I have only been 'clean' from drinking for one week today, and i am ALREADY experiencing what you have stated! I can't sleep, my mind races, and I am 'remembering' an array of times in my life that I would not normally think of (the pink hazy state is easier) and it really can drive you nuts! Although I haven't dreamt of drinking, I have 'acid' dreams (well, always have, another subject) and wake suddenly, many times out of a deep sleep and it does F--- you up in the am! Yea, this reality stuff is tough, and that is why it is easier to drink and not deal, but life is what is and was, we only have this day forward. It's a new challenge, but it is worth going for the best we have, now, when we have the chance to do it. I don't want to leave this earth with the loss of integrity and feelings of darkness I have lived with for so long. I want to live in the light. It will get better for both of us??!! Yes, I believe it will....

I had a alot a using dreams when I first of clean and sober and I felt the same way you did, I was so scared that i had to ask my hubby to make sure that I didnt really go out. They will go away after awhile and then they come and go. all of this is well worth it and you will see it in time hun. you have to be patient and try to work through these rough times. you can do it hun believe in yourself, I believe in you.

very normal. my sponsor says God allows us to drink in our dreams because we can't do so in our waking life. my best friend is still having dreams after 6 years! he decided to increase his meetings. not a bad idea... devon

Normal.
I have not had a drink or a drug in 3 + yars and I still have them, just did night before last.
My sponsor says we have them when we are dealing with something we would have used or drank over (LIFE?)
I shared about it in a meeting last night and it helped.
I have heard them called "freebies".
It sounds like you are getting over a hump.
Recovery and life are not a straight line pointing up - we have peaks and valleys.
We get strength when we go through tough times and stay sober.
HUG

No one has a definite answer on what dreams mean-the debate is endless. Predictions of the future? Spirits coming to communicate? Our unconcious mind releasing pent up frustration? Psychic junk we need to unload? Who knows.I dream a lot about fears surrounding drinking, my kids getting hurt, dying, etc. I am not sure what they mean but they scare me.

Like I tell my 3 year old when he see monsters, they are not real, they can't hurt you!

I've posted this before but I LOVE those dreams.
Nothing is better than to wake up and KNOW it was just a dream!!!!
14.5 years and I have them ALL the time! :)

I still have those dreams too.

Sure is nice to wake up and still be sober.

Takes a little bit to figure out if it really happened though lol.

Im really glad you posted this as I seem to have the same 'drunken' dreams!!Proper wierd,especially when I feel hungover the next morning!! I suppose it just something us alkies have to deal with!I know what you mean by the hard work too, the problem with us is we havw so many flaws, so its gonna take a lot of hard work to deal with them too!!Just the cards we have been dealt im afraid.Im not glum though,infact bloody grateful xx
God bless ya xx

Sorry you are having a hard time. But remember that dreams are just dreams and that you can create your real dream of being sober and dealing with life in a rational and pleasant way. Drinking will magnify your problems by the hundreds.

I like to think that when I'm asleep is the only time my disease has free rein over my thoughts. When I'm awke I don't allow myself to focus on gettin drunk, only staying sober

Dreams are just dreams - whatever their cause. The important thing is that you are drinking in your conscious hours. I see from your profile you tried AA for a while - if you are struggling why not give it a go once more? You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain - especially if you do the Steps. That worked for me. The Steps help you work through these struggles.

Oops! I meant NOT drinking in your conscious hours - sorry!

There is an answer to why we have using dreams or other anxiety producing dreams. the Course in Miracles says that these type of dreams result from difficult or threatening thoughts we may have had earlier in the day (or recent past). And pushed out of our awareness due to how threatening they are.

For instance, as an alcoholic who does not want to drink, I may think it's bad to have thoughts about drinking and feel fear when I think drinking thoughts. Because I don't want to drink, when I start thinking about drinking, I feel fear, then I do what I can to try not to think those thoughts. Sometimes I am able to stop my drinking thinking. I forget about the thoughts and go on with something else. In doing this I have successfully protected myself from feeling the fear associated with those thoughts, at least for a while. I was able to push those thoughts out of consciousness with my own willpower.

At night, being asleep and unconscious, there is no one there to stop the thoughts from becoming consciousness. The guard is asleep and the theives can get in.

Usually, emotionally laced thoughts can find their way to the surface and cause us distress at night.

What to do?

First, realize that thoughts do not harm a person. Thoughts take place on their own and are not created by anyone, especially not you, unless you focus on creating a line of thinking. Even still, that thinking is just a part of the ego and is not the real you. And, thinking should just be observed and not stressed over.
AA solution:
Negative thinking in its various forms is often considered to be the many forms of character defects and are best dealt with by praying to your Power for awareness and help in dealing with them.

one thing about pink clouds is there is always a down side to them, what you want is to just live life as it is. We can't be on top of the world all the time, it wouldn't be real, we would be robots, or adrenaline junkies lol. dreams of that sort are common, it's usually comes from a fear of drinking. stay sober. Living one day at a time takes practice.

I'm sober just a tad over 44 days and I've had 4 dreams where alcohol has been in them. In the first 3 I never drank - it was just like a sign of where I should not go. The last dream I was being held by some guy and he forced me to drink. After drinking I started to cry - my hub was telling me to wake up because I was crying loudly. Someone said that they guy could represent my addiction and wanting to be free of it. I don't know. I've gone thru the part of losing the happy feeling too. Had a whole week of pretty depressed feelings. I'm over than now, thank goodness. I know there will be ups and downs and I know that this is going to take a lot of work. It isn't as simple as putting down the bottle. I guess I figure the work is worth it, especially since I don't want to lose my family. Good luck to you confused, lots of prayers and ((hugs)) are with you. tron