So this is probably already posted deep within the trenches of the forum, but I have a question.
I’m currently over 7.5 months sober and over 5 years clean from narcotics. I’ve been on anti-anxiety meds, antidepressants, and adhd medication for some time now.
We’ll I let my prescription run out on accident and have been going through withdrawals for about a week now. I’ve been having these dreams (nightmares ) of drinking and using and waking up feeling like a failure because they were so vivid.
Is this normal? It sucks if so, so is there any way to work with these and either keep them from happening or make them less frequent or less vivid?
If you forget about what’s happening in the dreams, and focus on what dreams are and when they occur then things may make more sense to you and be easier to deal with.
We experience vivid dreams during REM sleep, when our minds are most active, so if you are having lots of vivid dreams it’s an indication that you’re not getting good quality sleep and this is most likely caused by the sudden withdrawal of your medication. Do you have a repeat prescription lined up? Sudden withdrawal from medication can result in rebound symptoms, so it’s never advised to come off certain meds suddenly.
Meantime, try to establish and maintain good sleep hygiene: establish a bedtime routine, set a bedtime, have a bath/shower, warm drink, avoid caffeine, don’t use phone/tablet as the blue light they emit can interfere with sleep. Taking some exercise can help you get better quality sleep and relaxation techniques like mindfulness/breathing exercises can help (but take practice to work their magic, so not an instant fix).
I’ve not had a cigarette in almost 7 years but a couple of times a year I wake up and I’ve dreamed I’ve had a cigarette and have an “oh balls” moment before it gets put into context. I’ve heard others do the same after decades of abstinence, so I think it’s common enough.
I’ve a history of vivid dreams, so I appreciate how real it can all feel and how it eats into the waking day to have them prey on our minds.
Did you speak to your doctor before stopping your medication? I’m all for sobriety, but you should talk to your doctor about being an alcoholic or addict before taking or coming off of prescribed medication. I’ve seen some people go through some pain associated with not following doctor’s directions. Remember to always let your doctor know you’re an addict, or alcoholic so that he can use that information and making medical decisions.
Wow, that’s a lot of months of sobriety under your belt!! Congrats! I read in recovery book that non sober dreams are very common and shouldn’t be brushed off as nothing. If you wake up full of regrets then that means you value your sobriety, so it’s a good sign
Hey there. I have been completely transparent this time around with my doctor because I didn’t want to cause any more issues. I knew that all of the medication that I would be prescribed would most likely be something that could be highly addictive and end up causing more problems then not if my doctor didn’t know about my previous drug and alcohol use. It was kind of crappy because it just ran out. I didn’t really want to come off yet but we ended up getting it all fixed up finally after about three weeks.
I talk to my Dr.s and let them know about my drinking. I am also very glad that early in sobriety I was prescribed Wellbutrin. After years of altering my moods by using and drinking getting medical help was a Godsend.
appreciate hearing that. Even after I got put back on my medication the dreams continued happening and that regret that I woke up feeling was almost overwhelming sometimes. I talked to my sponsor about it and she basically said all of the same things that everybody here is saying. That they are very common, even without my medication withdrawals period sometimes they are extremely Vivid and someone triggering. Although it sucks to know that other people are going through them as well because and I know that other people are suffering, it is nice to know that people with years of sobriety have gone through the same struggles and are having these same effects still because it feels like I am on the right track then haha
The really is isn’t it? My psychiatrist regulates my medication extremely closely because I have expressed concern that I could abuse and misuse the medication. She and I had plenty of conversation about my patterns of abuse and throws that psychiatric drugs and played in the past in that. It’s been nice to have somebody who takes that into consideration, even if it causes issues with refills and whatnot. At least I know that she is looking out for me, and at least I know that my medication is trying to work for me. I’m so happy that you were able to get the help that you needed. It really is wild to think sometimes that all I really needed in order to become a sober functioning adult was the support system, some better coping strategies, and a couple of little pills and day. Haha
