The World Of Drug Dreams; A Series

Part 1; Introduction To What These Dreams Are

As a recovering addict with several years of sobriety under my belt, I have become familiar with a phenomenon known as drug dreams since the very beginning of my journey. They are exactly what you would probably think they are just from their name. Yes, drug dreams are exactly what they are called; dreams of flashbacks as it relates to addiction, past experiences, relapses, trauma and all the many actions that surround our use and abuse of drugs and alcohol.

Some people may use drugs in their dreams and wake up feeling almost high, believing for a moment that they actually really just relapsed. There isn’t one set known standard for drug dreams. For instance, some people may believingly use drugs in their dreams. Or other people might be like me; whereas my actual using of the drug never quite happens.

Usually in my dreams, I find myself spending the entire time seeking out the drugs, and if I do obtain them in my dream, some type of unknown force doesn’t quite allow me to get to the specific using part. Even when the substance might be tightly grasped in my hands.

One of the other scary constants in my own drug dreams is the overall fear I seem to always have about getting caught by the law. Many of my dreams involve chases, drug tests, or other types of ways where my lies and negative lifestyle is catching up to me.

So vivid and real.

It’s a of the scary experience. I wake up after those dreams, and I tell myself, “whew thank God that was only a dream!” All of that has been consistent when it comes to my drug dream experience. It usually won’t happen very often, but it did occur regularly.

There isn’t any type of standard that is used to relate to how good or bad one may be doing in sobriety and recovery. Just because a person has a drug dream, does not mean that they’re not doing well, nor is it a predictor of a relapse. Drug dreams can be stressful, and they can cause anxiety, They also can give birth to cravings and urges.

It’s very important to know that anything a drug dream ends up becoming is a result of our choices and decisions. Just like any other time in life. I don’t downplay any part of how a drug dream might make a person feel. Afterall, I’ve been through it all countless times, and I will never reach the end of cravings or urges. So it’s been my reaction and response that has been the best protector for me.

The science of dreams is a field which consists of a lot of unknowns, mysteries, and unvalidated theories. It’s a world full of opinions. But I am absolutely positive and I’ll repeat again, that drug dreams are not an exact reflection of how our progress is going.

We have to remember that drug abuse affected our brains tens of thousands of times before we got sober. With that equation in mind, it would be quite difficult to believe that drug dreams wouldn’t be a factor. It only makes sense, that drug dreams exist. Our brains are complex computers affected by everything.

Like all the other triggers in life we have in this world, we have to evolve in ways which make drug dreams not as dangerous, as we can allow them to be.

Don’t allow drug dreams to cause setbacks.

While we may not be able to escape all the stress and anxiety that these dreams bring, we can process them in a healthy manner, and not remain alone with our dreams.

Talking about these with trusted ones is a positive response to them, that is healthy, and mindful. Remember, we have all kinds of complex dreams. These are just more of those.

This is part one on these drug dreams, and I want to spend the next couple of chapters exploring some very strange, and interesting things about these dreams. We will look at the unexpected things that potentially connect to them. We will also dive into some of the rather odd storylines of these dreams, which should surely be entertainment for anyone reading.

Stay tuned for more…..soon.

Michael Patanella

is a Trenton, New Jersey Author, Publisher, Columnist, Editor, Advocate, and recovering addict, covering topics of mental health, addiction, sobriety, mindfulness, self-help, faith, spirituality, Smart Recovery, social advocacy, and countless other nonfiction topics. His articles, publications, memoirs, and stories are geared towards being a voice for the voiceless. Hoping to reach others out there still struggling.