dreaming about drinking

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

I'm really frustrated right now, and I don't know what to do about it.  After years of drinking way too much, I managed to quit on my own (after numerous attempts) back in 2006.  It was really hard, but I did it, and I've been really good about staying sober.  The problem is I keep dreaming about drinking.  I'm usually not drinking in excess in my dreams, but the fact that I'm drinking at all is really disturbing to me.  The other night I didn't dream that I was drinking per se, but I dreamed that I bought alcohol and that I'd regularly been drinking since I quit in 2006 and that I thought it was no big deal.  What the hell kind of dream is that to have?  My friend says dreams are a good thing because they're helping me work through things, but it doesn't feel like it.  For years after I quit drinking I avoided going to any bars or restaurants that had prominent bars or even walking down the beer aisle at the store for fear of the temptation.  I'm finally able to do both without worrying that I'll be tempted, but now I'm regularly tempted in my dreams.  This doesn't feel healthy.  It makes me miss drinking and want to drink again.  I'm confident that I won't start drinking again, but even years later, I still want to.  I wish I could get rid of this horrible temptation.  I don't want to drink again because, even though I might drink in moderation at first, eventually I'd start drinking too much again, and that's just not how I want to live.  I want to be healthy.  I wish I could quit for good in my dreams and not be tempted so much.  

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Thanks to all for your support, and thanks for the interesting info Remus.  I knew I had supportive site members, and it's always nice to be reminded that I'm right.  

[Remus]

I read on Wikipedia that dreaming about an addiction you quitted is a good sign of overcoming the addiction.

"Dreams of absent-minded transgression (DAMT) are dreams wherein the dreamer absentmindedly performs an action that he or she has been trying to stop (one classic example is of a quitting smoker having dreams of lighting a cigarette). Subjects who have had DAMT have reported waking with intense feelings of guilt. One study found a positive association between having these dreams and successfully stopping the behavior."

Chek out this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream#Emotions

[jonathan richard chilson]

I would like to say that I am very happy you dont drink enymore. A lot of my family drinks and most of them are unemployed and poor. I dont whant the person how was kind enofe create such a good place for us to have to deal with that. Please stay sober somone like you deaserves beter.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Anette, nothing has happened recently to make me start dreaming of drinking.

Aquarius, these aren't daydreams, they're night dreams.  

[Aquarius]

Here's what you can do: you can manipulate your dreams, you can 'make' yourself refuse drinking.

We all know by know, that our DDs manifest our latent fears, desires, insecurities, etc. I think what your drinking DD says is that you believe you now have a good grip over how you can handle drinking. It's like you're telling yourself, that you are different now, you are now in control. That you will not exceed one or two drinks.

You need to ask yourself why now? You've been dry since 2006. What has returned?