What is drinking nostalgia?
Drinking nostalgia occurs when the tendency to romanticise or dwell on our memories of alcohol in an unbalanced way starts to develop. It may give rise to the positive feelings we associate with drinking with friends, the euphoria of social engagement, or the anticipation generated prior to events where we believe alcohol will lubricate our social interactions. This fact is well known by the alcohol industry, and for consumers, nostalgic marketing is equivalent to comfort food. It has seen an explosion of nostalgia-based campaigns over the last few years. Drinking nostalgia becomes a particularly common phenomenon in alcohol addiction treatment. However, it is important to be aware that such nostalgia can lead to cravings and possibly even relapse.
Why does drinking nostalgia occur?
This nostalgia is also commonly known as ‘rosy retrospection’ and is a product of how our brains process our memories over time. One reason that we have a rosier image of the past is that our most vivid long-term memories are typically formed between the ages of 10 and 30, with a high concentration of memories of personal events occurring during our 20s when many of life’s significant events occur. This so-called ‘reminiscence bump’ coincides with many of our first experiences with alcohol as teens, through our university days, and into our early forays of socialising once we have entered the world of work.
This period is characterised by higher levels of hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, which are activated to a greater extent in younger individuals and play a critical role in episodic memory formation. Research suggests that negative autobiographical memories are more complex and decay over time relative to positive ones. This means that when you evaluate the past, positive events associated with, for example, drinking, relative to negative ones, are disproportionately more accessible and thus appear more appealing.
Possible triggers
It is perfectly natural for drinking nostalgia to arise during the recovery process. At some point, a preoccupation with the physical act of drinking and the memories this evokes will more than likely re-emerge. The mere presence of such nostalgia for alcohol is, in itself, not harmful, but how people in recovery respond to such memories is paramount.
Commonplace triggers include:
- feeling stress or pressure
- loneliness
- false sense of alcohol dependency no longer being an issue
- being in social situations where alcohol is being consumed, or the individual would have previously drank
- reminiscing with former drinking partners.
All these triggers can be a distraction and may precipitate patterns of behaviour that people in addiction recovery have endeavoured to break free from. The inherent risks include:
- relapse into alcohol dependency
- sense of failure or losing confidence in one’s efforts during the recovery process
- perceiving a sober life as being less attractive than a life with alcohol in it
- surrounding yourself with people you used to drink with.
Faced with these risks, it is possible to see how drinking nostalgia can potentially lead us back to a life of dysfunctional drinking. However, there are strategies we can employ to manage these risks and avoid the pitfalls of such reminiscence.
Managing drinking nostalgia
One of the best ways to demystify drinking nostalgia is to assess the reality of the memory. It can be easy to look backwards and think of the positives, especially when we feel more distanced from the negative sides of drinking. This means it is helpful to think about what drinking heavily was actually like. Was the memory all positive, or are we idealising something that actually brought us significant harm? Can we think about our drinking history more objectively? One way we may want to do this is by thinking of our reasons for recovery. If drinking were all positive, we wouldn’t have sought alcohol help. Trying to bring back balance and think of the bigger picture can make drinking nostalgia feel less enchanting. This can, therefore, make it less tempting to return to alcohol.
Tips to manage drinking nostalgia
If drinking nostalgia can be so tempting, then how do we resist it? There are some ways to manage drinking nostalgia tangibly. These can be practical things you incorporate into your life, such as:
- Writing a list of the negative side of drinking
- Think about how alcohol has affected your health
- Create new memories without alcohol present
- Engage in a new hobby
- Remember that memories are not accurate reflections of reality
- Try not to ignore the memories – instead, try and challenge them
- Be kind to yourself in periods of drinking nostalgia
- Remember that drinking nostalgia is a part of recovery, not a failure
- Speak to a sober friend or family member
- Create new social opportunities
For many people, drinking nostalgia comes from a place of isolation, stress, and reminiscence of what has come before. When you first stop drinking, it can be difficult to reconfigure your identity in this new sober landscape. One way you can tackle drinking nostalgia is by increasing sober social opportunities. You could try any of the following activities with friends:
- Going to the cinema
- Going for a walk
- Exercising
- Making a new meal together
- Hiking
- Camping
- Visiting amusement parts
- Going to the theatre or a museum
- Visiting a new place
- Creating art
- Learning how to bake
- Go on a spa day
- Learn a language
- Volunteer
