Brothers and Sisters in Recovery 🙏 Using dreams seem to be a recurring topic in recovery, and I believe there is a reason for that. They can shake us to the core. Last night I had another using dream. It felt incredibly real. I could smell it, taste it, and for a few moments it seemed as though I had thrown everything away. Then I woke up. The relief that comes from realizing it was only a dream is hard to describe. Even so, those dreams can leave us unsettled for hours, sometimes even days. They remind us how powerful addiction once was, but they also remind us how powerful our recovery has become. I've decided I'm going to write about every using dream I have. Putting them into words takes away much of their power. When I keep them bottled up, they linger in my mind. When I share them, they lose their grip. They become another reminder of where I came from instead of where I'm headed. Using dreams don't mean we want to relapse. They don't erase our clean time, a...
Brothers and Sisters in Recovery 🙏
Using dreams seem to be a recurring topic in recovery, and I believe there is a reason for that. They can shake us to the core. Last night I had another using dream. It felt incredibly real. I could smell it, taste it, and for a few moments it seemed as though I had thrown everything away. Then I woke up.
The relief that comes from realizing it was only a dream is hard to describe. Even so, those dreams can leave us unsettled for hours, sometimes even days. They remind us how powerful addiction once was, but they also remind us how powerful our recovery has become.
I've decided I'm going to write about every using dream I have. Putting them into words takes away much of their power. When I keep them bottled up, they linger in my mind. When I share them, they lose their grip. They become another reminder of where I came from instead of where I'm headed.
Using dreams don't mean we want to relapse. They don't erase our clean time, and they don't mean we're failing. For many of us, they are simply part of the healing process. Our minds are sorting through years of addiction while our spirits continue to embrace a new way of life. Every time we wake up clean after one of those dreams, we have another opportunity to choose recovery all over again.
Instead of fearing these dreams, I try to learn from them. They remind me that addiction is patient, but recovery is stronger when I stay connected to my Higher Power, my support network, and the program. They remind me to remain grateful, humble, and vigilant. They remind me that what I have today is worth protecting.
If you've had a using dream recently, don't keep it to yourself. Talk about it. Write about it. Share it with someone you trust. Shame grows in silence, but recovery grows in the light. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You're not alone, and countless people with years of clean time have experienced the very same thing.
Today, let's be grateful that we woke up clean. Let's keep moving forward one day at a time, trusting the process and refusing to let fear steal our peace. We don't have to live in yesterday, and we don't have to worry about tomorrow. We only have to stay clean today.
Keep coming back. It works if you work it. One day at a time. Easy does it. Progress, not perfection.
With love and gratitude,
Gary G
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