>>53486287Recurring dreams can be a symptom of trauma, mental illness or a result of unresolved conflict1. The following are some of the psychological disorders associated with recurring dreams:
- **Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)**: People suffering from PTSD can often suffer from recurring dreams, which are thought of as chronic nightmares that act as a symptom of PTSD15. A study found that the degree of trauma had a positive relationship to distress related to dreams5.
- **Anxiety**: Evidence suggests that recurrent dreams occur during times of stress and once the problem has resolved they will cease to recur1. People with generalized anxiety disorder frequently have bad dreams, though the dreams may vary in content3.
- **Obsessive compulsive disorder**
- **Epilepsy**
Recurrent dreams often metaphorically reflect the emotional concerns of the dreamers. For example, dreaming about a tsunami is common following trauma or abuse. This is a typical example of a metaphor that can represent emotions of helplessness, panic or fear experienced in waking life46.
If you are distressed by or worried about your recurring dreams, it is important to speak to your doctor about your concerns. Recurring dreams may subside after a few weeks or months, but they can also be treated with various therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, imagery rehearsal therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing23.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 7/14/2023
(1) What Are Recurring Dreams? | Sleep Matters Club.
https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/recurring-dreams.
(2) Recurring dream - Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_dream.
(3) What Do Recurring Dreams Mean? | Sleep Foundation.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/dreams/dream-interpretation/recurring-dreams.
(4) The Science of Recurring Dreams Is More Fascinating Than We Ever ....
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-science-of-recurring-dreams-is-more-fascinating-than-we-ever-imagined.
(5) What's Behind Your Recurring Dreams? | Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-factory/201411/whats-behind-your-recurring-dreams.
(6) How Trauma Can Affect Dreams: How To Cope | Sleep Foundation.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/dreams/how-trauma-can-affect-dreams.