Dreams Linked with Anxiety
Dreams have a way of telling us what we want out of life as well as what we are afraid of. The same can be said for those that have anxiety. By deeply analyzing the dreams you have at night, you will be able to explain to your therapist what you need to continue working on to help you manage your life.
Falling
Dr. Carole Lieberman, M.D., says that one common dream people with anxiety have is falling. It can be that you are falling out of a plane with a broken parachute or falling onto train tracks with no time to get up before the train comes. This can mean that you feel like your life is out of control. You are afraid to break out of your comfort zone and try something new in fear that it will cause you to fall and get hurt. You feel like you cannot fix any tough decision situation that comes to you. All you are looking for is a safety blanket.
Being Late
Running late in a dream can be just as nerve-wracking as when you are awake. You could have a dream that you look at the time and it is hours after the test you were supposed to take. You could be running towards the classroom to take this test anyway, but there are obstacles in the way like the traffic preventing you from crossing the street. Maybe you decide to take the bus to make it go faster, but the bus brakes down and none of the cabs are stopping for you. This can mean that you are afraid of missing out on something. You do not have to be in school to be afraid of a test you are afraid to miss as the whole point is you do not want to miss an important engagement no matter what. You are afraid of the obstacles that you may run into when it comes to chasing your goals.
Being Unprepared
You could be taking a very important test that you were ready for when you were awake or you have your lines memorized before it is time to perform onstage. In this dream, however, you are not as prepared as you thought. You are drawing a blank and everything you studied cannot be remembered. This makes you feel vulnerable and out of place. You could be having this dream because you are afraid of being in a situation where you could suffer embarrassment. That you could spend so much time preparing for something only to fail everyone and yourself.
Drowning
You may have had a dream where you are getting crushed by a tidal wave and you are drowning. You keep trying to swim up to the surface, but the water keeps rising higher. This can mean that you are going under emotional stress. You could be going through a life change that you are not ready for which is the same as being unexpectedly hit by a wave. This dream is telling you how important it is to stay afloat and to rise above any waves that head towards your path.
Being Laughed at
Another dream you may be having is that you are being laughed at by everyone. It can be when you are in the company of your friends and family. It can also mean performance anxiety where it is your big moment in front of a crowd and the thanks that you get from the audience is a mockery. This dream shows you that you have insecurities and fears of being embarrassed. You know that you tend to stand out from the crowd and that you are different than others in your social circle. Instead of feeling proud about being yourself, you feel like people will punish you for it before they say or do anything.
No Control
You could be having dreams of the worst-case scenario occurring for everything that is going on for you. You could have a dream that your romantic partner breaks up with you and finds someone new. You could dream that you have been missing a number of shifts, leading you to be fired. This could mean that you are afraid of having anything good happen to you because you feel like it is too good to be true. You have no control in your dreams as you are watching everything slip away from you. You fear that the same is true for your life.
Naked in Public
It is a classic dream to speak to a big group of people only to discover that you are not wearing clothes. This can mean that you are feeling vulnerable and wish to have privacy. You feel like no matter who you are speaking to, people are trying to dig too deep into your personal life instead of leaving you alone. The best thing that you can do about all of these anxiety dreams is to speak to someone about them. As soon as you are feeling any moments of discomfort, that is the time to tell someone instead of waiting right before you go to bed or in the middle of the night. Every time you have the same dreams, write them down in a journal to read to your therapist. By talking out your nightmares, you will see that you can tackle them all when you are awake.
Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress-reducing techniques centered around a 12-Step network, you will ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
