Lifestyle

California Sober is the bizarre trend in America

By Wieke Veenboer | #!31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:000431#31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:00-5Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 06am31am-31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:005Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200155158amSunday=9#!31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam8#08-06-2023#!31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:000431#/31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:00-5Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Sun, 06 Aug 2023 05:15:04 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam8#

If you listen to Demi Lovato's music and/or follow her closely, you are probably already familiar with this special phenomenon; she has not only written a song about it (Demi has also started using ‘she/her’ as pronouns again since last year), this was also her lifestyle for a while. I'm talking about California Sober, a way of life for many Americans. Notably: many former addicts swear by it.

What does California Sober entail? That is different for everyone, as there are no fixed guidelines for it, but the most common variant is that people abstain from all drugs and alcohol, with a few exceptions like hash and weed. Some people take it a bit broader than just smoking a joint and may use psychedelic drugs like mushrooms, LSD, and ayahuasca.

This lifestyle is said to make it easier for former addicts to maintain, as they do not have to abstain from everything. Additionally, for example, weed or hash may help with anxiety and panic, making it easier to stop using another substance.

But even people who do not necessarily have a problem with alcohol are increasingly switching to California Sober. They cite reasons such as wanting to enjoy a few glasses of wine to calm down and/or relax, but their quality of sleep declines as a result. By smoking a joint, they achieve that relaxation without the potential hangover or poor night's sleep.

The two celebs who have been open about their choice to go California Sober are Demi Lovato and the sadly much too young deceased Aaron Carter. The former has actually reversed her decision and is now living completely sober (‘sober sober’ as Americans call it).