Pandemic Dreams
At this point, we’ve been living in the midst of a pandemic for almost one year! We now quarantine, work from home, teach children from home, wear masks, carry hand sanitizer, and think about how we’re going to celebrate holidays and birthdays without worrying about getting COVID-19. We also have new vocabulary that consists of “social distancing” and “quarantine fatigue.” This pandemic has created stress, anxiety, uncertainty, new losses and traumas, not to mention the buried grief and trauma it uncovered. How could all of this not infiltrate our dreams?
Sometimes a dream is just a dream.
That’s true! And, sometimes the content of our dreams is relevant to the circumstances we’re experiencing in real life.
Have you had a COVID-19-related dream yet?
I know that I’ve personally had more than one, and others I know have had them too. Some themes you may have noticed come up in your pandemic dreams include:
a dilemma involving your mask or that of others
an anxiety-provoking or uncomfortable situation related to social distancing
a fear-filled dream in which you or someone you know contracted COVID-19
a stressful dream about working from home in the pandemic
a stressful dream about parenting or teaching children from home
being put in an uncomfortable situation that puts your health at risk
If you have/had a pandemic-related dream, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the content and whether or not it relates to something you have been experiencing or feeling when you are awake. Sometimes our dreams can help us understand how we’re really feeling about something. I find that reflecting on the feeling experienced in the dream can be helpful. When your dreams do give you insight about how you’re feeling, they can help inform the decisions you’re making. For example, were you planning on going to the upcoming birthday party (despite reservations), but after having your dream, you realize that you really just need to say no? If that’s the case, you can use that information to make the decision you need to make.
How has the pandemic been affecting you?
While some have been able to navigate the many pandemic-related transitions with ease, others have experienced a serious increase in stress and anxiety. On top of that, it has resulted in multiple losses and traumatic experiences. Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that 1 in 5 people met criteria for a mental health disorder. At this time, people are reporting even higher rates of mental health concerns. People who have never sought counseling services before are now considering it due to the pandemic and the impact it’s having on them.
If you fall into that category, and realize that you have not been feeling like your usual self and that the way you are feeling is impacting your ability to function, counseling services are available. Fortunately, the counseling field has made a smooth transition to telehealth, and you can engage in counseling services from the safety and comfort from your home.
Counseling, Dreams, and Nightmares
Counseling is an opportunity to talk about any COVID-related dreams that you have been having. Together, you and your counselor can explore themes that are emerging, and the significance of what is showing up. For example, does your dream show that you are feeling really anxious about COVID-19 in general? Are your dreams showing your annoyance at people who aren’t wearing masks or who refuse to walk the right way down the grocery store aisles?
Nightmares & Trauma
It’s not uncommon for people who have experienced a traumatic event to have nightmares. For some, COVID-19 has caused people to witness trauma. Medical providers, funeral home directors, and friends and family have witnessed people die or become gravely ill from COVID. Counseling can help people who are experiencing symptoms of trauma, including nightmares. One way that we can do that is with Brainspotting, a treatment modality that we really love here at LifeSpring. In case you didn’t know that help is available for nightmares, it totally is!
So...What are your pandemic dreams telling you?
Are they raising awareness about how you’re feeling? Are they letting you know that a situation has deeply affected you? Are they giving you helpful information that can be used to make decisions that are in greater alignment with what you actually want and need? If your dreams are letting you know that you’re having a hard time, there’s help for that! Be sure to reflect and see if there’s anything useful you can glean from your pandemic dreams!
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Interested in Counseling for Coronavirus-Related Anxiety, Stress, and Worry?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Online counseling for coronavirus-related anxiety, stress, and worry aren’t the only services offered at our Maryland office
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Written By: Melissa Wesner, LCPC
Photos: cottonbro, Ketut Subiyanto, Alex Green, Saulo Zayas, and Bich Tran on Pexels
Date of Download: 2/15/2021
