Notices

Nightmares

Old 05-12-2011, 05:44 PM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
pinkroses's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 47
Nightmares

Friends...I am awaiting a spot in rehab, until then.... I notice when I don't drink I experience vivid, realistic horrific nightmares and have to assure myself that I am safe, am home, in my own bed...
These are nowhere near typical nightmares. They are vivid, realistic, detailed, complex and evil-based...lots of snakes/blood/horror.
Anybody? I am currently drinking to avoid those. Have to check the bed to make sure I'm good.
pinkroses is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 05:52 PM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
Howdy12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 40
I have those too. I've always had vivid, lucid dreams but ever since I stopped drinking they've taken a huge, nightmarish turn. I too have to convince myself I'm home and in my bed. It's not fun, but once I'm fully awake I'm so glad I went through the nightmare instead of waking up hungover with regrets again.

I hope we can both sort this out...I haven't asked a doctor because I'm not sure if there's much anyone can do for this sort of thing. Anyone else have any experience with this?
Howdy12 is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 05:59 PM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Dee74's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,043
I've experienced them. They're horrible - I can remember many times waking in terror and not being able to get back to sleep until the sun came up.

But really? It was nothing to the horror I was putting myself through every day when I was drinking.

The nightmares did pass for me...but if you're worried, please do speak with your Dr.

D
Dee74 is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 06:01 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Member
 
EmeraldRose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: I'm exactly where I should be.
Posts: 1,889
Drinking will only supress your dreams. Dreaming of snakes isn't actually a bad thing. They represent rebirth (shedding of skin), healing, transformation, knowledge and wisdom. You may want to look into the meanings and understand what you are feeling instead of ignoring it.
Part of recovery is getting in touch with your sober feelings and our subconscious has powerful ways of making us listen.
EmeraldRose is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 06:06 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
pinkroses's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 47
Is that the DT's? I also sweat and shake all the time...when sober.
pinkroses is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 06:09 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
Howdy12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 40
How long have you been sober? For me it's only been two weeks and I don't shake but I still tend to sweat a lot when I sleep.
Howdy12 is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 06:12 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
bona fido dog-lover
 
least's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,671
Originally Posted by pinkroses View Post
Is that the DT's? I also sweat and shake all the time...when sober.

Delirium tremens (Latin for "shaking frenzy", also referred to as The DTs, "the horrors," "jazz hands," "giving the invisible man a handshake" or "the shakes." ) is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol, first described in 1813.[1][2] Benzodiazepines are the treatment of choice for delirium tremens (DT).[
DTs are dangerous and life threatening; not just ordinary annoying withdrawal.

If you start feeling really badly please get medical help.
least is offline  
Old 05-12-2011, 06:15 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
pinkroses's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 47
It happen within 24 hours of last drink...horrified, thought my water was poisoned today...my ex convinced me otherwise...
pinkroses is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 03:32 AM
  # 9 (permalink)  
The Winner Takes It All!!!!!
 
ProfessorFudger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: United Kingdom (HULL)
Posts: 230
What if you could enter a world within your own mind--one which is completely realistic, but completely safe. One where you can do anything your heart desires, no limits, no consequences. If you can imagine it, you can do it--and all while sleeping peacefully.

A lucid dream is a dream in which you know you are dreaming. Also known as conscious dreaming, lucid dreaming is a learnable skill that can be used for living out fantasies, practicing creative problem solving or role-playing important life situations, stopping nightmares, creative or artistic inspiration, and even personal or spiritual exploration. Lucid dreams can be anything you wish them to be. It is one of life's most beautiful free treasures.

Nightmares plague many of us every night, making it difficult to get restful sleep and sometimes even affecting our waking lives. Lucid dreaming allows you to confront your nightmares head-on, and often once confronted, nightmares never return.

PM me for more details, if your interested, I did this and it works, and can easily be taught too.
ProfessorFudger is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 05:52 AM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: dayton, oh
Posts: 487
Pinkroses
You are doing the right thing going to rehab for a medical detox and treatment. I was advised to maintain some level of alcohol so I did not experience severe withdrawal. Keep the appointment. Your life is already changing for the better because you have made the choice to start living.
SH
stanleyhouse is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 06:14 AM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Member
 
BeenDown2Times's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 267
I get em too. The last few nights every night. I'm on day 6.
I've been trying to say positive and think about what the US Marines always say, that "pain is weakness exiting the body". Maybe the nightmares are the addiction leaving my brain?
BeenDown2Times is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 07:29 AM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Sobriety date April 19th 2011
 
Enoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Salem, VA
Posts: 157
Funny that I saw this.... It seems most of my bad dreams are related to drinking anymore.


A few weeks ago I was having dreams when I didn't drink that I was drinking in the dream , but the dream always ended in a nightmare of DUI or relationship issues.... etc. I looked at it as a positive sign that I know what drinking will do to me subconsciously.


