  We study the effects of Goldstone modes on the stability of the vacuum in a
$U(1)$ theory for a complex scalar field. The dynamics of the field resemble
those of Keplerian motion in the presence of time-dependent friction, whose
equations of motion imply a conserved quantity, $L$, reminiscent of conserved
angular momentum. They also imply a persistent infinite barrier at $\rho=0$ and
a divergent field value at the origin of coordinates in flat spacetime,
rendering any solution physically unattainable. However, in a spacetime
punctured at the origin of coordinates, we find finite-action solutions to the
equations of motion, which correspond to the size of the hole $a_0$, which in
turn determines the tunneling point $\rho_0$ and $L$. We find that the rates of
vacuum decay get drastically enhanced by many orders of magnitude for all
possible orderings in which the false and true vacua are placed in the
potential. Finally, we show how Goldstone modes provide the necessary energy to
overcome drag forces yielding finite-action solutions for any potential,
including those that no such solutions exist for real scalar fields.
