Dreamwork

[Secret]

I was thinking that we could start working with our dreams, to ask them to reveal possible enlightenment in regrd to quitting. I had a dream the other night that I had a giant ball full of liquid. It was like a blister and I was getting all the fluid out, and because I haven't picked on myself in a while, I'm thinking this is a withdrawl dream, like a dream of compensation. Anyway, I figure we can incubate dreams, have a discussion on line as to what they might mean, how they might relate to our disorder etc.

[Lucy]

Yeah, I have dreams like that too. I haven't picked in a while (just little, really little things) Not much to break skin though. Yeah I think it is about withdrawl too. That's a great idea though. I've always thought dreams were a way of your mind telling you things that you cannot think while awake or really don't want to admit. Like that we are afraid of the withdrawl and it will happen (I am ) I think to realize it while you are awake is good and to get to know your fears and feelings about this disorder.

Lucy

[Secret]

I tottally agree, dreams bring the dark truth...which is always the light.

[Teresa =)]

hi
welñl my dad can understand dreams and all that cause he loved it and studied it... sooo i will please to help
kisses
Teresa

[scarreddaisy]

I think that I have really had only one pickign dream... all the rest are really really violent... It's most likely all my botteled up aggression that is being expressed in my dreams... Its strange... Maybe picking is a form of aggression against myself? who knows... im just a crazy picker person..

[Secret]

Daisy, I think you might have hit the nail on the head. I know a lot of my dreams tend to be violent, and that part of the reason I pick is to release my aggressions. I don't know, you should tell one of your violent dreams. They could mean a host of things. Sometimes my violent dreams signify that I'm depressed or have bleeding emotions. I had a lot of violent dreams before I came to terms with the fact that I'm a compulsive skin picker, but I think that for me they mostly mean there is something inside me that might be killing me, or that I may have killed off a worthy aspect of myself, or a worthy aspect of my life in general.

[Watercracker]

I've been having frightening dreams for well over three years. Usually dreams where somthing horrible and unknown is chasing me. I've invested some thought into the fact that my dreams really are paralleling my emotions. I am afraid of fear.
I've always been a terrified person. I was always afraid something bad was going to happen. Even if I know my line of thinking is not based in reality. I still get these thoughts.
When I pick, I'm releasing tension, I'm picking for that release before my thoughts get too tense.
So what will happen if I face my nightmare? I haven't been able to yet! Any suggestions?

[angelkiss]

since i started taking Lexapro, I have been having weird, creepy, vivid nightmares. every time my doctor increases the dosage, the dreams come back and are more vivid. i lash out and kick and scream in my sleep almost every night and wake up in a sweat.

last night, i have a very very creepy dream that maybe you guys can help me understand...i was on vacation with my family and there was something wrong with me, but nobody knew what it was or why it was happening. my entire face would swell up and become ugly and my eyes would swell and dark circles would form around them. then soon my whole body would start to swell. i thought i was dying. i was upset, hysterical, and crying.

Then we found that there was one thing that would make the symptoms go away for a few hours--it was called ASP. I don't know what it was called that for, but it was some kind of acid bath that would burn my skin off. Every couple of hours, my face would start to tingle and go numb and i knew the symptoms were coming back and I needed more ASP.

Well, eventually, I was told that ASP was dangerous and was being taken off the market. I could no longer get ASP. The next thing I remember from my dream is walking into the bathroom and finding my dead, bloated body lying on the floor.

How gross. What the hell does that mean??

[Secret]

Whoa, Angelkiss, quite a dream! I think it has to do with the dark side of who you are... hidden in your subconsiouse. Something in your life needs attention. It's possible that you're really sensitive to the pain of the world, and this shows up in your dreams too. Your health is probably causing you a lot of stress in your life. You gave yourself this bad dream for a reason. Maybe you fear that your place in the world is shifting, that you might be out of control or powerless. It sounds like your self confidance might be being put throught the meat grinder. I seriousley feel you need to take stock of your physical health, maybe take a look at what's unhealthy in your life. How are you feeling? Maybe you should get a medical checkup. Maybe you feel guilty about not meeting some internal or external demands. It sounds like you need to take a load off. It sounds like you have some deep, fearful, and bad feelings. Because you're on vacation, it may be suggesting that this is a transitional period that you have arrived at. This is the present circumstance, but it won't last forever. It also sounds like you might have some body image issues. You might feel a need to rid yourself of something, to find peace by putting a part of yourself to rest....just some ideas.