Gabe1980

Morning everyone. I'm having really vivid drinking dreams most nights. I had them on and off before but they seem to be every night now.

Should I be worried? I've been struggling a bit but still managing to stay in top of things.

Laqbrador66

I occasionally have em. Just consider it a free drunk They'll pass eventually.

MythOfSisyphus

Five years sober here and occasionally I still have the dreams. Not a big deal IMO.

Gabe1980

He he! I like that. It can be quite scary in the morning but always so relieved that it's just a dream. It just worries me, that I'm not addressing something I need to. Thank you

Canuckleman45

I've had 1 of those. Personally I like the "other" dreams I have seemed to be getting lately. LMAO. More interesting.

Gabe1980

You are quite right!

Polaroid

I usually have really vivid dreams as well.

Maybe 50% of the ones I remember include alcohol.

You shouldn't be worried, I think. It's quite normal.

tomsteve

although the drinking dreams were more vivid and i remembered them better than other dreams( i still remember some of them from 12 years ago), i had to work at not reading too much into them. i really dont have control over what my dreams were, but DID have control over whether those dreams became reality or not

crazy thing about those drinking dreams for me:
in every single one, i knew i blew my sobriety.

now that i havent had one in some time and the subject came up, i will probably have one soon.

Gabe1980

That's really interesting Tomsteve, I'm the same. I'm either drinking then realise it's alcohol and that I've blown it or I say f*** it and just drink. Last night it was Christmas and I decided to drink because my aunt was coming, and she hates it when I'm sober. She then cancelled but I had already had three beers. No psychoanalysis needed there!!! Changing relationships is the main thing I struggle with though, more than anything else. Feels very threatening to me.

I think I just answered my own question!!

hpdw

Iv'e not had a booze dream for a while bu they were there in the first 2 or 3 weeks . They can shake you sometimes but try to see it for what it is ,a dream ,a bunch of memories or thoughts all mixed up in our sleep or what ever dreams are made off . It will pass .

Dee74

I had them on and off for a while. Not really a 'dreams mean things' guy.

I dreamt of high school for a long time after high school - didn't mean I wanted to go back there

Do you feel secure in recovery when you're awake Gabe? I think thats the important thing.

D

MissOverIt

I have them often but I’m still in early sobriety. They don’t really bother me because just remembering dreams from a sober night’s sleep is kinda cool. They’re always long and detailed too about where I’m drinking or how I’m going to get it, etc. I’m always relieved though too when I wake up and know that I didn’t really drink. 😊

Gabe1980

Thanks Thomas. Good to know it's a common thing and folks dont seem too worried about it. Hopefully they'll ease up soon.

Gabe1980

Not really Dee. I felt rock solid before I relapsed last month. Every since then I have this nagging feeling like its only a matter of time until I drink again. I know they are only thoughts and I'm managing but Im not sure what's changed.

I've put a plan together and Im hoping some more time will help. Any thoughts on how to build my confidence would be much appreciated.

Gabe1980

I know, its such a relief 😄 the last time I drank I locked my husband out the house and he had to climb in through a window. I look at him and I know I haven't screwed anything up or upset him. Grateful every morning!

Bob4x4

I remember i used to get them when my diet was off, eating too much sugar, sweets etc, and then stopping all sugar at once. maybe a change in metabolism helps to bring them on but yes they are scary, free drunk or not, I'd rather never have one again. if there was such a thing as a booze appendix where minor surgery could just take away any future drinking , drinking thinking, and dreaming, i would do it gladly.

MindfulMan

I had them a fair amount at first, I still get them in waves.

Like cravings, I find it useful to try and figure out what triggered them. Any anxiety about something that happened? Old memories come up? Anything new or different in the last few days?

Sometimes a Dream is just a Dream, but usually if I give it some thought I have an “Aha!” moment, but I deffo don’t think that using dreams mean you’re going to use.

Dee74

Confidence comes with experience I think - and also knowing you have the best plan you possible can behind you.

I talk about sober muscles a fair bit but I started with some 'light lifting' - easy social tasks with no alcohol involved- and then increased the difficulty as I felt it was appropriate.

D

Gabe1980

I would to Bob, without question. I think the sugar thing is a good point, I'm still pretty heavily into sweet things and coffee since quitting. Maybe it's time to cut back on these things as I know that can't go on for ever.

Gabe1980

Thanks MM. My anxiety has been pretty high since I relapsed last month. I think the big thing just now is I'm fixating on how some of my relationships will have to change and how I'm going to manage that. it's always been one of the big things in tackling sobriety for me and is popping up in my dreams. I've been sober before and managed OK with family and friends who still drink, and who I drank with. I think it's the old AV planting doubts that I'm going to be losing things! All I have been doing is gaining so far.......