Here are a few reasons based on my personal experience with both:
Avoiding certain places you used to enjoy going to bc of your changed values
Social isolation/people viewing you differently or trying to change your mind as a reflex
The cravings I get feel more self-destructive than they are a sign I’m on the wrong path
I’ve had to face emotional discomfort that I would have otherwise shut down with some harmful (to me or animals) comfort food
Suddenly realizing how ingrained animal products/substance use is in our culture
They both require some mental stamina at first and there are ups and downs
Mistakes happen & progress isn’t always linear
I am continuing to change my mind about things I used to find acceptable or normal
They both require commitment, patience, and effort
The “why” outweighs any desires to go back to my old life
I feel MUCH better about my choices and lifestyle and wish more people could see the light
I know some folks have compared an omnivorous diet to addiction, and while I disagree that it is an actual addiction, the social implications, mental fortitude and progression are very similar!
I first turned vegan, and after five years or so, I got sober. Nine months have passed. It’s a very similar feeling, particularly when it comes to social awareness that people deceive themselves about the effects of their alcohol and meat intake on their own health as well as the health of others (with alcohol having a greater effect on other humans and carnism on animals).
I agree; there are a lot of parallels as someone who has only recently become sober (85 days!!!)! Indeed, it feels like a reawakening. I was 8.5 years vegan, so I didn’t remember the awakening’s horror.
fifteen years sober. Vegetarian 2. Yes, I certainly recognize the parallels, especially in the social sphere. However, in my opinion, there is no parallel to the chaos, profound metamorphosis, and ego-death required to attain long-term sobriety. In contrast, going vegan was a piece of cake.
I can totally relate to this. I’ve been sober for three years, a vegetarian for four, and a vegan for nine months. The “why” unquestionably trumps the urge to return. No matter how embarrassing the day was, at the end of the day I can at least be happy with the decisions I made.
Whoa, I was a freak in 2000 when I decided to give up dairy and meat. I ultimately decided to choose a completely cruelty-free 2010—still weird. In 2016, I gave up beer, telling my family that “it’s about f.ing time!”
My relatives informed me that my big sister is now “whole foods, plant based,” which I had never heard of before.
As a teenager, I used alcohol as a coping mechanism for undiagnosed bipolar disorder. In December 1992, at the age of 18, I entirely gave up drinking and became teetotal. I haven’t touched alcohol since. Thank you for maintaining sobriety!
I also abruptly became vegan, but as I had always been a vegetarian, it wasn’t a big deal, and my family is very understanding and accepting of my decisions, so I don’t feel pressure from society to consume animal products.
Yes, it felt almost precisely the same when I went vegan and stopped using drugs and alcohol at the same time.
When discussing the reasons behind their non-vegan lifestyle, many people do acknowledge that they have an addiction to animal products; nevertheless, this should be treated more seriously as a psychological problem.
I consider this constantly. I’ve been vegan for 12 years and clean for 3 years, but occasionally I wonder if defining my sobriety as something I just don’t do anymore—along with how I feel about being vegan—has prevented me from relapsing.