10 dream scenarios that speak of constant anxiety

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Tsunamis seen at night, monsters, lost teeth and uncontrollable cars can clarify the nature of your stress.

When we sleep, we are not just passed out. Sleep is one of the mechanisms by which our brain processes emotions, experiences that have accumulated over a day, week or other period. Therefore, according to the content of dreams, in some cases, one can judge the general psychological state of a person.

Here are common dream scenarios that indicate that stress is in the first place in your life at the moment. And we have to do something about it.

1. You are being chased and there is no way to escape

Usually this dream looks like this. Someone is chasing you, you notice the threat in time and run - but suddenly you seem to be in jelly. Legs and arms move like in slow motion video, although you put in tremendous effort to accelerate. Meanwhile, the pursuer is getting closer and closer.

There may be other options for this nightmare. For example, you find a stone behind which you are trying to hide from a threat, but it turns out to be too small to hide you. Or you are surrounded by monsters and zombies: at first there are not many of them and you manage to escape, but with each dash forward, the monsters become more and more, and their circle shrinks.

Such a dream in any of the variations means one thing: in real life, too many problems have fallen on you.

Connie L. Habash Family therapist and author of Awakening from Worry.

When we unsuccessfully try to cope with stressors and anxieties, they appear in dreams in the form of a persecutor, from whom we cannot escape.

What to do

First of all, honestly admit the problem. Yes, probably in real life you have taken on too much and now your resources are close to zero. There is only one way out: to reduce the load.

Give up those things and worries that you can refuse. If possible, delegate some of your responsibilities to someone else: relatives, colleagues. Ask your friends for help. Highlight the key and secondary concerns among the concerns - those that can wait.

For example, if you have an important exam, you should focus on it, temporarily postponing less important tasks like cleaning or the need to help relatives in the country.

By the way, in a dream, an honest meeting with the one who (or what) is following you helps to get rid of fear. If you manage to remember yourself during the dream, stop and turn face to face to the monster. The darkness will dissipate.

2. Your teeth are falling out

According to the study, tooth loss is one of the most common dreaming topics. It is assumed that such images are associated with feelings about their place in the social hierarchy, as well as with the fear of rejection.

Connie L. Habash

Losing teeth, we seem to lose the opportunity to "bite off life", to defend ourselves. This is an experience of powerlessness.

What to do

Look for ways to become stronger, to take back control of your own life. Remember: "teeth" - those allegorical ones with which you can "bite off" a piece of life - are always with you, in your mind. And if you are concerned about the health of ordinary teeth, contact your dentist. By the way, this is also a way to become more confident.

3. You find yourself naked in public

You are standing on the stage - spotlights, thousands of eyes looking at you - and suddenly you remember that you forgot to put on your pants. Or find yourself walking in a crowd in the city center. At some point, passers-by suddenly begin to make way, looking at you in bewilderment, and you are naked!

Such dreams can mean that you are stressed and anxious about your physical disabilities, whether real or imagined.

Alternatively, you feel vulnerable. Are you worried that others may expose you - guess that you are not at all the person you are trying to seem.

What to do

Look for a friend you can confide in. Who will listen to you, support you, provide you with a sense of security. Heart-to-heart conversations and friendly support can help you feel less vulnerable.

If you don't have a close friend, find a therapist. The specialist will give you the opportunity to speak out and teach you to find support within yourself.

4. You fall into the abyss

The circumstances of the fall may vary. Someone dreams of a steep staircase, from which he suddenly flies down, having stumbled. Someone is balancing on a rope and cannot maintain balance in a gust of wind. Someone jumps off a cliff, hoping to take off, but instead falls into an abyss.

According to a study published on the Dream Dictionary website, the average person dreams of falling from a height and dying more than five times during their lifetime. This topic speaks of insecurity, loss of landmarks and ground underfoot.

What to do

To regain a sense of control over your own life. Remember that only you decide with whom to communicate, where to work, what to do, how to live in general.

5. A tsunami is approaching you

As the website The Dream Well, which specializes in the study of dreams, explains, water can be viewed as a symbol of emotions, feelings. In this regard, dreams of an impending tsunami indicate that feelings are getting out of control. Some changes in your life - whether they have happened or are just coming - are a shock to you, and you cannot cope with the experience. Although, you may be trying very hard.

What to do

Learn to relieve mental stress. For example, try meditating before bed.

6. You see the end of the world

Apocalyptic nightmares are like tsunami dreams: they also indicate that you, apparently, are faced with changes that threaten to destroy your life.

What to do

In this case, there are no simple universal recommendations. Only you know what kind of events caused your brain to worry about the coming changes. By the way, maybe, at first glance, nothing special happens in your life, and the need for changes is caused by internal dissatisfaction.

Be that as it may, it is worth understanding yourself, listening to your feelings and expectations. It is best to do this with a therapist.

7. You forget something important

A classic example: a dream about an exam in which you find that you do not remember the correct answer. Or, for example, an image with a performance in which you have the main role: you are standing on stage in front of the audience, you have to say something - but you have forgotten all your lines.

Such dreams indicate that you are overwhelmed with external information. Perhaps this is due to the fact that too many worries have fallen on you and your brain is lost, not knowing what to grab at first.

What to do

Analyze your employment. Chances are, you are really overwhelmed. If so, try delegating some of the tasks to other people. If possible, take a day off or a mini-vacation for at least a couple of days. This will give you the breathing space you need and help you figure out which tasks are top priority and which can be postponed.

8. You are disastrously late

Such a dream may mean that in real life you are afraid of missing out on some important opportunity. Or you just realize that you have too little time left to complete everything that you planned.

What to do

Remember, this is just a dream. In real life, you may well avoid being late: use alarms and organizers, leave the house well in advance, and do not plan several important things at the same time.

9. You lose control of the situation

You are driving a car, but at some point it stops responding to the turns of the steering wheel and pedals and starts to go on its own, and not on the route you specified. Or another option: you are in the passenger seat in a car driven by a shadow in a black raincoat.

No matter how it looks, such a dream means one thing: you are letting someone else control your life. For example, because you are simply afraid to take responsibility.

What to do

Relax: this is just a dream. In reality, as an adult, you yourself choose the path you need and are ready to be responsible for your choice. If this is not the case and you are afraid to "steer" your own life, you should contact a psychotherapist.

10. Everyone laughs at you

Such a dream can be a sign of insecurity in the people around you. Perhaps it seems to you that they are just waiting for you to make a mistake or take an imprudent step. Lack of support and the constant expectation of being stabbed in the back makes you live in constant debilitating anxiety. It also manifests itself in a dream.

What to do

Analyze your real life: do you really not trust the people around you? If this is not the case and there are enough reliable loved ones around you, then a dream is just a dream. But if you come to the conclusion that you really constantly expect some kind of setup from others, you need to figure out why this happened. The most effective way to do this is in consultation with a psychotherapist.