(Sober Firsts) Wait...Am I Still Sober?
(Sober Firsts) Wait...Am I Still Sober?

Recovery Rocks

Lisa Smith and Anna David swap candid stories about anaesthesia, pain meds, antidepressants and medical procedures in long-term sobriety. Their conversation questions what “sober” really means while unpacking fear, shame, resentment and friendship in recovery.

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21:02•24 Jul 2026

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Sober Firsts: Anaesthesia, Pain Meds and the Awkward Question of "Am I Still Sober?"

Episode Overview

Prescribed medications like opiates and benzos can feel emotionally risky in recovery, even when medically necessary.
People in sobriety can have completely different physical and emotional responses to the same drugs.
Old ideas that antidepressants or prescribed meds make someone "not sober" are challenged as harmful and outdated.
It’s common to bite your tongue rather than burst a friend’s bubble, even when you suspect their plans are unrealistic.
Jealousy and comparison, especially around work and social media, are ongoing issues that many sober people continue to work on.

“"I am sober. I do not take… this was not taken lightly to take a Valium and I’m kind of loopy on it, you know?"”

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when a doctor hands them the exact kind of drugs they once abused? Recovery Rocks takes that awkward, anxiety-inducing question head-on as co-hosts Lisa Smith and Anna David swap very different experiences with medical procedures and medication in long-term recovery. You’ll hear Anna talk about multiple surgeries, IVF, colonoscopies and that infamous pre-procedure drink from hell.

She shares how going under leaves her feeling grim and opiate-level awful, saying she has "pretty much hated it every time" she’s needed strong pain meds. Lisa, on the other hand, admits she kind of likes waking up from anaesthesia feeling "super refreshed, like you just had the best night’s sleep of your life," and even feels cheated that the pleasant bit happens while she’s unconscious.

They compare notes on opiates, benzos and Valium, with Lisa describing early-recovery terror about taking even one pill and blacking out after gum surgery, then hearing from her husband later that she was "a mess" and trying to FaceTime a friend in Singapore. Anna jokes that she “enjoys the benzos a lot more than opiates” and even checks with an AI to confirm Valium isn’t an opiate.

The conversation widens into what “sober” means when you’re prescribed antidepressants or pain medicine. Both recall older-school recovery attitudes where people were told they weren’t sober if they took psychiatric meds, including Anna being ordered out of a sponsor’s car with, "You’re not sober. Get out of my car." They finish by riffing on petty resentments, secret-keeping, and the discomfort of watching friends chase unrealistic plans without wanting to burst their bubble.

If you’ve ever wondered, "Wait… am I still sober if I take this?" or felt weird about judging medical decisions in recovery, this chat will make you feel a lot less alone—what comes up for you when the prescription pad meets your sobriety date?

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