How do you stop the dream scenarios? It is Saint Patrick’s Day, my first one sober since being of drinking age unless I was pregnant. Im still going strong and the nagging in the back of my mind is mostly quelled during the day. Just pings here and there but I try to distract myself with something else. However I was tossing and turning in my sleep all night over ruining my sober streak. In my dream I was at a Saint Patty’s party and just having fun when someone offered me a beer and I started to become lucid and thinking I shouldn’t. But maybe this once. After all its a holiday so does it count? I took a sip and was immediately filled with remorse. I chugged the rest of the glass and ran out of the party thinking of ways to make an excuse… Then I woke up covered in sweat. Im glad it was just a dream and it made me realize I should stay home and away from people today…but how do I make those dreams stop? Do they ever stop?
After weeks of sobriety the best drink and smoke I ever had was in a dream, other times I’ve woken up thinking oh shit what have I done. Personally I love em, all the fun with none of the consequences and a little reminder of how shit I would feel if I did it in real life.
It’s been awhile since I’ve had a drinking dream but they sure can be scary! I’ve been told they are normal and are healthy! Keep on keeping on Happy st Patrick day
When I was still drinking I would have crazy dreams. Luckily I rarely had dreams that would scare me or bother me much. I would remember several distinct dreams each nite and I really tried to remember them. I actually really enjoyed being able to remember them and I am amazed at how the mind can present a different world in dreaming. I think because my sleep was so messed up from going to sleep drunk every night I had great dream recollection. Probably because I was not sleeping deeply and would wake up so often. Now that I have been sober for some months my sleep is much better and I don’t have the crazy dreams, or at least I do not recall them as clearly as I would before. So, maybe it will calm down for you too, in time?
Bye for now…
When I first got clean and sober I had nightmares really bad! I never use to remember my dreams when I was using and drinking it’s nice to remember my dreams now
Like I mentioned I used to be very good at recalling my dreams when I was still drinking. I even sometimes had lucid dreams where I could control them to some extend. I must be fortunate that I rarely had scary dreams and if I did, I would typically just wake up. Now that I think of it since writing my last post in this thread, I did have some disturbing dreams in the year leading up to quiting drinking. I would dream about close friends I grew up with that died from their drinking. I’d like to think these dreams helped me on a subconscious level to give up the drink. I do believe that dreams are a way for your subconscious mind to communicate with your conscious mind. Maybe it’s best we try embrace them and find something in those that can help us in our daily life. I’m trying to relearn how to remember more dreams.
So, I say sweet dreams to all.
Bye for now…
Hi,
So this is COMPLETELY normal. In rehab they called them “drug dreams” whether it was about alcohol or drugs. I have them here and there and always wake up thinking I actually drank. Then I’m so relieved when the fog clears and I realize it was just a dream! I have 60 days sober today. I’m told by people with more time that they don’t happen as often the farther you get away from your last drink/drug. So that’s something to look forward to! Just when they do occur take a deep breath and a drink of water and remember it was only a dream and you’re still sober!
Very normal Desirée - in fact so normal there’s a whole tag for threads about this! Check some of them out here - I’m sure you’ll find a lot of stories that feel familiar:
https://talkingsober.com/tag/drinking-dreams
Take care, know you’re a good & worthy person who deserves a safe, sober life, and remember: it’s all part of the process. You’re cleansing now - and this is those thoughts & images cleansing out of your mind.
Indeed, it’s been asked but I’ll answer again as time changes some things. For me, not too much.
I also had a bunch early on. Maybe once/week. After some months maybe it was once per month.
Now, over two and a half years, with more time physically sober and working a program, I do still get them but it’s very rare. I had one a couple months back but it was the first I’d had in probably a year. And for sure my general level of anxiety is much lower than it used to be.
We heal with time. This is a wave that comes then passes.
Thank you! I’ll take a look 
I have nightmares sometimes. I wake up and feel ashamed of myself for relapsing, then a big sigh of relief to find out it was just a dream. They will stop and they will pop in and out once in a while.
I actually had a using dream last night but in these kind of dreams I do everything leading up to using but something always interrupts me actually using. It’s a trip but I understand how uneasy they make ya feel apon waking up
Yup! Before I committed to sobriety I would get crazy insane nightmares about 3-5 days after my last drink. Also night sweats. I would’ve continued with that cycle if it didn’t all finally catch up with me and out me in the ER with an “anxiety attack” that the Dr said was withdrawal. This was less than 24hrs after my last drink and it scared the snot out of me. Best way to stop the dreams is to keep going through them until your mind heals.
Something that helps with nightmares is “Image Rehearsal Therapy.” 
In short, it is the cognitive practice of “rewriting” the dream to have a positive ending after waking up from a nightmare.
Esshhh I had a dream last night that I accepted a cocktail… I was kind of bored in the dream, sat about watching TV, it was offered to me by a family friend, I said yes and then all the thoughts of how I shouldn’t even tho I really wanted it took over and I managed to then change my answer to no. (Phew! My dream self is on my side apparently) but it set of this cascade of cravings even in the dream craving so bad. Ugghh