1 Week Sober - Weird dreams and other side effects
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 6
1 Week Sober - Weird dreams and other side effects
Hello everyone!
So I just made it through my first week of being sober. I haven't gone more than maybe two nights without drinking in the past 2 years, so 7 days of being sober is honestly something I didn't think was possible only a week ago. For the past 2 years I've generally had, on average, a 1.5L bottle of wine or about 4-6 beers a night. My tolerance is really good so I've never really had a problem with getting overly drunk and/or any hangovers in the AM, which is probably why I've been able to go so long without even considering going sober.
Anyway, the last seven days have honestly been really rough, (way worse than I ever could have imagined since I rarely ever had problems with hangovers). The worst part has been the constant fatigue + horrible migraines. My anxiety has been pretty bad as well. It was really hard to get through the first few days as well because boy did I long for a beer! It feels like I've lost a dear friend or something...
I honestly think the one thing that's inspired me to keep going so far though is ironically how hard it's been to let go. I guess I never quite realized I had a problem until now, and the fact that I'm experiencing all these withdrawal symptoms is like a true wake up call.
Something that's kind of scary though is that even though I already don't crave alcohol as much as I did the first few days and it's no longer something that's constantly on my mind, I've kind of noticed that I've started to become more and more okay with the idea of picking up alcohol again. It's like something is trying to convince me that since I've now gone a week without it I no longer have a problem, so I might as well start drinking again. However, another part of me feels like if I did start drinking again I would only go straight back to drinking every night once again, and I just don't want that. I'm not sure if that's always how it's going to be but I definitely want to feel in control if I ever do decide to go back to alcohol again.... But I'm definitely worried that said voice will convince me otherwise before then.
Oh, something else... I took a nap earlier today and had a very vivid dream. I dreamed about helping out a homeless 15 year old girl who suddenly offered me alcohol for some reason. At first I said no but then she said "come on, it's only a 2% alcoholic beer", so I gave in. At this point I remember feeling incredibly drunk, (more so than I've ever really felt before), and I remember feeling scared, guilty and out of control. Additionally, when I later woke up I actually thought I had had a beer and that I was no longer seven days sober, which made me feel incredibly upset and dissapointed with myself. It wasn't until quite a while later that I realized that I had never actually had a beer but that it was only a dream. I just found this to be so weird because I've never dreamt about drinking before, but I assume it's only another withdrawal symptom?
Anyway, that was a really long and not-so-cohesive post but I feel like I just needed to get all of that out of me, so thanks for reading if anyone actually did so! Let's hope I can go another week sober! (And please may all these horrible withdrawal symptoms go away soon)
So I just made it through my first week of being sober. I haven't gone more than maybe two nights without drinking in the past 2 years, so 7 days of being sober is honestly something I didn't think was possible only a week ago. For the past 2 years I've generally had, on average, a 1.5L bottle of wine or about 4-6 beers a night. My tolerance is really good so I've never really had a problem with getting overly drunk and/or any hangovers in the AM, which is probably why I've been able to go so long without even considering going sober.
Anyway, the last seven days have honestly been really rough, (way worse than I ever could have imagined since I rarely ever had problems with hangovers). The worst part has been the constant fatigue + horrible migraines. My anxiety has been pretty bad as well. It was really hard to get through the first few days as well because boy did I long for a beer! It feels like I've lost a dear friend or something...
I honestly think the one thing that's inspired me to keep going so far though is ironically how hard it's been to let go. I guess I never quite realized I had a problem until now, and the fact that I'm experiencing all these withdrawal symptoms is like a true wake up call.
Something that's kind of scary though is that even though I already don't crave alcohol as much as I did the first few days and it's no longer something that's constantly on my mind, I've kind of noticed that I've started to become more and more okay with the idea of picking up alcohol again. It's like something is trying to convince me that since I've now gone a week without it I no longer have a problem, so I might as well start drinking again. However, another part of me feels like if I did start drinking again I would only go straight back to drinking every night once again, and I just don't want that. I'm not sure if that's always how it's going to be but I definitely want to feel in control if I ever do decide to go back to alcohol again.... But I'm definitely worried that said voice will convince me otherwise before then.
Oh, something else... I took a nap earlier today and had a very vivid dream. I dreamed about helping out a homeless 15 year old girl who suddenly offered me alcohol for some reason. At first I said no but then she said "come on, it's only a 2% alcoholic beer", so I gave in. At this point I remember feeling incredibly drunk, (more so than I've ever really felt before), and I remember feeling scared, guilty and out of control. Additionally, when I later woke up I actually thought I had had a beer and that I was no longer seven days sober, which made me feel incredibly upset and dissapointed with myself. It wasn't until quite a while later that I realized that I had never actually had a beer but that it was only a dream. I just found this to be so weird because I've never dreamt about drinking before, but I assume it's only another withdrawal symptom?
