ADS20012012

Hi. New to SR, really enjoying the format. I'm 17 months sober and I'm still having drinking dreams. I had one last night and even though its just a dream, it really throws off the rest of my work day. Is there any correlation between stress and drinking dreams?? Is there any root cause as to why these type of dreams occur in the 1st place?

UpperbucksAAguy

There could be alot of reasons why you are having them. I obsessed over alcohol for my 1st three years sober. Very rarely do I even think about it since

bloss

I don't really know why drinking dreams happen long after we stop drinking, but sometimes I dream about other things in my life that happened years ago too, so maybe it is just happens, we have all these memories, they don't just vanish because we stop drinking

awuh1

Yes I think they can sometimes be stress related. Think of what sometimes happens in dreams as wish fulfillment. If the past pattern of coping with stress was to drink, then the “wish” is often present along with the stress. If your guard is down (your sleeping) the wish can fulfill itself.

It’s my belief that there is a part of us that remembers the benefits of alcohol. ‘Rational Recovery’ labels this “addictive voice” or “beast”. ‘It’ can get its way when our defenses are down. Fortunately when this happens in a dream there are few negative consequences , other than an “emotional hangover”, when we’re awake.

ADS20012012

Thanks for feedback.! My hope is the dreams come less and less. Its already hard enough going through the day sober, let alone I gotta deal with it in my dreams, but at least its just a dream.

OklaBH

I dont know about the dreams but OMG! Way to go on 17 months sober. Great job! --now there is my dream---

ADS20012012

Thank you!!!

Dee74

I still have drinking dreams occasionally ADS20012012 and I have 5 years of recovery.
I'm not one to assign meaning to dreams - I also still dream about high school

I think it's completely normal and need not reflect badly on your recovery.
I think it's far more important to worry about what we do in our waking hours

D

CarolD

Well done on your sober time....

For me...stress does often throw me into dreams
however mine are about work...and I retired years ago
Go figure....

Welcome to our recovery community...

zjw

i dont have the drinking ones too much btu i've woken up freaked that i ruined my sobriety only to realize its a dream then i'm thankful it was just a dream. The smoking ones are diff however. I'll wake up and go wow that was such a great cigarette in that dream welp least it was a dream I felt I enjoyed it without having to actually do it and i leave it at that.

I've never really woken up enjoying hte drinking dream tho those send me the other way I get all angry how could i do that etc..

onlythetruth

Well, when I'm stressed, I still have drinking dreams. I also have dreams that I'm back in school and forgot to study for a test, and dreams that I'm still married to my ex-husband , and dreams that I'm trying to run from some sort of danger and can't move.

I don't worry about this stuff too much.

The only thing I'd worry about is if I was LIKING the drinking dreams. But I don't...really, they are nightmares.

MalkavianEmily

I've not had drinking dreams yet. I've had dreams about doing other drugs, but not about drinking. I dunno if that's odd or not.

FBL

I'm a little over 3 years sober and I still have drinking dreams from time to time. They are just that...dreams. The reality is that I'm sober and that's what counts

sugarbear1

There is a forum on dreams. take a look. scroll down from this forum....

Alan111

I still get really vivid drinking dreams. Sometimes I wake up and feel absolutely horrified that I have had a drink, only to realise it was just a dream.

TexasBloom

I also had the dreams the first few years, maybe a few times per year. It was usually centered around holidays, when my anxiety in general was amped a little more. remembering that it's just a much a dream as was the one where I had sex with famous people was a good reminder: totally not reality (else I'd be shacking up with said famous people.)

The worst part about it was when the dreams became almost-but-not-quite drinking dreams, and in the dreams something or someone would literally get between me and my drink. I woke up frustrated every timee, and remember thinking "sheesh! HP keeps me from drinking even in my dreams? Great." Looking back on it, it was about wanting control over something in life that I had no control over (usually relationships). Even in dreams, the booze was a symbol. (And I'm grateful, for the record, that I never did pair up with one of the uglier rock stars who frequented my dreams. Sober goggles are good goggles.)

mfsteve1

I've have two so far (76 days out). The in the first one was a morning after deal where I forgot what I did and was flipping out over it. That one woke me up. The second one, last week-ish, I had a dream where I took "just one drink" and fell off the wagon. Odd how a dream about being eaten alive by wild boars is easier to deal with than a drinking dream.

No Sir, I don't like 'em.