The question was submitted
24/01/2008
Subject: dream overload
after stopping cipramil about 3-4 weeks ago after 4-5 years at varying dosages, 20 to 60, i've been dreaming non-stop. would this be due to withdrawal, you think? i stopped as i'm doubting the worth of medicating as my life seems stuck in a loop of rehab., medications, work, alcohol and marijuna, returning to toxic relationships, depression, physical exhaustion, rehab. the cycle has ended now as the rehabs have denied me admittance so after a reckoning with that reality, i started to draw on my own resources to affect recovery. i gained 2 days abstinance from alcohol until y'day when i had 6 beers. today, i am disappointed yet still hopeful i can achieve long term sobriety. the call is to find a bigger problem than survival or past relationships that are limiting.
Answer from DepNet
Hello and thank you for writing to us. Your letter raises some important issues.
Firstly, your dream symptoms maybe related to the sudden stop in taking medication and change in your sleep patterns. They may also be reflecting your alcohol (or possible) substance use, or your current lifetsyle patterns, which, from what you describe, seem a little tumultuous.
The cycle of alcohol or substance use, withdrawal, absteinance and relapse is not uncommon. Breaking the cycle and staying sober and clean, requires some fairly direct work on the issues of dependence/codependence that underly the use/abuse. This means learning to set appropriate personal boundaries and to form better interpersonal relationships. This personal journey can be emotionally quite painful and psychologiocally quite challenging. You correctly identify that one needs positive dreams and goals to drive this process. Your own physical and emotional wellbeing, and your dreams for a happy and enriching life are absolutely worth striving for.
I would strongly recommend that you draw on other resources (they are abundant even outside of a formal rehabilitation setting) to help you along your path. A GP with training in mental health issues, and possibly experience in alcohol and drug management, would be an important and accessible link. You may be able to access someone in your area through your local adult mental health service. It would also be important to talk through the issue of medication with a doctor. Not all antidepressant medications suit all people, and there may be a more appropriate or effective medicine for your condition.
GP's now work quite closely with psychologists, who are also accessible through Medicare, with the correct referral. I would strongly suggest that you make that connection and follow up regularly with someone with whom you can form a positive, support and encouraging relationship. Often, this type of support is the most important element in recovery.
Organisations like Alcoholics Anonymous provide personal support (through a sponsor) and group supports at regular meetings. Their Twelve Step Program may already be familiar to you, and remains one of the best models for achieving - and maintaining - sobriety. This is a program which is freely and widely available beyond a rehabilitation service.
Local Adult Mental Health services also offer links to groups, organisations and other trained individuals to assist in many areas surrounding alcohol or substance dependence. They often coordinate other courses that can promote personal skills beyond the actual dependence issues, for example, relaxation or exercise classes, anger management courses, budgeting skills, and home management skills. Any or all of these activities may provide you with some "tools in your toolbox", and bring a sense of confidence and purpose to your sobriety.
Take a little time to reflect on some of these ideas, and give them a go. I wish you all the best.
The answer was published on DepNet
31/01/2008