How an ex-client of Recovery Advocates describes their experience with drug using dreams…

Since the day I got sober I have had using dreams.  At first they occurred all the time and as time went on they slowly dissipated.  

A using dream is classified as a dream where you would use drugs or alcohol. For addicts and alcoholics in sobriety it is a scary thing because it can feel so real. To a normal person a using dream is not a big deal, but to a alcoholic it is an intense experience. Normal people don’t care if they drink or use drugs from time to time. To someone in sobriety, especially a 12 step program, a relapse is a death defying issue.

Sometimes people get sober for a couple years and relapse. They try to use the same amount they used to with no tolerance, and they accidentally overdose. That’s the end of their story from one relapse. If you don’t die from the relapse, you lose your “time” (how long you have been sober) which is like an accomplishment.

So the other night I had a using dream and it was very vivid. I rarely have them, but when I do it really scares me. In my dream I managed to find some heroin I had squirreled away which was a mission to get. I was walking through hotels and climbing staircases. I eventually got to my friends hotel room and when I got here he has some heroin I had him stash away for me. In the dream I did not care if I relapsed and all I wanted to do was get high. This is when I woke up in a cold sweat. It felt so real and thought I was about to lose everything. My sponsor says these dreams are good because they are a reminder of what it is like if you relapse.

"After thirty-six years in recovery and twenty years in addiction treatment, I am now solely focused on providing personal, 1-on-1 recovery management services to those in need. When I most needed it someone reached out and took my hand and help save my life. Ever since I have dedicated myself to returning that kindness. When I was in dire straits many years ago with an addiction to drugs and alcohol, all I wanted to do was STOP! With the support of skilled clinicians and generous men and women in the recovery community I was not only able to stop, but discovered that I was becoming a better man, a better husband, better father, better colleague, better neighbor, and a better human being. I also found that the key to my happiness is found in service to others. I have dedicated my life to this task and have been gifted with the opportunity to direct others to the discovery of that better life."

- Stuart Birnbaum, Founder