Rave culture symbolizes different things for different people. Still, across all continents and every subgenre, raves are venues where individuals gather to party–and that typically involves alcohol and drugs. This statement feels like a dirty secret spoken aloud, as many ravers challenge historical stereotypes about drug use.
Nonetheless, substance use at raves and within the larger dance music scene is a reality–one filled with contradictions, yet a reality that warrants an honest conversation all the same. On the one hand, ravers are becoming more educated about substance use, thanks to harm reduction experts, psychonaut enthusiasts, and advocates for the sober movement. On the other hand, the subject remains uncomfortable, if not outright controversial. Factors such as peer pressure and stigma leave many individuals feeling confused and isolated as they attempt to unpack their relationship with raving and substance use—and this is particularly true when they decide to go sober.
While TikTok videos and Reddit threads promote the promise of a clear mind and a hangover or comedown-free weekend as a tempting incentive, they reveal very little about the obstacles–and potential solutions—that shape the journey to achieve this. As more ravers challenge themselves to quit the substances, it’s time to discuss openly the difficulties of staying sober, starting with a deeper understanding of the sobriety movement itself.
Sober Ravers: Well And Wild
People may choose to rave sober for various reasons, whether permanently or as a temporary “break.” Most commonly, motivations include health, career demands, or finances. However, according to harm reduction advocate Lida Rubanava, more complex social factors drive current sober movements: “I think it has to do with shifts in politics, ideology, and social values,” she explains.
Rubanava is a licensed counselor and scholar of psychedelic studies. She observes that people today seek new sources of meaning and connection in life as society evolves. As a raver, she understands that these values are particularly significant to ravers who are pursuing this goal by integrating wellness practices into their lifestyles.
“There are many ways to attain altered states of consciousness, and people are now more interested in exploring those alternative pathways. People generally want to be well–and in terms of identity and community, people want to see themselves reflected. One thing influencing the [sober movement] is that wellness and healing are big topics right now, and it’s a form of community where people can find that.”
The recent surge in day parties and alcohol-free festivals reflects this trend. Event organizers seem to be becoming more aware of ravers’ desires for sober spaces where they can still embrace the community aspect of raving. Online platforms also play a crucial role in providing spaces for sober and sober-curious ravers to connect and seek guidance.
It’s encouraging to see the industry recognize the public’s shifting priorities and the grassroots efforts by ravers to create space for those endearingly pursuing wellness. However, substance use remains prevalent in the broader rave scene (whether it’s the legally sanctioned kind or not), and sober spaces make up a small portion of the dance music world. As a result, people transitioning to a sober lifestyle continue to face challenges.
The Challenge Of Escapism
It’s impossible to discuss these hidden challenges of sober raving without addressing the intersection of rave culture, drugs, and the socio-political climate of the past three decades. Raves originated as a counterculture movement where marginalized individuals, revisionists, and creatives could form a community that reflected their ideals. This rebellious legacy endures in today’s rave culture, and, similar to past counterculture movements, drugs are also a significant part of that legacy.
People often report that compounds such as psychedelics and empathogens enhance feelings of connection, meaning, playfulness, creativity, and freedom within the rave space. Peak experiences like these stand in stark contrast to the struggles of the outside world, and their appeal particularly resonates against the historical backdrop of social turmoil, economic chaos, and present loneliness. While the utopian experiences that raves and festivals offer can provide a healthy escape from life’s burdens, it can be easy to overindulge.
“The beauty of raving is that it can show you this possible environment where all of these values [like acceptance, kindness, and fun] are played out to an extreme,” Rubanava explains– “But it is an extreme. Some people use substances to cope with the fact that life is not always this technicolor utopia that they want it to be, and those are the same people who can be prone to substance abuse and probably raving a little too hard.”
The Challenge Of Peer Pressure
Euphoria and escapism create a potent blend, and those who struggle to balance the highs of the dancefloor with the lows of everyday life may find it more challenging to quit the substances without additional support. However, this is not newly sober ravers’ only hidden challenge. Since drug use is often seen as a norm in rave culture, individuals must navigate various social pressures, which can lead to difficult emotions when they become sober. “People look to others for guidance on how to fit in,” explains Rubanava. “When you want to join a community, you can’t ignore the reality that there are social guidelines and expectations, whether explicit or implicit.”