Anyway, that was a really long and not-so-cohesive post but I feel like I just needed to get all of that out of me, so thanks for reading if anyone actually did so! Let's hope I can go another week sober! (And please may all these horrible withdrawal symptoms go away soon)
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,384
Hi and welcome bingo 
believe it or not the obsessions, vivid dreams and high anxiety are pretty common for most of us.
The rationalistions are pretty common too.
Don't confuse abstinence for control - if you start drinking again the great likelihood is you'll pick up from where you left off, or worse...
and of course you'll have to go through all the withdrawal malarkey again, and possibly worse.
Posting & reading here daily, or more so, really helped me focus on the fact I did have a problem and I needed to change to deal with it effectively.
SR helped me turn my life around I know we can help you too
D
believe it or not the obsessions, vivid dreams and high anxiety are pretty common for most of us.
The rationalistions are pretty common too.
Don't confuse abstinence for control - if you start drinking again the great likelihood is you'll pick up from where you left off, or worse...
and of course you'll have to go through all the withdrawal malarkey again, and possibly worse.
Posting & reading here daily, or more so, really helped me focus on the fact I did have a problem and I needed to change to deal with it effectively.
SR helped me turn my life around I know we can help you too
D
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 6
Hello
I remembre when i was withdrawing the vivid dreams were so horrible and scary , i would wake up my heart racing and fighting to take a breath. But the good thing is that it will get better with time . i'm now 11 week sober and although i'm fighting depression and anxiety ( i've been diagnosed long before starting drinking) i can tell you it's worth it to live without alcohol because your sleep , life , relationship will get better.
Keep up the good work and don't go back , only forward.
Good luck
Keep up the good work and don't go back , only forward.
Good luck
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Lipno Poland
Posts: 59
Hi
Thanks for the post and well done on reaching a week. I'm a couple of days behind you. I'm having strong and strange dreams as well, I guess it is something to do with the fact we are actually sleeping instead of being in an alcohol induced semi- coma.
Don't be tempted to pick up a beer it is your AV tempting you., imstead use the battles you've won this week as motivation to stay and enjoy being sober.
Thanks for the post and well done on reaching a week. I'm a couple of days behind you. I'm having strong and strange dreams as well, I guess it is something to do with the fact we are actually sleeping instead of being in an alcohol induced semi- coma.
Don't be tempted to pick up a beer it is your AV tempting you., imstead use the battles you've won this week as motivation to stay and enjoy being sober.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 26
Good morning Bingo12. I tried what you are thinking of doing. I am currently 146 days sober. I feel good about this but I wish I had the last 12 years on a do over. I quit cold for 4 years but I didn't accept I had a problem so I only quit. One day I was where you are now and I chose to drink. It was'nt too bad for a while but then into a downward spiral. The thing is I could'nt see it FOR 12 YEARS. Now I am 146 days but it is so different because I have'nt just quit. I am getting sober for me. My son was 2 when I quit for 4 years. He is 18 now and thanks to God does'nt hate me but if I could time travel my first stop would be to get those 12 years back. My point is think hard about this because no one can time travel. Have a good day and my best to you.
The road goes on forever
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 1,107
Congrats on day 7 !
Sounds like you want to make sobriety a way of life.
Don't let the thought of drinking like normal person come in to your head.
It's not possible.
SR is wonderful place and will help you through this time.
Stay close and post often.
Sounds like you want to make sobriety a way of life.
Don't let the thought of drinking like normal person come in to your head.
It's not possible.
SR is wonderful place and will help you through this time.
Stay close and post often.
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Welcome! Great job on a week.
Agree with what folks have said- and do listen to Dee, for sure- and I can tell you that for me, the suffering I went through as I quit then had prolonged withdrawals, everything kept getting better and I have kept getting healthier as long as I don't drink.
You never have to start again- hope to see you around here!
Agree with what folks have said- and do listen to Dee, for sure- and I can tell you that for me, the suffering I went through as I quit then had prolonged withdrawals, everything kept getting better and I have kept getting healthier as long as I don't drink.
You never have to start again- hope to see you around here!
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 6
Thank you everyone for your kind words and great insights. Today is day 8 sober for me and it's the best I've felt so far! I finally had a good night's sleep and didn't feel like a ton of bricks in the AM. Still feeling the fatigue in general but so far it's nothing compared to how I've felt in the last week.
As of right now I don't see myself going back to drinking for quite some time, however, unfortunately there is a part of me that isn't quite convinced that I truly have a problem and doubts that I "need" to live without alcohol for the rest of my life. I'm still in my early 20's so I guess I just have a hard time dealing with the thought of never drinking again. That very same part of me is also convinced that I just need to gain control first and once I feel stable enough I can go back and drink controllably.
