View Poll Results: Have you had dreams about teeth falling out after beginning your sobriety?
Yes
40
34.78%
No
31
26.96%
No, but Ive had other strange dreams.
44
38.26%
Voters: 115. You may not vote on this poll
Loosing Teeth
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Manhattan, New York
Posts: 83
Loosing Teeth
Ive always had really vivid dreams my whole life--meaning, I remember them quite frequently, daily in fact. I can manipulate them if I really wanted. Have a fascination with water in my dreams (I think it has to do with me being a Pisces) Just has always been an interesting part of my life.
Last night I dreamed I was at my parents house and a few of my teeth began falling out. I panicked, called out to my father who proceeded to tell me to wash the teeth in the sink for they including myself were covered in blood. As I washed them and my mouth, my teeth slowly began falling down the drain until I basically lost all of them. I panicked more then I forcefully woke up (something else I can do when Im feeling extreme fear in my dreams)
I always heard of this being a kind of "normal" dream that people have on occasion and was fascinated that I never had one in the past...until now.
Went to my trusty friend Google and discovered the following:
"According to recent studies in dream interpretation,
dreaming about losing your teeth is an indicator of anxiety and,
possibly, depressive states. Dreams about losing teeth also tend to point to feelings of helplessness and lack of control over one’s life circumstances.
The loss of a tooth or teeth in your dream could be a way to symbolically bring to your awareness something you are giving up or feel like you are losing in your waking life.
A positive interpretation for losing teeth in dreams associates tooth loss imagery with giving birth to something new in your life.
A positive interpretation for losing teeth in dreams associates
tooth loss imagery with giving birth to something new in your life."
I figured it was going to basically come down to something having to do with alcohol and it seems it does.
I have not been craving alcohol luckily the past 3 days of my sobriety but I HAVE indeed been thinking about it alot-- mainly just the fact that Ive let it ruin my life long enough and Im truly ready to be done with it and leave it in my past. Ive been pretty much constantly on here talking with people in chat and reading/commenting on forums, just surrounding myself with positive energy and support.
I am forever grateful for this site.
Has anyone else had dreams like this before? If so, how far into recovery? Im guessing it makes sense to have them in the beginning. It truly was terrifying though.
*Side-note: I will be at tonights AA meeting in the chat rooms. Hope to see you guys there. 9pm Est*
Last night I dreamed I was at my parents house and a few of my teeth began falling out. I panicked, called out to my father who proceeded to tell me to wash the teeth in the sink for they including myself were covered in blood. As I washed them and my mouth, my teeth slowly began falling down the drain until I basically lost all of them. I panicked more then I forcefully woke up (something else I can do when Im feeling extreme fear in my dreams)
I always heard of this being a kind of "normal" dream that people have on occasion and was fascinated that I never had one in the past...until now.
Went to my trusty friend Google and discovered the following:
"According to recent studies in dream interpretation,
dreaming about losing your teeth is an indicator of anxiety and,
possibly, depressive states. Dreams about losing teeth also tend to point to feelings of helplessness and lack of control over one’s life circumstances.
The loss of a tooth or teeth in your dream could be a way to symbolically bring to your awareness something you are giving up or feel like you are losing in your waking life.
A positive interpretation for losing teeth in dreams associates tooth loss imagery with giving birth to something new in your life.
A positive interpretation for losing teeth in dreams associates
tooth loss imagery with giving birth to something new in your life."
I figured it was going to basically come down to something having to do with alcohol and it seems it does.
I have not been craving alcohol luckily the past 3 days of my sobriety but I HAVE indeed been thinking about it alot-- mainly just the fact that Ive let it ruin my life long enough and Im truly ready to be done with it and leave it in my past. Ive been pretty much constantly on here talking with people in chat and reading/commenting on forums, just surrounding myself with positive energy and support.
I am forever grateful for this site.
Has anyone else had dreams like this before? If so, how far into recovery? Im guessing it makes sense to have them in the beginning. It truly was terrifying though.
*Side-note: I will be at tonights AA meeting in the chat rooms. Hope to see you guys there. 9pm Est*
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Manhattan, New York
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by Beccybean 
My OH practices lucid dreaming - might be worth looking into if you're interested in manipulating your dreams.
This thread is mainly more about the whole fact of the teeth falling out.
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Join Date: Sep 2015
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Originally Posted by LilyMarie
I've had the teeth-falling-out dream for as long as I can remember. Before I started drinking, while drinking, and after quitting drinking.
Being I'm chronically depressed and anxious, it makes sense.
Being I'm chronically depressed and anxious, it makes sense.
Professional zombie fighter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 341
I had this dream about a week before I quit. It was quite similar to yours in that I asked my father for advice after one tooth fell out. He told me to keep the teeth, so I did, and then a bunch more fell out.
What's hilarious is that this is obviously a very deep dream, which your research shows. But me? I assumed it was triggered by my guilt over the fact that I don't floss.
I've flossed every night since, though, and no more teeth dreams. Maybe it was about flossing in my case? :p
Or maybe it meant I was fed up with drinking and ready for a change. I certainly was/am.
What's hilarious is that this is obviously a very deep dream, which your research shows. But me? I assumed it was triggered by my guilt over the fact that I don't floss.
I've flossed every night since, though, and no more teeth dreams. Maybe it was about flossing in my case? :p
Or maybe it meant I was fed up with drinking and ready for a change. I certainly was/am.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
I've had that dream before ( losing teeth ) but not related to my recovery.
I personally had a lot of odd dreams and sleepless nights when I first got sober. My theory is that it was simply my brain "stretching it's legs" again after being chemically sedated by alcohol every day for a couple of decades. AKA - don't try to read too much into them.
