make the dreams stop!!!!
Free!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Burbank
Posts: 7
make the dreams stop!!!!
Until i got sober 19 days ago i could not remember the last time I had a dream, a sleeping dream. now i cannot get them to stop, they are constatly waking me up. most are not happy but not really nightmares just, very uncomfortable. this is driving me nuts!!! i am tired all day and when i lay down to sleep, i cannot fall asleep, when i do sleep i dream and wake up all hours of the night.
yeah, and i want my short term memory back as well, when do i get that!!!!
sober and frusterated,
-C
yeah, and i want my short term memory back as well, when do i get that!!!!
sober and frusterated,
-C
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,504
It's really common to have sleep problems when you are in early recovery. It might take awhile to work out, but probably things will improve soon.
As for the short-term memory, you just have to wait and see how that turns out.
As for the short-term memory, you just have to wait and see how that turns out.
Looking For Myself...Sober
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Where the heart is
Posts: 10,209
Oh the dreams. Very common.
I am going through it too. At least the using dreams have stopped for me.
But I still have very active dreams and wake up every few hours all night every night.
It sucks. And it feels like these dreams are draining me like I didnt get any sleep at all.
They do go away. And you get sleep back. It takes time though.
As for the STM. I couldnt tell you about that. Mine is shot.
I wish you luck.
I am going through it too. At least the using dreams have stopped for me.
But I still have very active dreams and wake up every few hours all night every night.
It sucks. And it feels like these dreams are draining me like I didnt get any sleep at all.
They do go away. And you get sleep back. It takes time though.
As for the STM. I couldnt tell you about that. Mine is shot.
I wish you luck.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 14
I can definetely relate as I am very early in recovery too. I've always had nightmares, and alcohol withdrawal seems to intensify them. My memory seems to have been better when I was drunk all the time. Now I am forgetful, and don't take any pleasures in the small things. All I want to do is drink so I can sleep and feel normal but I know that I can't. In time things will get better
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,136
http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm
Not sure if you are familiar with PAWS - post acute withdrawal syndrome. Click the link and you'll see symptoms ranging from memory loss to sleep disturbances, and more. Hope it helps. Hang in there, the sleeping evens out in time.
Not sure if you are familiar with PAWS - post acute withdrawal syndrome. Click the link and you'll see symptoms ranging from memory loss to sleep disturbances, and more. Hope it helps. Hang in there, the sleeping evens out in time.
same planet...different world
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Butte, America
Posts: 10,946
hey RC -
look aty it this way - your body is going through withdrawal from a sedative.
IT doesn't remember how to regulate all the little chemicals that gave us 'down time' ... the blood, muscles, internal organs - are gooshing out all that poision that's been accumulating for however long you've been drinking and abusing the body.
Gonna have to give it time to get that **** outa there.
A side effect - is going to be some bad dreams. Because there's physical sensations that the body translates as certain ... 'warnings' or 'images.
The dream - is where symbol... and feelings ... meet. So the body is throwing off bad stuff - it's gonna make the mind create 'bad' images... or scary ones ... or whatever your particular symbolic frames are. Getting yourself into some kind of system of recovery, and working through any past events that might be plaguing you or begin to - is also the best bet for getting rid of those dreams.
As far as the other question ... ummmm...
what WAS the other question>?
:mock:
look aty it this way - your body is going through withdrawal from a sedative.
IT doesn't remember how to regulate all the little chemicals that gave us 'down time' ... the blood, muscles, internal organs - are gooshing out all that poision that's been accumulating for however long you've been drinking and abusing the body.
Gonna have to give it time to get that **** outa there.
A side effect - is going to be some bad dreams. Because there's physical sensations that the body translates as certain ... 'warnings' or 'images.
The dream - is where symbol... and feelings ... meet. So the body is throwing off bad stuff - it's gonna make the mind create 'bad' images... or scary ones ... or whatever your particular symbolic frames are. Getting yourself into some kind of system of recovery, and working through any past events that might be plaguing you or begin to - is also the best bet for getting rid of those dreams.
As far as the other question ... ummmm...
what WAS the other question>?
:mock:
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: anomaly
Posts: 2,180
If you're remembering your dreams..you're getting something back.lol
it's better then insomity..lol I use to stay up for days and days.
My gf thought i was still tweeking.lol
mmm...I'll take my recovery books and journal out...knocks me right out.lol
Funni how the mind works.
it's better then insomity..lol I use to stay up for days and days.
My gf thought i was still tweeking.lol
mmm...I'll take my recovery books and journal out...knocks me right out.lol
Funni how the mind works.
Illegitimi Non Carborundum
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Old Home Terra
Posts: 4,272
(I think he means "insomnia").
Echoing and expanding on what Barb said... I know that in my case, I had many years (decades) of unprocessed emotions that had been accumulating. When I stopped using alcohol, those emotions were still waiting for me and they had grown -- like a bad credit card debt that just kept accumulating interest... When I stopped using, those emotions demanded to be processed, and some of them were pretty pissed off about having to wait so long.
I had some really, *really* scary dreams there for a while, mainly during the first thirty days, (those horrible first thirty days)... Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night screaming... Sometimes it would take me as much as fifteen minutes to figure out and remember where I was and what part of my life I was living, (another kind of nightmare)... Sometimes I would immediately hop on here and write about the dream while still shaking all over from it.
