To be this freaked out over dreams? *TW

[melononapear]

I have some fairly significant trauma in my past and I get quite a lot of nightmares.

Last night was particularly terrible.

I dreamt I was trapped in a hole on the side of a cliff and my only options were to try and break through the wall and probably fall to my death or wait for someone to rescue me. No one came and when it ended I was panicking (I am claustrophobic IRL) and desperately trying to break out because death seemed better than being stuck any longer.

Separately I dreamt I had met up with a guy for a first date. Went for a walk in the woods. He tries to rape me then strangled me and I played dead, then he buries me in the woods and of course I am being buried alive. Dream ends with me still in the hole.

I am completely freaked out now. I'm shaking and feel sick. I have an important job interview in a few hours and I can't stop crying.

How TF can I get myself together and calm down? It's just stupid dreams ffs!

By realising that dreams can never be translated literally. It's just your brain trying to process the events of your day. Being buried alive could simply mean your overwhelmed with housework or responsibilities. I have similar dreams - I'm pregnant and keep dreaming that I accidentally suffocate my baby, drop her, leave her somewhere etc. Honestly it's distressing when I wake up but I now try to smile and wonder what trivial thing it might represent. Hope that helps you

I have read that dreams are often just a way of your brain trying to process things that are happening in real life.

I am talking to a guy online and we are planning on meeting up soon so I guess I am worried that he is secretly a rapist/murderer. But other than that life is pretty easy. I have no responsibilities right now, and other than money worries nothing is particularly bothering me!

The job interview is over the phone so at least I won't have to look presentable 😂

Heavy nightmares as a result of trauma can be treated really effectively with EMDR, it’d be well worth looking into that. Obviously that’s no help for today though.

Good luck with your interview, you can do this.

I get these, I call them stress dreams. They're always when I'm stressed and in a panic.

I suspect it's because I try to bury panic in the day and remain calm/stoic and repress the stress/anxiety so it has to come out somewhere and this is its release.

Sorry, i meant to add that my guess is you're having these horrible dreams because you have a job interview soon and as you put it, it's an important one!

The nightmares are your mind interpreting your fears and feelings.

Your first one shows that you feel trapped in your life. You know that you can't just wait to be rescued, you cannot rely on others. You need to move on, but you have to take a risk to do it.

The second one also shows are reliance on others, that you feel a passenger to their whims. Deep down you don't trust others, especially men. It's interesting you play dead and end up being buried alive, it suggests that you feel unable to act and take control.

My guess is that your brain is conjuring up these rather extreme examples to tell you to take more control of your life. Being buried alive is to show you that if you don't take control, things will get more extreme, you will be less and less able to help yourself.

It may well be related to the interview - you have a (normal) fear of them. But think whether there are other areas in your life that you feel powerless in.

@skirk64 can you interpret my dream please haha... I am pregnant and keep dreaming that I have my baby but I forget about her and leave her somewhere for ages. Then I remember I should be looking after her and panic.