Regarding your depression, sobriety will most likely help a lot...but don't rule out it being a completely separate issue that might require separate treatment. I had horrible anxiety towards the end of my drinking and quitting definitely helped, but i still needed to treat it appropriately as it never fully got better 100%.
I personally had a lot of odd dreams and sleepless nights when I first got sober. My theory is that it was simply my brain "stretching it's legs" again after being chemically sedated by alcohol every day for a couple of decades. AKA - don't try to read too much into them.
Regarding your depression, sobriety will most likely help a lot...but don't rule out it being a completely separate issue that might require separate treatment. I had horrible anxiety towards the end of my drinking and quitting definitely helped, but i still needed to treat it appropriately as it never fully got better 100%.
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,327
Yes, I had these dreams after 9/11 happened (lived in New York at the time). Turns out I was grinding my teeth and ended up, over time, with several broken molars. If you are waking up with headaches or jaw pain, something similar could be happening.
According to my dentist, teeth grinding is pretty common. You can get a mouthpiece that locks into place that protects your teeth. It has made a tremendous difference.
According to my dentist, teeth grinding is pretty common. You can get a mouthpiece that locks into place that protects your teeth. It has made a tremendous difference.
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Join Date: Sep 2015
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Posts: 83
Originally Posted by helpimalive
I had this dream about a week before I quit. It was quite similar to yours in that I asked my father for advice after one tooth fell out. He told me to keep the teeth, so I did, and then a bunch more fell out.
What's hilarious is that this is obviously a very deep dream, which your research shows.
Me? I assumed it was triggered by my guilt over the fact that I don't floss.
I've flossed every night since, though, and no more teeth dreams. Maybe it was about flossing in my case? :p
Or maybe it meant I was fed up with drinking and ready for a change. I certainly was/am.
What's hilarious is that this is obviously a very deep dream, which your research shows.
Me? I assumed it was triggered by my guilt over the fact that I don't floss.
I've flossed every night since, though, and no more teeth dreams. Maybe it was about flossing in my case? :p
Or maybe it meant I was fed up with drinking and ready for a change. I certainly was/am.
Trudgin
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,348
My experience has been all kinds of weird dreams pop into our head when alcohol is removed. The details vary, but I've found that working a program - focusing on a solution daily dissipates these images.
Alcohol severely depressed me as well. Some choose to be evaluated by professionals for these issues,
The bottom line for me was accepting not just I was an alcoholic, but accepting a solution and taking action. Things started to clear up pretty quickly when doing these simple things I found.
Glad you're posting - keep coming back!
Alcohol severely depressed me as well. Some choose to be evaluated by professionals for these issues,
The bottom line for me was accepting not just I was an alcoholic, but accepting a solution and taking action. Things started to clear up pretty quickly when doing these simple things I found.
Glad you're posting - keep coming back!
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Manhattan, New York
Posts: 83
*Just realized a section I meant to copy and paste of the research was doubled by something I wrote previously--this is what I meant to write:
"If you’re dreaming of losing teeth or a tooth, such a dream strongly indicates that you are dealing with events that feel like you are letting go of something important"
accurate as well.
"If you’re dreaming of losing teeth or a tooth, such a dream strongly indicates that you are dealing with events that feel like you are letting go of something important"
accurate as well.
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Join Date: Sep 2015
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Originally Posted by Purpleknight
Yeap I still get them now and again, so I think it's more than recovery related!!
Very scary at times, until I wake up in a panic!!
Very scary at times, until I wake up in a panic!!
They werent just falling out of my mouth persay. From what I remember, one fell out, then the other 4, I kind of pulled out... Like noticed they were "wiggly" and proceeded to slowly pull them out of my mouth. I remember having the teeth in the sink and moving my hands around trying to get the blood from them and basically anytime I tried, one would go down the drain...one after another until they were all gone. I remember the panic of thinking " well now I cant have them put back in and Im gonna have to get false teeth" and looking up in the mirror and seeing this terrifying vision of myself, missing teeth, looking horrible. Thats when I forcefully woke up.
Horrible.
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 60
I use to have this dream often when I was young, but I can't say I've had it when I drank a lot of alcohol or in sobriety. I've also had the missing shoes dream when I was a child as well. Kind of odd, because in the past couple of years I've had a many highly anxious and depressing things happen to me and I did not have those dreams.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
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I've had many lucid dreams since getting sober - no teeth loss ones since tho - I've actually lost two in real life indirectly due to my drinking so I guess that's a fear realised and met for me now 
D
D
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New England
Posts: 4,420
I had dreams of losing teeth a lot when I was in my 20's, but I was a very anxious girl (I'm not anymore) and I associated them directly to a loss of control. I think I looked it up in "The Dreaming Mind."
I LOVE dreaming- and figuring out what they mean. My dreams are so lucid and real now, I look forward to them every night. They help me figure things out!
I LOVE dreaming- and figuring out what they mean. My dreams are so lucid and real now, I look forward to them every night. They help me figure things out!
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Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Texas
Posts: 183
Hey Kirky !
Yeah my dreams have been very vivid in the early stages of sobriety. When I drank they used to be really bad nightmares now slowly after stopping, I am having better dreams.. I think my brain took a toll for the worst after drowning it in alcohol for so long, its going to take a bit for it to send my imagination happier thoughts haha. Hope your doing well mate.
Cheers
Dru -
Yeah my dreams have been very vivid in the early stages of sobriety. When I drank they used to be really bad nightmares now slowly after stopping, I am having better dreams.. I think my brain took a toll for the worst after drowning it in alcohol for so long, its going to take a bit for it to send my imagination happier thoughts haha. Hope your doing well mate.
Cheers
Dru -
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