I have been having elevated anxiety for the last few days, just feeling jittery adn restless and worrying a lot about every little thing. Normally when I'm anxious, I fixate on one worry and go over and over in my mind. Now I just can't focus on anything at all.
I haven't been sleeping well and have bad dreams, which is not uncommon for me when I'm anxious. Usually I have repetive anxious dreams in which something is upsetting me and it replays over and over (ie, i can't find something, or someone keeps repeating something to me and I can't understand it, etc). Last night, however, I had these very vivid, very violent dreams. I mean first my sister and I were fighting and she was trying to kill me with a broom (haha its funny now but it was scary in the dream), then my bedroom was filling up with water and I couldn't get out, then I was trapped in my office and this crazy guy with a gun was shooting everyone outside and then banging on my door to get in. Whew, I barely got a lick of sleep I kept waking up and going back to sleep, don't know why I didn't just get up out of bed. I don't know where that violent stuff was coming from but man it was scary. Even when I've had nightmares in the past it was more creepy and unsettling than violent.
I hope it is a one time thing is all I can say.
I do hope it was a one time thing for you. Violent dreams are scary. I know when I have had violent dreams, the images can stay with me for a long time and it is hard to shake. You feel as if you went through the experience in "real life" rather than in "dream world."
Although I don't normally interpret dreams, I wonder what you are going through in your life. What is it that you are afraid is going to hurt you - physically, emotionally, financially, etc? I do know that many experts say that everyone in your dream represents some part of you or some emotion, they don't represent themselves. Killing you could also represent something that you are afraid to let go of or something that you feel is getting away from you.
I hope you are feeling better now and can get a good nights sleep.
Eileen
It doesn't appear to be a recurring thing thank goodness. I still am having some trouble sleeping but my dreams are more anxious than violent, though still vivid. I have been pretty anxious lately but it seems pretty generalized, I don't have that one thing that is weighing on me like usual. However, I have been having a lot of "self-loathing" I find. I just feel like everyone thinks I'm a loser and I think it about myself, and I find I am so overly sensitive to every glance or nuance of tone in people's voices. I'm not one to interpret dreams either, but it is interesting to note that all the violence in my dreams is directed at me, never the other way around.
I am glad that the dreams are not recurring.
You mention that you believe people around you think you are a loser and so do you. It sounds as if that may be what your dreams are about, you are dreaming about attacks on you as a person.
Please know that I don't think you are a loser. I believe in you. You are accepted here and welcome to come and browse or post, whatever you feel you need. Have you considered talking with a therapist to work out some of the issues you are having and to help increase your self-esteem? This might be helpful.
Eileen