I had my first relapse dream last night and I feel completely destroyed today. Can’t work, can’t think, I feel so frustrated. Is this normal? Im not worried about real relapse just just looking for some support knowing I’m not alone on this one. Trying to shake this sickened feeling
I’ve had quite a few relapse dreams, you’re definitely not alone… I was always thankful it was just a dream and wasnt real. At first the dreams tripped me up, but today i know its not real! I did not use or drink and im in the clear… And honestly, me being ok with these dreams, came with time in sobriety.
- They’re not real
- I didn’t really use or drink
- You cant control your dreams, only what you do in real life.
Hang in there, hope i reminded you about the powerlessness you have in this situation…
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I have them a lot, so no you are not alone.
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I have them too. I Like that you call them relapse dreams not just “drinking” dreams (that’s what I call them too). It gives a sense of what is really at stake. They are awful. In my relapse dreams there is never a moment where I chose to drink. I just suddenly become aware that I have already been drinking.
It all crashes in on me, I’ve lost my progress, I’ve disappointed myself, I’ve disappointed the people who supported me, I have to start over. What did I do wrong? When I wake up from these dreams I feel actually hungover.
I don’t really have any advice, but you are for sure not alone. One idea that might help to keep in mind is that dreams are adaptive to us because they allow us to rehearse dangerous, even life-or-death situations. I have alot of dreams where I am walking down a dark alley or forest trail and a masked assailant attacks me and I have to fight for my life. Thankfully I’ve never had to use this practice.
Maybe our minds realize that sobriety is a life or death situation for us. That it will benefit is to practice failing and getting back up.
Or it could be any number of things. Dreams are crazy 
I’m sorry it was unpleasant for you. I hope you are feeling better. I think you should be extra nice to yourself today, maybe treat yourself to extra self-care. You deserve it!
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http://alcoholrehab.com/addiction-recovery/dreams-about-relapsing/
This is helpful and puts a positive spin on it. Use them to your advantage. I have had a few and waken feeling a bit tired and exhausted but relieved.
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I had one that I remember. I remember it because in the dream I already had my lie to everyone all planned out in my dream head.
I also dreamed I had boobs once. Like chick boobs, not man boobs. But that doesn’t mean that when I woke up I wanted to go to Victoria’s Secret and buy a bra.
Just a dream…
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I have those as well, usually after I’ve been clean a while I’ll start dreaming. based on my past experiences those can be a warning sign to me. I don’t like waking up thinking about it, craving it, and even tasting it. I know when they come I need to post like you are because I can’t entertain those thoughts
Thank you for all the comments, I shook the feeling earlier this evening. I figured out what hurt so bad was where the relapse dream took place witch was at one of my only childhood refugs. I was upset at my mind for such a dream! but after processing it all I have come to the conclusion its a test, much like was pointed out in one of the comments. Thank again everyone!
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Ugghh they are the worst! Mine is i always am trying to hide my drinking and cant, makes you feel like you really did relapse. The good news is the more time you have under your belt the less you have them
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I see them as a blessing rather than a curse. Usually happen around milestones. Reminds me that I value my sobriety.
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I really hate that guilty feeling when I first wake up but once I realise it was just a dream I feel just like @Melrm…it is like a reminder as to why I am doing this. I just can’t go through that guilt again.
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I had my first dream about coke last night. Felt so anxious. In my dream, i took the rocks and threw them into my neighbors yard and ran in the house. Lol. Woke up sweaty and out of breath. What a shitty feeling, but was so relieved it was a dream. I dont even want to see it!!
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It’s totally normal. I have them from time to time as well. Everybody does. You are not alone.
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I’m just over a month sober. I had my first dream the other night. I was driving a tractor (why?) and crashed it and was disoriented but remembered to grab my glass of wine from the scene before I walked away. Not to cover the evidendence… to keep drinking it. Just weird all together.
I’ve noticed a few urges to drink since then. But hopefully they pass. The less I obsess over the stuff the better my mental state.
Keep it simple. I just don’t drink. That’s that.
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I had my first drinking dream the other night (im day 25 sober) i dnt remember drinkin i just knew that i had. I felt id realy let myself down, i was estatic wen i woke and realised it was just a dream!
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I’m 11 days completely sober today and had my first relapse dream last night. What realy got to me is how realistic the whole situation was! When I woke up it took me a few minutes to realise that it didn’t actually happen and in that short time I just felt awful and ashamed.
Not that I want anyone to have this experience but I feel better, knowing that this is a “normal” thing.
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I had my first relapse dream last night, today it’s just my 6th day. It has been a situation of celebration with my family, they are nice people, but especially my mom and my sister drink a lot. I don’t know if they are addicted to. If there is a problem I talk about to my mom, my mom always says, drink a good glas of wine.
Also in this dream, I remember, I got afraid, woke up suddenly, still thinking, o no, I will have a hangover again. It took a while to see, I am sober, I didn’t drink.
I take this as a warning, that I have to face the future meeting with my family. To stay strong and go on.
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My drug abuse counselor said it’s a warning dream, that I need to get into NA classes. They are indeed scary bc I have so much to lose if I relapse and its just a sickening feeling
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I had my first this past week… and true to form I knew I drank (only in the dream!) But couldn’t remember much else. Just like when I drank in real life. And I agree, I didnt like the dream and woke feeling a bit failed
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Almost 8 months dry and no dreams, but I haven’t smoked for better than 20 years and yet not so long ago had a series of dreams where I woke in the morning and seriously couldn’t remember whether I was on or off the nicotine.
So great to realize I just drempt and had not in fact touched the stuff for years. Wouldn’t go so far as to say I was being warned or tested but make no mistake the dreams were totally realistic.
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