dreams

[GettingClean]

Hey guys, me again. Well I've got a little over a week clean off my doc tramadol. It's the most clean time I've had in a few years. Last time I tried to get sober I made it a couple weeks or a month and then a dream did me in and I relapsed. The dreams started right away for me this time, like my addict brain learned What button to push and is jamming the hell out of it. How do you guys deal with triggers like this? Other things I can consciously deal with but not dreams and I'm afraid of blowing it...

 

[caseface99]

Using dreams are a totally normal thing to have especially in early recovery, and are actually quite common - you're not alone. I had 11 months sober yesterday and I still have using dreams from time to time. I haven't had any particularly bad ones that hardcore triggered me recently, but I definitely remember having some when I was newly clean that had me thoroughly tripping out when I woke up. Definitely not an easy thing to deal with, unfortunately I don't really know of any way to avoid them. Basically you just have to try and overcome any cravings they may cause and accept the fact that its just a dream, and out of your control. Try writing about it, and do your best not to freak out. The more you accept them for harmless dreams the more you'll be taking the power out of them and hopefully the less frequently they will happen. There's really no way to tell how often you will have them or how long it will be a frequent thing for you. Just remember it's only a dream. I found that talking to people about it also helped a lot, whenever it happens try just telling a close friend or somebody else in recovery what you're going through. Good luck, hope things continue to get better for you and you stay clean.

 

[ad lib]

I have using dreams quite frequently too.

I find that if I spend the day thinking about using, or if it has been an especially hard day for me, then I will most likely dream of using. Have you tried meditation? This can help cut down on the negative thoughts before bed. Also, what I do, is create my own "happy place" (it sounds silly, I know) in my mind that I visit every time I go to sleep. It consists of the beach at night, with someone I love, with the moonlight, searching for rocks... Of course yours will be different, but that's what helps me.

 

[The Doc.]

I find that tramadol causes this more than any other opiate because of its serotonergic effects on the brain it seems to work like an anti depressant with the same symptoms of withdrawal as many anti depressants.

 

[T. Calderone]

These dreams happened to me a lot and with several drugs and even alcohol. I think it does occur more often when you're coming off your drug of choice but sometimes I still get them seemingly out of nowhere. On a conscious level you are still going to think about using, so you can see why when you're asleep your mind takes it a step further. Don't let this cause you to relapse though, just know it's normal and a real common thing to experience.

 

[RedLeader]

I still get them once a week or so and I haven't used opiates in 7 1/2 months. The good news is that you get used to dealing with them, and if your life is going better, they don't bother you nearly as much. I actually had them on two different nights this week, but they didn't trigger me at all. I woke up happy that it wasn't true and that I could go on with my morning in a productive way.

 

[GettingClean]

Hmmm with all I'm learning about tramadol I wonder if it wouldn't be worth getting on an actual ssri for real. Does anyone know how I would go about actually finding a doctor who can help me? The only other experience I've had with a doctor in this regard was HORRIBLE... he was a complete dick and insisted on making me try medication I'd already tried that didn't work before or then. Just thinking about it makes me wanna use...

 

[Papaverium]

Dang, I made a thread for this in TDS, I guess it was the wrong place.... I had posted...:

"It's really getting to be annoying, how do you guys deal with it??

Like, does anyone else here wake up from excruciatingly realistic drug related dreams, and just end up craving for the whole morning or all day?
To the point that it happens every night, and you dream that you had lost/looking for drugs, or are juuuust about to fix, and then you wake up...

I guess there's no way around it, it's just part of me now......
Will it ever fade away? I'm glad I don't remember my dreams often lately, cause when I do, it just teases me and I don't even wanna wake up.
It's so disappointing,
then I don't wanna even sleep once I am up, cause I'm trying to get away from using, and even my dreams are shoving it in my face ><"

but since I can read this thread it might help, thanks guys ^^

~Ms.P

 

[The Doc.]

I would not know I live in Canada and we can just go to the E.R. for free and they will refer us to a doctor right away. Might be the same way where you live. I would try to get on a serotonin releasing agent (S.R.A.) or A SSRI like you said to help with depression after quoting trazadone but something not so addicting you know what I mean? Theres no sense swapping tramadol for another drug thats equally as habit forming

 

[The Doc.]

Dang, I mbe a thread for this in TDS, I guess it was the wrong place.... I had posted...:

"It's really getting to be annoying, how do you guys deal with it??

Like, does anyone else here wake up from excruciatingly realistic drug related dreams, and just end up craving for the whole morning or all day?
To the point that it happens every night, and you dream that you had lost/looking for drugs, or are juuuust about to fix, and then you wake up...

I guess there's no way around it, it's just part of me now......
Will it ever fade away? I'm glad I don't remember my dreams often lately, cause when I do, it just teases me and I don't even wanna wake up.
It's so disappointing,
then I don't wanna even sleep once I am up, cause I'm trying to get away from using, and even my dreams are shoving it in my face ><"

but since I can read this thread it might help, thanks guys ^^

~Ms.P

How long has it been since you've been sober? All I can say is is gets easier so hang in there. Dreams can really be very vivid when craving drugs iv had dreams where I do all this stuff to get money for heroin then I score go home to shoot up and once I prepare the to shoot up I wake up and that's all I can think about.
Just Keep coming back and keep fighting

 

[RedLeader]

The (sad) reality of it is that the dreams only become tolerable when you've embraced wanting to be sober and aren't just going through the motions. At this point, the dreams are characterised by a paranoia that you've relapsed and your clean time is over, your future could be in jeopardy again, and so on. The dreams are no longer about extreme cravings for the drugs. It's almost like within the dream, you're puzzled as to why you're even this close to using.

