How to Cope with Nightmares of Relapse when Sober

It’s a scary situation, you’re dreaming and all of a sudden you dream that you’re doing drugs or drinking again.

Worse yet, you may have these dreams without realizing that you’re dreaming. At Banyan Treatment Center Boca Raton, we know that relapse dreams can and do happen. But not to worry, dreaming about relapsing doesn’t actually mean you’ll have a relapse. Here’s what to do if you’re having these dreams.

What Causes Relapse Dreams?

While we’re sleeping, dreams often happen during deep sleep. We don’t have much control over what transpires in our dreams, which means that nightmares of relapse can and do happen. One recent study found that relapse dreams, ones where people dream of using drugs or drinking again, are more common for people who have a severe history of addiction or alcoholism. ¹

Relapse dreams can be caused by facing stress, triggers, or cravings. As your conscious self struggles with thoughts about relapse, it’s more likely that your subconscious self will also struggle with notions of relapse through relapse dreams.

What to Do About Relapse Dreams

Dreams and nightmares of relapse can be difficult, and you may even feel guilty when waking up from a night of dreaming about relapsing. The key is to remember that this will pass. There are some things you can do to combat relapse nightmares and dreams:

• Enter an alumni recovery program to get support in facing these types of dreams
• Wait it out, the more your brain adjusts to abstinence, the less frequent these dreams will occur¹
• Talk to your sponsor about your difficulties with relapse nightmares
• Develop a stress-free nighttime routine and stick to it