islandlife

Last night I had a dream where I found an unfinished bottle of alcohol that I had previously hidden. (side note, in my dream I'm still on the road to recovery) I pick it up and think, "Well, no one knew this was here, I can drink it and no one will know." But I end up telling myself I don't really want it, so I pour it down the drain.

Anybody else have dreams like this while recovering? Any interpretations on this?

Day #8

MattM316

I've had two types of alcohol dream.
One type is where I'm stressing about having hidden alcohol and someone finding it. The other is where I'm craving alcohol.

Every dream I have is an anxiety dream tho, whether that's related to all the years of alcohol abuse I don't know.

entropy1964

Drinking dreams are so common. Pretty much universal. I never have them anymore but in my earlier attempts I did. I don't think they mean a thing. And if they did, who cares? You're sober now! Don't sweat it.

Bunny211

Yep. I had them fairly often the first year. One I used to have was that I was drinking all along and faking my sobriety. I would wake up shaking and thinking...am I really sober? Or have I just been pretending?

I haven't had a drunk dream in months now. They get few and far between!

doggonecarl

Eight days in, you are still on the road to recovery. Such dreams are common early in recovery.

SoberCAH

We're really glad you're here, Island.

I have had drinking dreams on and off for years.

I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Glad you shared this experience, though.

ScottFromWI

They are quite common islandlife, and fortunately they are just dreams...I wouldn't worry about it much. I still have them occasionally even several years into sobriety but not nearly as often as in the past. Congrats on day #8!

awuh1

I'd say that it's a very good sign.

Drinking dreams are generally an expression of an unconscious desire to drink (which is generally more common in early sobriety or during times of stress). In our waking state we have more power to reflect on what we are doing and to stop ourselves from doing those things that could harm ourselves or others. The fact that you did not drink and poured it out, even when you were asleep, indicates to me that your resolve to quit is very strong and fairly well integrated into different levels of yourself.

It's a good sign. Nevertheless, I would not use it as an excuse to become complacent.

bikube

I dream about drinking quite often, I hate it I have 60 days today. In the dreams, I'm usually drinking in secret and getting caught and feeling panicked and shameful, hiding bottles etc...

I don't have strong compulsion to drink or cravings during the day so I hope it doesn't mean an underlying desire to drink.

STDragon

The only alcohol related dream I've had so far was one about my wife making liqueurs. And she doesn't drink!

I quit smoking pot 20 years ago and I still have occasional dreams about smoking pot and getting high.

I quit smoking cigarettes 16 years ago and I've never had dreams about cigarettes...

HelenofTroy

Funny I just posted in my class thread the other day about a drinking dream. I'm at day 29. It was very real and I woke up feeling very ashamed about drinking. My classmates assured me it is normal. I just hope it isn't often - it really made me feel awful!

KAD

I have 19 months of sobriety and still have the occasional drinking dream, too. They are very realistic and discomforting, but I've learned to use them as reminders of what it was like to live in the hell of addiction. I don't recall ever having one that was pleasant or that left me wishing I could make it come true once I woke up. They were all filled with despair, paranoia, hiding, lying, deception. In other words, very true to life. I just figure that something that was an obsession for 28 years of my life - more than half of it by the time I got sober - is bound to float to the surface of my memories now and again, asleep or awake.

shortstop81

I have the occasional drinking dream. I always wake up confused as to whether it was real or not, and then feeling extremely relieved that it was just a dream.

FBL

At 7+ years sober, I still get drinking dreams once in a while. However, I also have plenty of dreams where I refuse alcohol when offered. The subconscious can take awhile to sort things out.

drw15

5+ years stayin sober. Now drinking maybe 2 times a year.

STDragon

So I had my first drinking dream last night. Had a water bottle of vodka in the bathroom and watch myself in the mirror as I took a huge swig. I actually felt the alcohol warming over by body and then I began to feel nauseated and regretful.

It was like my subconscious was reminding me what I'll feel like if I drink again. (There must be a battle going on in there).

I don't get that from my pot smoking dreams. I actually enjoy those. Possibly because I'm safe from pot and confident I'll never take up that old habit again.

STDragon

You mean in your dreams right?