Agoraphobic Dreams
Something I dont read much about on other sites are people with panic disorders, dreams and if they have there panic disorder while dreaming. Simply put, do you have anxious feelings while dreaming? In my case yes. Thank GOD I dont wake up with panic attacks and I feel for those who cant sleep at night because of them. When I dream, if I have to travel or walk certain distances in my dream I get anxious and have thoughts like I do when Im awake and handle it just like I would in real life by making excuses ect. but I dont ever panic. In some of my dreams people who are in my dreams sympathize with my situation.
Believe it or not it does help me realize my way of thinking, in that in my dreams I focus more on my thinking than I do when Im awake. When Im awake it seems Im trying to not focus on my thinking so much especially during panic, it has the opposite effect and I end up thinking more about it anyway. I can wake up and remember every emotion I had in the dream even if I cant really remember what the dream was about.
Also, I remember dreams where I have my agoraphobia more than other dreams, mainly because of the thoughts in the dreams and the emotion. My dreams seem to focus more on the agoraphobia than panicking, meaning if I go here or there Ill panic so just as in real life I avoid going places in my sleep. So, Im guessing if I did try and do things even in my dreams I may panic but I havent done so yet. So, I cant be sure if I would but just as in real life I avoid it in my sleep because I dont want those feelings (ie dread, fear, ect.) so I guess Ill never know.
This I do know. Just like in real life and even in my dreams, agoraphobia is a way of thinking. Of course my way of thinking would carry over into my dreams but I dont think many people think to talk about it often. Unlike what most think its not as easy as flicking a light switch on and off. You cant turn agoraphobia or panic disorder for that matter, on or off at will. This is something that affects us 24 - 7 and we rarely if ever get a break from it, even in our dreams.