I had one last night as well , where I started drinking with employees of some new job.... was the life of the party and all was great... But then my Ex GF and I got into an argument and the dream turned to terrible as anger flared and things that I said and did ( in the dream ) really freaked me out.

It seems like all those dreams .... my sick mind is dreaming of the positive remembrance of the drink , and God is answering my conscious prayers by interrupting my pleasant dream and showing me the end result if I were to act on them. ( like they say about " play the tape to the end " )
Enoy is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 07:38 AM
  # 13 (permalink)  
like a thunder bacon punch!
 
soberviking's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 76
I've found myself within the first couple days especially having some really bad nightmares. Screwed up stuff I can't even begin to explain. I've at times ran out of my room in horror even.
soberviking is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 02:54 PM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Dee74's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,043
in my experience the DT's involved hallucinations (ie you're not asleep) but noone here is a Dr...if you're at all concerned please see a Dr, PR.

D
Dee74 is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 05:49 PM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Member
 
Reset's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 873
Dunno if this helps anyone but I never have bad or good dreams. Only interesting ones. That means it's not about the content of the dream but how I react to it.

And if I awaken from a dream that has been unsettling or difficult, I imagine what I would do in the dream to change the outcome. And it's a dream, right? So the possibilities of what can be done are limitless. Turn back time, beat up the monster, grow wings and fly away as you're falling off the cliff, make everyone else be in their underwear too, whatEVER you want.
Reset is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 07:51 PM
  # 16 (permalink)  
Member
 
PapaNico's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CO.
Posts: 141
I have had the same experience as I've dried out; I celebrate a week tomorrow. They are terrible. Sometimes I can see things, other times all I hear are horrific noises. From what everybody else has posted, I guess these are the demons exiting our tired souls. Hopefully things ease up after a while, because once I have one of these awful experiences, that's it, I am up all night. I actually got some sleeping pills from my doc and they only made matters worse... I woke up from a nightmare and it was as if I couldn't find my way back to the real world, I was stuck in some sort of acid trip feeling purgatory. (Thank goodness I never got as whipped on that crap) Anyway, you are not alone in this, and the only solutions I've found for this sort of thing is to either A) try and move to a different spot to sleep i.e, from the bed to the floor or the couch, or B) Take a hot shower or bath and then get a fan close to you to blow some cool air on you. I like to visualize the shower bringing all the bad stuff to the surface of my body and then cool air as blowing all the negative stuff away. I hope this helps you out, and I send you nothing but prayers and good thoughts as you embark on the voyage of getting your life and family back to a place where you can find peace. Best of luck to you.
PapaNico is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 08:01 PM
  # 17 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
pinkroses's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 47
@Papanico, exactly like a bad, bad acid trip. Even the cold fear/panic feels the same as it does during the bad trip, just vivid and evil images..weird stuff.
pinkroses is offline  
Old 05-13-2011, 08:34 PM
  # 18 (permalink)  
Member
 
Missy7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Portland
Posts: 1,631
Man guys. I lucked out on that one. I have awakened drenched in sweat any number of times, but no specifically alcohol-induced frightening dreams. I do have a tendency to have frightening dreams on occasion, but I don't think that has changed over the years.

Looking forward to sleeping sober tonight though.
Missy7 is offline  
Old 05-14-2011, 03:45 AM
  # 19 (permalink)  
Sobriety date April 19th 2011
 
Enoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Salem, VA
Posts: 157
I've had alot of those restless sweat filled nights. One night I actually had a near panic attack ( and I don't get those ) feeling when trying to self detox I hadn't taken the Ativan the Doc gave me as I wanted to try it without it first. That was a rough night.

Most of my dreams of drinking came after detox like a week or 3 later.

And if I awaken from a dream that has been unsettling or difficult, I imagine what I would do in the dream to change the outcome. And it's a dream, right? So the possibilities of what can be done are limitless.
In the past prior I've actually been able to DO this in some dreams. You know the dreams that are so vivid when you wake up that everytime you close your eyes you are right back in it ? ( usually the good or interesting ones ) sometimes I've been able to go back into it but with consious thought and manipulate my actions within the dream.... interesting.
Enoy is offline  
Old 05-14-2011, 04:07 AM
  # 20 (permalink)  
Member
 
Reset's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 873
Originally Posted by Enoy View Post
I've had alot of those restless sweat filled nights. One night I actually had a near panic attack ( and I don't get those ) feeling when trying to self detox I hadn't taken the Ativan the Doc gave me as I wanted to try it without it first. That was a rough night.

Most of my dreams of drinking came after detox like a week or 3 later.



In the past prior I've actually been able to DO this in some dreams. You know the dreams that are so vivid when you wake up that everytime you close your eyes you are right back in it ? ( usually the good or interesting ones ) sometimes I've been able to go back into it but with consious thought and manipulate my actions within the dream.... interesting.
Yeah that's exactly what I'm talking about.
Reset is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:00 PM.