Crazy emotional dreams

I have had nightmares or what I call "stress dreams" since I was in college. That's nothing new. However, I've noticed here in my early recovery, that my dreams are much more emotional. I've had dreams where I have cried or screamed before, but these will be like huge huge sobs and blood curdling screams. Fortunately I haven't woken up doing either of those things let to scare my household!

Generally my dreams are more about anxiety (those still happen) but this is definitely a change I've seen with both the frequency and intensity of these emotions, and I am trying to take notice and consider what they mean. I'm hoping this is a good change where things are coming up from the unconscious to process.

Has anyone else had this experience and any wisdom you can impart from this change when you were doing the work?

 

I think this is always a good sign!… And it’s the goal of healing from TMS. The subconscious is like a bubbling cauldron with a metal lid on top. When we dream, the lid cracks a little, and if we’re ready to process some of that stuff, it bubbles up. Better on the surface than down in there wrecking havoc!

 

It is really common for people with TMS to have far worse symptoms in the middle of the night as the subconscious rises up to break the conscious surface. Got to give you symptoms to stop the emotions!

Now that you are starting to recover and actively working with your emotions, your subconscious is more open to allowing these intense feelings to rise up. This is the point of TMS healing - replacing the symptoms with the insight that it is actually an emotion. So as Diana said - it is a great sign you are on the right track towards healing!

 

I'm a couple of weeks into the SEP program and have definitely noticed the same thing. I don't always remember my dreams but the last few weeks I have been, and they are very dark and creepy. They don't seem to match what I'm consciously working through with the journaling, and I'm curious if they are trying to bring things up for me that I've buried so deeply I'm not even aware of on a conscious level. No wisdom to impart here, just support that you're definitely not alone!