Even though sober raving has become more visible in recent years, peer pressure to consume substances is still hard to ignore. Being present around the behavior is often all it takes for that pressure to make itself known. What’s more, social media acts as an amplifier, highlighting stereotypical ideals of who ravers are —and more often than not, that image involves substance use: “There’s an expectation that people who go to raves are young and use substances, at least in the United States”, explains Rubanava. “In any culture, there are people who don’t fit in with the typical idea of who belongs to that culture, and [in the rave scene], part of that is people who don’t use substances.”
Then there’s the social aspect of getting high. Rubanava emphasizes that when substance use becomes a standard part of someone’s social routine, stopping can lead to feelings of isolation. It’s easy to feel out of place when everyone has a different mindset. That’s why, as Rubanava notes, the most challenging part about getting sober isn’t just quitting the substances; it’s losing the rituals, the social connections, and the familiarity tied to the practice. “When you do things differently, different things become important,” she explains. This change affects everything from someone’s social circle to their perceptions of the surroundings, and it can even prompt questions about belonging and self-identity. That’s a lot to process.
The Challenge Of Stigma
Newly sober ravers not only face resistance from internal pressures, but the pervasive social stigmas surrounding substance use also complicate matters. Harm reduction expert and content creator Jess Lipkin, known as @partysaferwithjess, is vocal about this issue. She utilizes her platform to disseminate education and reframe discussions about substance use, having observed how stigma and shame systematically alienate individuals who are struggling, sometimes with tragic outcomes: “Substance use is still so stigmatized in society that people end up isolated…shame drives individuals into seclusion, and the pain of that isolation can lead to tragic outcomes, particularly when confronting more severe issues like addiction.”
Confronting misinformation about substance use poses a significant hidden obstacle for ravers seeking support in their journey to sobriety. Lipkin expresses concern over the resurgence of shaming and blaming attitudes within the rave community: “I’ve heard individuals discussing harm reduction by resorting to shaming others, and that is fundamentally not what harm reduction is about.”
Taking Action
Stigma, peer pressure, the pain of isolation, and disillusionment with the gauntlet that is modern life all contribute to the hidden challenges of sober raving. Most of the #soberraving success stories I’ve encountered don’t capture these complex issues, nor do they shed light on any solutions for addressing them. I’ve noticed how this information gap can set people up for failure. That said, starting a conversation is an essential first step.
Whether permanent or temporary, embracing sobriety often represents a significant change. It’s essential to remember that reaching out to a mental health professional is always vital, especially in potentially dangerous situations. Nonetheless, harm reduction experts Ruvanava and Lipkin outline some additional practical tools and exercises that can help navigate the challenging transition to sober raving.
Mind Over Matter
Going sober can significantly alter a person’s perception of raving and how the culture fits into their life. Therefore, Lipkin and Rubanava believe that taking stock of which aspects of the rave lifestyle enhance your life and which do not is a crucial step in the transition. For instance, some individuals encounter difficulties when they become “hooked” on the escapism that is raving offers, so Lipkin provides insights that can help people evaluate whether they are healthily employing this escape:
“Something I’ve learned recently is the distinction between using festivals and substances as an escape versus a celebration of life. Unfortunately, many people are using them as an escape due to the state of the world we live in. Now, that’s okay; we all need an escape, but there’s also a difference between an escape that is beneficial for your mental health and one that is harmful. One thing you can do is ask, ‘How are my behaviors affecting my life?’”
She also advocates for enlisting the help of others–in fact, she highlights that human connection is crucial at all stages of the process: “What people really need is community and support. It can be tough to see a loved one struggle and to be there for them through their rock bottom but your support of that person is only going to help them. If you’re in that stage of wondering if there’s a problem, It can be good to get an outside perspective. Sometimes people see what we’re not seeing.”
Rubanava expands on this by encouraging friend groups to communicate openly with each other and finding creative ways to build new rituals and traditions that are inclusive to sober ravers. “If you’re the only sober person, ask if someone will stay sober with you,” she suggests. “Set up side-quests, and plan activities that are still enjoyable for you.” She emphasizes that leaning into the newness of the experience rather than comparing it to the old ways is also crucial to finding new sources of joy as different things become important.
The hidden challenges of sober raving manifest in various forms, and because each person is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, the conversation ultimately highlights that social support and resilience to change are essential pillars of the journey, and Rubanava’s closing remarks provide perspective:
“The response to change and transition is always grief. There will come discomfort in facing that life isn’t the ideal we would like it to be, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take pieces of the positive things you experience in an idyllic environment like raves and incorporate them. It takes a lot of effort and energy to focus on the good things when you’re not surrounded by them, but it gets better with time, and remember, if everything were always good, then we wouldn’t know what good is.”
Images by Insomniac
