I’ve been sober from alcohol for a little over 2 years now and I’m still having dreams about relapsing, sometimes I drink in my dreams and sometimes I’m just around people drinking but I always wake up in a state of panic.
Has anyone else experienced this at all, and if so, when is it likely to stop happening?
I read online that because of severe withdrawals and overcoming an addiction it can cause PTSD but there’s very little information online which suggests to me it’s extremely rare. I’m wondering if the dreams are a symptom of PTSD because I very nearly died from alcohol and maybe it’s the trauma of that. Thanks in advance for any helpful information and comments.
I haven’t dreamt of anything in a long time. However, I know many people who have this even a decade into sobriety. Their key is sleep meditations, or using white noise, among other things. Those two are the most common for them.
Them “using dreams” are way too real! You know most of my slip-ups/relapses happened the day after i had a dream… that has always been my greatest trigger. After nights like that i learned to get up and go for a long walk, or geet busy as soon as possible.
I’m only 102 days clean and was diagnosed with ptsd from my multiple overdoses. I had dreams of using and nightmares every single night in the beginning. I mentioned this to my psychiatrist and was prescribed Prazocin and Trazadone which has helped tremendously. I’ll be honest I still do have dreams of using once in a while but not nearly as much since taking medication for it, and I don’t wake up in a panic like before. I’ve spoken to people that say those types of dreams never stop. But there are many ways to cope. I hope you find something that helps. Keep your head up
I have almost 2.5 years clean and sober and i still havw drug related dreams. Im not usually using in my dreams but i tend to be searching for my DOC or being around others using. I find i have these dreams when i have had a particularly stressful day. I have no idea when they will stop. Im curious to know also. Just know that ur not alone in this
I stopped doing drugs like years ago (drinking is harder as you know) but I still dream about my doc sometimes, and I still wake up with the thought that it would feel good to do it again.
Psychologist said it might never stop just like some flashbacks. What does happens is that it gets easier to handle.
I know I won’t even go back to doing drugs, no matter how good it feels in my dreams, that’s not reality. And as long as I’m aware of that it’s not a big deal say’s the psychologist.
In my 1st few months, I too had dreams about searching for my bottle, getting it, and then waking up just before the bottle got to my mouth.
I usually woke up then sweaty and trembling. What turned it around for me was thinking this was a freebie glimpse of how I would feel if I really did pick up again. Would have hated to feel scared, sick and that desperate again in real life, so turned a negative dream into positive motivation to keep away from the booze.
80 days in and some nights it hits me fricken HARD! I legit wake up in a panic like I used. It’s always the drugs. They are very real and vivid. The people I did it with, that’s tastes, smells, etc… I immediately run to this app for encouragement because it makes me want to take a drive somewhere I shouldn’t be. It doesn’t last long but it’s definitely a fight and realization when it does