However... Another part of me is questioning if I even want to go back, even if it were to be "controlled"? I truly feel better now 8 days sober than I have in years, so why would I even want to go back to drinking again? Maybe the thought of forever won't sound so bad once I've gone a little longer without alcohol. :-)
As of right now I don't see myself going back to drinking for quite some time, however, unfortunately there is a part of me that isn't quite convinced that I truly have a problem and doubts that I "need" to live without alcohol for the rest of my life. I'm still in my early 20's so I guess I just have a hard time dealing with the thought of never drinking again. That very same part of me is also convinced that I just need to gain control first and once I feel stable enough I can go back and drink controllably.
However... Another part of me is questioning if I even want to go back, even if it were to be "controlled"? I truly feel better now 8 days sober than I have in years, so why would I even want to go back to drinking again? Maybe the thought of forever won't sound so bad once I've gone a little longer without alcohol. :-)
Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 44
Hi Bingo,
Congrats on 8 days sober. The thought of never drinking again is a big one. Maybe just think of not drinking today. I thought for years that I would be ok if I could just "control" my drinking. People that can control their drinking don't even think about it, they just stop when they've had enough. For the rest of us there's cool places like this 😀
Congrats on 8 days sober. The thought of never drinking again is a big one. Maybe just think of not drinking today. I thought for years that I would be ok if I could just "control" my drinking. People that can control their drinking don't even think about it, they just stop when they've had enough. For the rest of us there's cool places like this 😀
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,298
Congratulations!, nice job fighting through the lies and emotions!! If we could drink normal.....we would! But we can't, nope! Not even 1 or it's back to day 1 with all the shame and regret. I'm not going back there!!
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,960
I had to surrender to the fact that I can't drink safely. Deep inside me, I know this.
Write down how bad things can get. If anything, drinking the quantity that you were, your body will eventually give out, so you have a choice: Keep drinking yourself to a slow and painful death, or stop fighting, stop drinking and surrender!
Write down how bad things can get. If anything, drinking the quantity that you were, your body will eventually give out, so you have a choice: Keep drinking yourself to a slow and painful death, or stop fighting, stop drinking and surrender!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 132
Congrats to you and 7 whole days of sobriety!
I, too, had those crazy dreams, anxiety, etc. Anything that happened to me during those first few weeks, I chalked it up to not drinking. Our bodies are healing themselves after years of abuse.
I still have extreme fatigue after 44 days, but I'm now working on a better diet and going to fit some exercise in to my daily routine.
It does get better, I promise you!
Every day feels better than the last.
I, too, had those crazy dreams, anxiety, etc. Anything that happened to me during those first few weeks, I chalked it up to not drinking. Our bodies are healing themselves after years of abuse.
I still have extreme fatigue after 44 days, but I'm now working on a better diet and going to fit some exercise in to my daily routine.
It does get better, I promise you!
Every day feels better than the last.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 6
You all are such an inspiration! Thank you for posting.
When I first posted here I didn't think a single person would actually reply to my post so thank you so much for taking the time to do so. It means a lot and gives me some well needed strength to keep going. I'm on day 9 now and I´m pretty excited to hit double digits tomorrow :-)
After that my next goal is 12 days, (the longest I've ever gone without alcohol), and then 14 days, (2 weeks)! I just hope I can make it! It's fairly easy to stay away from alcohol during the day as I haven't been a day-drinker in at least a year, but it gets pretty hard at night since that's when I always drank to decrease my anxiety and eventually manage to fall asleep. But I keep telling myself I've gone 9 days without it so far so I know I can keep this going! How nice it would be to be able to say I'm 30 days sober! :-)
When I first posted here I didn't think a single person would actually reply to my post so thank you so much for taking the time to do so. It means a lot and gives me some well needed strength to keep going. I'm on day 9 now and I´m pretty excited to hit double digits tomorrow :-)
After that my next goal is 12 days, (the longest I've ever gone without alcohol), and then 14 days, (2 weeks)! I just hope I can make it! It's fairly easy to stay away from alcohol during the day as I haven't been a day-drinker in at least a year, but it gets pretty hard at night since that's when I always drank to decrease my anxiety and eventually manage to fall asleep. But I keep telling myself I've gone 9 days without it so far so I know I can keep this going! How nice it would be to be able to say I'm 30 days sober! :-)
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by sugarbear1 
Are you opposed to attending an AA meeting? Talking with others in person is so inspirational!!
Now, I did go to an AA meeting once about 7 months ago and I thought it had a little too much to do about God in order for me to fully commit to it, if that makes sense. But maybe they are not all like that? I do really like the whole idea of having a sponsor and a group of people who are going through the same thing that I can meet with face-to-face. I think it would increase my chances of staying sober.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,298
Nice job Bingo! I didn't have drinking dreams until a couple months, which kind of caught me off guard. I too was happy to realize it was just a dream. I'm glad you realized that starting back with alcohol will just lead you back to where you left off. It can be a sucker punch thought to think you can drink normally. We all have had that thought, but one is too many. Stay strong and keep counting those days!
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