Fatboyanon

This is by far my longest stretch sober at a little over a month and a half. 1 month and 19 days to be exact. The weird thing is is the last week I have had a reoccurring dream that I have broken my sobriety. In my dream I go out and drink til balckout(my normal) come home fight with my wife she packs up and leaves me, I pass out and wake up(in my dream) and hate myself not knowing how to live. I then actually wake up not knowing whether it was a dream head pounding feeling hungover, anxiety and wondering if I really did drink. Anyone else out there had crazy dreams?

AlaskaGirl

I'm 50 days today. Last night I had TWO really bizarre dreams. They were both upsetting enough that I woke up in the middle of the night and had to calm myself down before I went back to sleep.

The first was that I was with a good friend, we were at some kind of out of town event and staying in a hotel together. In the dream I got up in the morning and she confronted me about my terrible behavior the night before, black out drunk behavior. Told me I was completely out of control, had made a total ass out of myself, ect. Her disgust was written all over her face. But in the dream I didn't remember drinking at all, I kept thinking... but I don't drink! I quit! How did this happen?!? I had no recollection of taking that first drink, and I was in total despair wondering how I would ever stay sober if I was drinking without my own knowledge. That's when I woke up. It took me while to calm down, realize it was just a dream and go back to sleep.

Then came the second dream. I crashed my car. The police thought that I had been drinking and they were going to send me to a two month rehab. I kept begging them to test my breath because I hadn't been drinking, but they didn't believe me.

I have no idea what is going on in my subconscious but both dreams were really upsetting and today I don't feel rested at all. I've seen others post about dreams in the past. I guess it's part of the process, but I hope it doesn't happen often. Disturbing!!!!

Algorithm

You may view drinking dreams a sign that the Beast is on the retreat, and getting accustomed to its new cage. It now has to come out and play when you are paralyzed, off duty, and when it couldn't possibly get its fix.

Such dreams are not a bad omen, and there is no need to be disturbed.

columbus

Congrats on your sober time, Fatboyanon. That's basically where I am, too.

Not addressing the content of your dreams, but consider having a healthy (complex carb/protein) snack before sleep to make sure blood sugar doesn't drop in the middle of the night, causing the brain to go into stress/fight-or-flight mode (= bad dreams).

Grymt

A dream is on the interface between the conscious and the subconscious. They happen during deep sleep or REM sleep when the mind body is very relaxed.

The basic impetus is there all the time. Craving and Aversion. During dreamtime the impetus rises to the interface and intrude on the conscious where they are 'clothed' with familiar textures and attributes and play out scenarios and then subsides to greater or lesser extent. All dreams happen entirely within the person having them and while having a universal impetus they have an individual form dependent on the experiences of the individual.

Being that dreams are a window into the subconscious it is worthwhile trying to understand them. It helps to know that there is a sequence that follow strong dreams. First the dream is had. Then there is the introspection. Then there is a resolution. This pattern usually take about 2-3 days to unfold. Very natural and not to worry about, just be aware.

Aellyce

Yes, drinking dreams are quite common for sober people. I had a bunch also and sometimes I would wake up quite disoriented and anxious, as though I was waking to a hangover. It's unpleasant but much better than the real alternative.

As for interpreting them, for me I think they mostly signal anxiety and when I am not dealing with something I should be dealing with in real life. I have a few other similar recurring symbols such as losing things or missing some important exam at school or work meeting. They don't really mean what they say but I think it's a message from my mind that I should tackle something head-on and do not procrastinate. I think for me the memory of my alcoholic ordeal is very ingrained and will probably always be that way at least in my unconscious mind and I expect drinking come up symbolically when I am highly anxious about some ordinary tasks in waking life, like the school dreams (it was many many years ago that I was at school). The message these dreams carry to me is to take actions and deal with my stuff. I never get these types of dreams when I am happy with my performance and feel that I am handling practical things okay.

soberandhonest

I love my drinking dreams because I always wake up and feel a massive rush of relief that it was just a dream. It's like a dress rehearsal for a relapse - you get to learn just how much pain and shame you will feel. Serves as a great backstop for me.