I had a lot of sleeplessness during those first thirty days, my nerves all jingle-jangle... And when I would fall asleep again, it was usually to find a nightmare waiting for me... Talk about feeling conflicted -- "I want to sleep but I'm afraid to sleep but I need to sleep but I'll nightmare instead of sleep and I want to sleep but if I sleep then I'll won't get any sleep and..." -- you get the idea... Mind racing and fear based, man I was a mess...
I slept a lot during the second thirty days... I mean a lot! ... I still had some nightmares, but mostly it was the kind of deep "coma" sleep where it seemed like hardly any time had passed, and I usually woke up still tired. It was my brain and body repairing themselves once my nerves had quieted down. Good nutrition is essential.
Remember too that it isn't only your body that's re-adjusting. Its your brain as well... Various sub-systems are trying to function normally again -- some are overcompensating -- some have been weakened -- and as Barb said, all the while your body is freaking out and flooding your brain with strange information. What effect do you think this has on your mind? (Both conscious and subconscious?)
Those were just my experiences, and as I said, I was really messed up. Your mileage may vary. But if you stick with it, things do gradually get better. Every month that goes by, I'm a little bit better (I think, anyway and people tell me I seem so). I still have a long way to go, but consider how long I was torturing myself with alcohol. Its not something that can be undone overnight. It took time to get me that bad -- its going to take time to recover from it, (and I do have such a long way to go).
For me, recovery isn't a destination. Its a journey. It starts out pretty bumpy but the good thing is that the biggest hill you'll have to deal with is right at the beginning. You'll know when the hardest part is over, and the other hills won't be nearly as bad. Keep praying. God will help you!
I wouldn't worry about the STM thing quite yet... I remember a period there where it seemed like I couldn't remember if I had just tied my shoe or not! ... I knew I wasn't going insane -- instead I was coming out of insanity and my mind was simply learning how to think straight again, (and I'm still working on it).
Keep breathing, keep that brain oxygenated, keep on praying and you'll get through it...
As for the dreams, well... Echoing what Barb said, remember that your brain is adjusting too...
Oh wait... Did I already say that? ... Just kidding!
Echoing and expanding on what Barb said... I know that in my case, I had many years (decades) of unprocessed emotions that had been accumulating. When I stopped using alcohol, those emotions were still waiting for me and they had grown -- like a bad credit card debt that just kept accumulating interest... When I stopped using, those emotions demanded to be processed, and some of them were pretty pissed off about having to wait so long.
I had some really, *really* scary dreams there for a while, mainly during the first thirty days, (those horrible first thirty days)... Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night screaming... Sometimes it would take me as much as fifteen minutes to figure out and remember where I was and what part of my life I was living, (another kind of nightmare)... Sometimes I would immediately hop on here and write about the dream while still shaking all over from it.
I had a lot of sleeplessness during those first thirty days, my nerves all jingle-jangle... And when I would fall asleep again, it was usually to find a nightmare waiting for me... Talk about feeling conflicted -- "I want to sleep but I'm afraid to sleep but I need to sleep but I'll nightmare instead of sleep and I want to sleep but if I sleep then I'll won't get any sleep and..." -- you get the idea... Mind racing and fear based, man I was a mess...
I slept a lot during the second thirty days... I mean a lot! ... I still had some nightmares, but mostly it was the kind of deep "coma" sleep where it seemed like hardly any time had passed, and I usually woke up still tired. It was my brain and body repairing themselves once my nerves had quieted down. Good nutrition is essential.
Remember too that it isn't only your body that's re-adjusting. Its your brain as well... Various sub-systems are trying to function normally again -- some are overcompensating -- some have been weakened -- and as Barb said, all the while your body is freaking out and flooding your brain with strange information. What effect do you think this has on your mind? (Both conscious and subconscious?)
Those were just my experiences, and as I said, I was really messed up. Your mileage may vary. But if you stick with it, things do gradually get better. Every month that goes by, I'm a little bit better (I think, anyway and people tell me I seem so). I still have a long way to go, but consider how long I was torturing myself with alcohol. Its not something that can be undone overnight. It took time to get me that bad -- its going to take time to recover from it, (and I do have such a long way to go).
For me, recovery isn't a destination. Its a journey. It starts out pretty bumpy but the good thing is that the biggest hill you'll have to deal with is right at the beginning. You'll know when the hardest part is over, and the other hills won't be nearly as bad. Keep praying. God will help you!
I wouldn't worry about the STM thing quite yet... I remember a period there where it seemed like I couldn't remember if I had just tied my shoe or not! ... I knew I wasn't going insane -- instead I was coming out of insanity and my mind was simply learning how to think straight again, (and I'm still working on it).
Keep breathing, keep that brain oxygenated, keep on praying and you'll get through it...
As for the dreams, well... Echoing what Barb said, remember that your brain is adjusting too...
Oh wait... Did I already say that? ... Just kidding!
Force Is Strong In This One
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 107
Hey RC, when i get withdrawl my dreams turn into all night epics, the last few i had were like romero zombie movies, i could remember every little detail and still can remember alot. they do fade though...in time
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Posts: 345
For me the dreams took a few weeks to reduce in potency. Im just over 100 days sober now and my short term memory is just starting to return. Hopefully it will continue to do so now. Up until now my mind has been swiss cheese!
Good luck
Good luck
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