How to Sober Up


In This Article
How to Sober Up Fast
When you consume excessive amounts of alcohol or other drugs, your body needs to sober up to function normally. While there are some ways to improve your short-term mental and physical functioning, itโs almost always impossible to sober up quickly.
Even if you use methods to enhance alertness and awareness, you shouldn't drive or make important decisions until the substanceโs effects are entirely flushed out of your system.
Depending on how much alcohol or other drugs were consumed, it can take hours for your body to flush out the substances completely.
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How to Sober Up from Coke
It's impossible to sober up quickly from coke. However, there are ways to feel more alert and appear sober after taking the drug.
Sleep
Sleep is the best method to sober up after taking coke. Your body requires natural sleep to rest and recover from taking coke. Allow your body plenty of time to recuperate.
Consume Healthy Foods and Drinks
Eat plenty of nuts and bananas. Drink orange juice to boost serotonin levels and replenish nutrients after taking coke. You should also rehydrate with a glass of water or an isotonic drink.
How to Sober up From Molly
Like alcohol intoxication, it's almost impossible to speed up the sobering process after taking Molly. However, there are some methods you can take to become more alert and aware.
Sleep
After sufficient sleep, Molly's effects on a person's brain revert to normal. With continued use of Molly, you develop a "tolerance" to the substance. This means you may require an increased dose of the drug over time.
The effects that typically cause a crash or โhangoverโ from a one-night experience taking the drug can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms that linger for days.
Consume Healthy Foods and Green Tea
Drinking plenty of green tea and consuming vegetables and fruits helps you feel more alert and aware. You can also supplement with potent neuroprotectors like ALCAR (Acetyl-L-Carnitine) and NA-R-ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid). Drinking water for hydration is essential too.
Drink Orange Juice
Molly causes a surplus release of serotonin, leading to mood-boosting effects. However, when the results of the drug wear off, the serotonin levels reduce significantly.
This can lead to negative thoughts and feelings during the โcome down.โ Orange juice is rich in Vitamin C. This important vitamin aids in the production of serotonin.
Serotonin is the "happy hormone" needed to cancel the negative effects of a comedown.
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How to Sober up From Meth
Meth or methamphetamines are stimulants, and the duration of their effects can vary depending on how much you use. This also depends on your overall tolerance for the drug.
Unfortunately, you can only sober up from meth by waiting it out. Stimulants can take several hours to clear your system. In the case of meth, you should also be wary about its comedown effects.
How to Sober Up from Alcohol
There is nothing you can do to reduce the amount of alcohol in your body after a night of drinking. Only time can reduce the BAC in your body.
However, you can take steps to feel more alert:
1. Drink Waterย
Drinking water is essential for preventing dehydration. It counteracts the dehydrating effects of alcohol.
2. Sleep
Sleep is one of the most effective ways for someone to heal from alcohol's effects. Rest allows the body to recover and recuperate.
Even taking a brief nap can help with metabolization. Generally, the more sleep you get, the more soberer you will feel.
3. Eat Bland Foods
Eating bland foods can prevent upsetting your stomach further while raising your blood sugar levels. If this still upsets your stomach, drink water fortified with vitamins and minerals.
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How Does the Body Process Alcohol?
The body doesnโt digest alcohol. Instead, the substance travels to different body parts through the bloodstream. It first affects your:
- Brain
- Kidneys
- Lungs
- Liver
Alcohol widens the blood vessels, causing a drop in blood pressure. It also affects the part of your brain that controls your mood and body functions. It can cause feelings of depression and poor coordination. Alcohol is considered a diuretic, which increases urination. It also causes dehydration.
How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System?
The liver oxidizes 95% of the alcohol you consume and turns it into water and carbon monoxide. On average, it takes 1 hour to break down 1 unit of alcohol. One unit is equivalent to 10 ml of pure alcohol.
The breakdown time will vary depending on several factors. This includes:
- Your weight
- Your age
- Your metabolism
- The strength of the alcohol consumed
- The presence (or lack) of food in the stomach
Myths About Sobering Up Fast
There are various myths surrounding methods on how to sober up fast. These include:
1. Vomiting
Vomiting won't lower your body's blood alcohol content (BAC). Once alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream, there is nothing you can do except wait.
Vomiting can help alleviate feelings of nausea.
2. Eating Fatty Foods
Eating fatty foods only helps before drinking alcohol. It can slow down the rate at which your stomach lining absorbs alcohol, but not by much.
Eating fatty foods after drinking alcohol will not reduce your BAC. It can also upset your stomach even more.
3. Drinking Caffeine or Energy Drinks
Caffeine and energy drinks cause dehydration. Drinking this to sober up will not help. It can make you feel alert but can be counterintuitive if youโre also dehydrated from alcohol.
4. Taking a Cold Shower
Taking a cold shower to sober up can be more harmful than good, especially if youโre experiencing alcohol poisoning.
The shock of the cold water can cause people to lose consciousness. It can also aggravate brain damage caused by alcohol poisoning.
How to Appear Sober
There isnโt much you can do to speed up the sobering process. However, some tips can help you appear sober:
1. Sit Down
Standing up and swaying is a sign that youโre not sober. When youโre sitting down, you can keep your balance. If you canโt sit down, hold on to something. This will offer you support and prevent you from falling.ย
2. Speak Slowly and Limit Your Words
Speaking too fast when youโre not sober can result in slurred speech. Talking too much can also lead to discussing complex or emotional topics. These topics can be difficult for someone who isnโt sober, so itโs best to limit your words.ย ย ย
3. Spray Perfume or Eat Strong-Scented Food
Alcoholโs scent can be a telltale sign that youโre not sober. Spraying perfume will help hide the alcohol's scent. You can also eat strong-scented food like mints, garlic, or curry.
4. Fix Your Appearance
Being drunk or high can affect your appearance. Your hair can get messy, your clothes can get dirty, or your makeup can smudge. Looking at the mirror and fixing yourself will help you appear sober.ย
How to Sober up for Good
Drug and alcohol addiction can be treated. However, it is not simple. Addiction is a chronic illness, so people cannot stop using drugs for a couple of days and expect to be cured.
Most patients require long-term or repeated care to recover their lives and maintain sobriety.ย
Here are some common treatments for alcohol and drug addiction:
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What's Next?
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. โDrinking Levels Defined.โย
- Irwin, Christopher, et al. โThe effects of dehydration, moderate alcohol consumption, and rehydration on cognitive functions.โ Alcohol, 2013.
- NIDA. "MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) DrugFacts." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020.
- NIDA. "Cocaine DrugFacts." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018.ย
- โMyths about drinking alcohol.โ MedlinePlus, January 2021.ย
- NIDA. "Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction DrugFacts." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019.
- Nidirect. โWhat happens when you drink alcohol.โ
- NHS. โAlcohol units.โ 2021.
- Farzam et al. "Stimulants." StatPearls, 2022.