From my own experience, I cannot think my way into truly wanting to be clean. It's a function of time, and a lot of that time is white-knuckling and being miserable. The one good thing about relapsing/getting clean over and over is that you become pretty comfortable with that idea that after a certain amount of time, you will get the pink cloud and really want to keep the clean effort going.

 

[vagabond_drifter]

Every individual decision that you make is a choice to relapse. For example... when someone relapses on alcohol, they make the choice to enter a bar... order a drink... then make a thousand tiny movements to bring the beer to their lips... at any moment, you can change your fate and choose sobriety.

 

[caseface99]

I haven't been having using dreams lately, but I've been having weird and disturbing dreams none the less. I think it may be because I mainly vaporize nicotine instead of real cigs now, so I vape in bed sometimes and i've heard nicotine patches cause weird/disturbing dreams so maybe I'm getting a similar effect from vaping nicotine.

Point being that some of the dreams have been triggering regardless of not being using dreams, but I employ the same techniques of either talking to someone about it or writing about it to deal with them.

 

[GettingClean]

Maybe writing would be helpful. Sounds like something I could get into.
.Thanks: ) right now there's no worries about dreams bcuz I'm still not sleeping more than an hour or two at a time. So frustrating......

 

[ANewKindOfArmy]

Very good point... During my past i would have these CONSTANT drug dreams... Coping, being at my usual cop spots or connects place were to get it, even to the POINT OF GETTING IT THEN MIXING DRAWLING THEN ACTUALLY Hitting A VEIN AND REGISTERING BUT WOULD ALWAYS WAKE UP BEFORE I'D PUSH THE REGISTERED SHOT. Ya Never get high in them dreams. I have heard of this very very commonly as a Drug Dream multiple friends, other addicts and I all seemed to had them very frequently. ( sorry if this goes against guide lines please correct it if so) but one thing i have noticed is the longer clean time you have the less severe the dreams become and the IMPACT they have on you also get weaker and eventually the dreams almost die out COMPLETELY. I've kept a Journal since day one. Even if it has nothing to do with drugs, sometmes just writting helps...Basically telling your story or feelings but only you can read it unless you choose to show it.

I wish i knew exactly what happened for me this time because if i knew i could save MILLIONS OF LIVES but, The last rehab had me just completely mentally changed in 10 days...I stayed for 35 days 40 days if you count Detox and i actually wanted to STAY LONGER but insurance would not pay. as soon as the Wds seemed to not be there other than slight weakness or tiredness i got better i started to work out harder EVERYDAY during rec and at night before bed ( jailhouse style of course at night, Decks of card push and pull ups, Abb work outs etc) , hung out with the RIGHT people that were really trying to get clean and participated and listened to and WROTE DOWN everything i was being told i found helpful and in 10 days something just happened... I lost Urges, Had no significant Withdrawal ( of course i was medicated through detox but i was always still very sick but not this time...) No drug dreams ANYTHING normal during that time and after that and Rehab i was on a pink cloud for MONTHS... When in every other rehab i did none of the above and all i thought about was how i could ama and get back into my parents home so i didn't have to sleep in Abando's or where ever... something just clicked this time so dont give up if you've been to multiple rehabs it was 6 for me.

Yet i never stopped writting in my JJ ( Junkie Journal, bad joke i know). I also believe working out hard being around good people that are really trying to get clean who i still owe my clean life too IMO. I really think if i didn't have them positive people in rehab with me, my mind woulda wondered to the usual ending of my rehabs and id be still out there. Also if you're not a work out person, Alot of rehabs during rec or free time work with counselors they after my work out would ask if i wanted to do certain things, i did. Like papers on addiction and you, One on one talks, Big book NA and AA readings that specifically pertained to ME and sometimes we'd get a couple people to join so it'd be a group and they'd choose a different passage. All sorts of good positive and actually at times FUN games. Writting, GOOD COMPANY, And A Positive outlook and TRUE SURRENDER AND WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN i really think are what will get alot of people through and HAPPY while doing it... just my opinion and keeping it 110% real with you.

Best of Luck to all in recovery,
-B

 

[Tuftypanda]

I know this an old post but I came across this article that could help some people suffering from drug dreams. I was prescribed Prazosin for PTSD night terrors and it does work sporadically. Like I'll take it during stressful days, triggered days etc but I don't take it regularly. If I do it ceases to work after a month or so.

Anyway it occurred to me after I smoked some glass after not using it at all for 17 years (I was heavily addicted as a teenager), i used maybe 5 times over 3 months, pretty tame, then a month later I'm still dreaming about smoking it, perhaps a drug dream is similar to a PTSD night terror so I tried some Prazosin. It worked. Some googling, here's a research article about exactly this.

Two Case Reports on Use of Prazosin for Drug Dreams : Journal of Addiction Medicine

razosin is an alpha-1 receptor antagonist originally approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hypertension. Prazosin passes the blood brain barrier easily, contributing to central and cognitive effects. Prazosin's efficacy has been demonstrated in the...

journals.lww.com