lessgravity

Had one of those early morning, vivid, realistic, intense, semi-concious dreams today. I was at some kind of party/event, maybe NYE, with lots of my childhood friends. All the Freudian/Jungian themes and signals were present - peer-pressure, fear, judgment - and we were all getting wasted. At some point my father showed up, predictably, the one who knows best the pain I put myself through (he had to quit drinking though didn't get to it till even later in life and I think still carries massive shame and guilt with him to this day, ah sadness). I was hiding bottles. I somehow found a warm half-finished bottle of some Jack Daniels mixed drink when I was, illogically, in my sister's room at a house my parents sold years ago.

And then, still deep in dreamland, I realized that I had been drinking and that I had somehow lost my sobriety.

And then I woke up. My whole person was awash in gratitude and I was just overwhelmed with the feeling that I was safe. I had not drank, it was all a dream. These dreams are just remarkable. I know many people here have posted about them before, including me. But this one in particular, the strength of it and the profundity of what I felt when I got out of the dream and knew that I hadn't been drinking, was startling and, by some unconscious work of my psyche, exactly what I needed today. So thankful to be sober.

FreshStartOk

Well I think your unconscious is devilishly clever, and knows very well what's best for you.

I've had one single dream I recall where everything was literally as real as life. You often know you're dreaming by things like looking at a clock or writing and finding it gibberish. But even in this dream I remember thinking, exactly how real is life if I can just make this up entirely in my own head.

entropy1964

I haven't had a drinking dream in ages. But when I did they did morph over time. They started out as unconscious cravings, then more as an expression of guilt and fear. Sometimes just straight up weird and random.

But they did change to that sort of 'blast from the past' feeling. Like the dream where one is in class without ones pants on, or taking a college final and realizing I hadn't attended any of the classes. Just basic anxiety....pulling from the list of things that cause anxiety. And the realization upon awaking, I have my pants on. I'm not in college anymore. I no longer drink.

August252015

I can relate, less - had several powerful ones a couple of months ago. I was definitely sorting thru some things in my head - not in fear of relapsing, per se, but people and topics and using my program .... and probably watching a terrific show....with the 2 female characters drinking heavily

Very grateful to wake up awash with everything but shame.

thomas11

In the last month I have had a recurring dream that I got a 3rd DUI. Now, I don't technically have 2 DUI's but I do have one, and an alcohol related careless from 1988. Regardless, if I got another drinking and driving offense I am sure they'd treat it as a 3rd DUI and I'd be finished. I was able to finally quit in October of 2015 and now this weird stuff.
Any thoughts?

thomas11

In the last month I have had a recurring dream that I got a 3rd DUI. Now, I don't technically have 2 DUI's but I do have one, and an alcohol related careless from 1988. Regardless, if I got another drinking and driving offense I am sure they'd treat it as a 3rd DUI and I'd be finished. I was able to finally quit in October of 2015 and now this weird stuff.
Any thoughts?

Fearlessat50

I rarely have these dreams now. But when I do, they are a powerful reminder of how awful that drinking phase of my life was, and of the importance of being grateful for my sobriety and how hard I’ve worked for it. My dreams also have elements of peer pressure, fear, shame and remorse.

Your post made me feel especially grateful!

mariposa

NerfThis

I find it very interesting that in my drinking dreams I always feel extremely guilty and am very aware I'm breaking my sobriety. Since quitting I've not had a dream where I just drink carelessly as if there's no sobriety to keep hold of. I always panic in the dream because I can't reset the decision to drink.

Accord1

I too have drinking dreams all the time, and they are all too vivid. It's almost the only kind of dream I have. I guess it's because that's probably the worst thing that could possibly happen in my life currently. Hoping they go away; scares the **** out of me. Maybe its helpful to keep it fresh just how bad things could be.

Dee74

I know many people try and interpret dreams - for me the drinking dreams are just memories from the data banks bubbling to the surface in some kind of loose dream narrative.

If I have a drinking dream now its more often than not me not drinking in them and others annoying me with their drinking..

D

Fearlessat50

Dee, this is very interesting and I’m so glad you posted it. Because the last drinking dream I had was similar to yours. I was with a group of heavy drinking friends at a party. They were all pressuring me to drink, but I didn’t. They became very cliquish and excluded me the rest of the evening. I think the dream was also telling me who my real friends are as these friends, even in my real life, tend to exclude me from social events simply because I don’t drink. I’m so grateful to have other friends, new and old and mostly normies or nondrinkers, who accept me for who I am.

brighterday1234

Snowydelrico

I find them strangely comforting once over the initial shock.
They never seem to be full of joy and happy good time feelings.
Always negative feelings. ( the feelings that come with being an active alcoholic)
Like happiness with a big dark cloud of I know I shouldn’t be doing this, think it’s called guilt.
Glad you’re still smashing it Less’
Good man

least

A few weeks back I had a bad dream, in which I was drinking and hiding it. I remember feeling ashamed of myself. I felt such relief when I woke up to realize it was just a dream.

MLD51

I had one not too long ago where I was on vacation in a tropical place and drinking. Things went off the rails in some pretty crazy ways in the dream, much like they probably would if I were to actually do it, and much like they did on one tropical vacation years ago when I was still drinking. I think I dreamed it that day because I was making plans for another trip to Belize in January. I went to Belize this past January, and had zero desire to drink, so I'm not nervous about the next trip, but the combination of looking at pictures and making plans and some memories from the trip to St. Thomas 6 and a half years ago where things were stupid crazy must have combined in my head. I shrugged it off, but also felt a bunch of gratitude that I won't ever repeat that.