Anxiety Dreams Essay

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An anxiety dream is an unpleasant dream that is less disturbing than a nightmare. Anxiety dreams are characterized by the feelings of unease, distress, or apprehension in the dreamer upon waking. Anxiety dreams occur in “rapid eye movement sleep”, and common dreams involve incomplete tasks, embarrassment, falling, or pursuit. Anxiety dreams may be caused by childhood trauma, an adult dealing with conflict, or an overload of stress. Though they create anxiety in the dreamer, anxiety dreams also serve as a way for a person's ego to re-set. Causes: Anxiety dreams often from childhood trauma. A factor in this is the developing ego of the child. This is especially true of children about one year in age. At this age anxiety dreams occur because the child's ego can't integrate his or her daily experiences. Conflict in a child’s life as well as the approaching of developmental stages can also cause anxiety dreams. For example, there may be conflict present as a child begins toilet training. A situation where you are feeling helpless or unprotected, can lead to anxiety dreams. Positive effects: Anxiety dreams have an important function. When the ego has been overworked, often the only way it can reset is when one wakes up. Anxiety dreams will build until the dreamer is forced to wake and then the ego refocuses. anxiety dreams might serve in “alerting the dreamer to a psychologically dangerous situation.” Negative effects: General anxiety is a negative effect of anxiety dreams. Individuals dealing with distress in their dreams have been found to have general anxiety more often than those who were experiencing real life events that could be equally as stressful. Common themes in anxiety dreams: Incomplete tasks are common themes in anxiety dreams. These can include situations where a suitcase has not been packed or an exam that has not been taken. Another

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