experience happiness in a healthy, sustainable way.
How To Get High Naturally
If you’re wondering how to get high without weed, you’re probably in a great place. You’re either considering getting sober, or are in recovery and wondering how to recreate the high of substances naturally and healthily.
Here are some ideas on how to get a natural high without drugs:
- Exercise- Engaging in physical activity causes your heart to pump faster and your adrenaline to spike. This is because exercises release endorphins, which both accelerate bodily functions and cause natural feelings of pleasure. Cardio, running, swimming, yoga, dancing, biking, and boxing are all great ways to release those hormones while getting your body in better shape at the same time.
- Relationships- Studies show that loneliness contributes more to premature death than obesity. On the flip side, nurturing, loving, and supportive relationships trigger the release of dopamine and serotonin. You can join a club, volunteer to help people, or simply hang out with sober, healthy people to experience that pleasure.
- Meaningful activities- Engage in meaningful acts like volunteer work, pursuing a vocation or hobby, starting a business, working in a field you love, or engaging in creative activities like art or music. Having a regular routine, holding down a fulfilling job, and engaging in meaningful pursuits will all release pleasurable hormones while helping you stay sober.
- Performing- If you like to sing, dance, perform magic, comedy, ventriloquism, gymnastics, or play an instrument, consider performing in public. Even if you’re shy or experience stage fright, you may find that the adrenaline rush you feel when performing can give you a natural high that almost replicates the high from drugs and alcohol. Alternatively, you could publish some work and enjoy the feedback you receive.
- Travel- Exploring the world is fun and doesn’t have to be too costly. Whether you backpack through the States, take a road trip, or opt for air travel, planning and executing travel destinations in the US or abroad can release endorphins that give you pleasure. You can also spend time in nature, hike, or perform extreme sports - which trigger an enormous adrenaline rush.
- Laughing—Laughter releases serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, leaving you with a wonderful happy feeling that’s completely natural. You can spend time with family and friends who like to joke around and make you laugh, save some hilarious clips or movies to watch, or watch a funny show live.
- Meditation- Yoga and meditation allow you to be mindful, in touch with your body, and physically active, all of which trigger the release of natural pleasurable hormones. Meditation gives you the tools to banish negative thoughts while helping you achieve a sense of calm in the brain and body, which can be extremely helpful for an addict in recovery.
- Music- Putting your favorite music on loud, whether it’s fast or slow, can boost the natural levels of hormones in your brain and leave you with a pleasurable feeling. If you like to sing or play an instrument, you can do that at the same time for an extra high.
Differences Between A Drug-Induced and Natural Highs
A high from drugs or alcohol is more intensely pleasurable than a natural high. The reason is that addictive substances hijack neurotransmitters in the brain, triggering the release of a flood of hormones and creating an artificially elevated feeling of pleasure.
Although the experience of pleasure, happiness, and euphoria from drugs is unmatched, getting high naturally spares you the withdrawal symptoms, loss of relationships and finances, and cycle of guilt and shame that addictive substances cause.
In other words, you can’t replicate the level of euphoria naturally, but you can experience beautiful and genuine pleasure without the horrible physical, emotional, and mental effects that addiction brings.
Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Living life as an addict affords you unparalleled euphoria. You can use your substance of choice to produce pleasurable feelings, circumvent negative emotions, and escape your reality. However, addiction is painful at best and fatal at worst.
Addiction is a loss of control, which means that when a craving hits, you lose control over whether or not you will surrender to it. The most challenging aspect of addiction is the complete loss of relationships, finances, and dignity, and the horrible cycle of shame, guilt, and despair that is inherent in every addict’s life.
But you don’t have to continue living your life this way. There is a solution to your addiction, and that is recovery. At Avenues Recovery, we will help you taper off drugs or alcohol safely through medical detox, and you can remain in our supportive environment of mental health professionals and addicts like yourself until you feel ready to face the world sober. Reach out today to start your journey to sobriety- a life of freedom!