Dreams !! | ADHD Information
I've always had vivid dreams, but perhaps they are even more so now that I'm on meds. Have always made those sleeping hours in my life just as or even more interesting than my waking hours. How about you folks?Have any of you had dreams you weren't sure you dreamed or they really happened?
I stopped dreaming about age 25, however most of my childhood I had this recurrent dream I could fly super-man style over piles of laundry on my parents basement laundry room floor. On occasion it might be flying over cliffs, but usually always the laundry room one. The dream came back for many years.I had a recurring dream as a child that I was going to an amusement park with my sister and two of our cousins. The park was ran by talking, walking appliances, like washing machines and such. Near the end, the machines turned evil and started chasing us. We all end up on a couch or something, and then the dream usually ended with a typewriter jumping up from behind and eating my cousin.
How's that for screwy?
But yes, Gypsy, I have always been fascinated by dreams. I kept a dream diary for awhile. My dreams are very story-like, kind of like watching a movie in my head. I used to think I could write my own books just from the ideas that came from my dreams. LOL!
Having such vivid dreams though makes the occasional nightmare all that much worse. I don't have them often... but when I do, I'm afraid to go back to sleep again for days.
Anybody notice sometimes that your dreams leave an imprint on you for the rest of the day? I've had particularly sad or stressful dreams sometimes that I can still feel emotionally for the rest of the day.
[QUOTE=Reizende]I stopped dreaming about age 25, however most of my childhood I had this recurrent dream I could fly super-man style over piles of laundry on my parents basement laundry room floor. On occasion it might be flying over cliffs, but usually always the laundry room one. The dream came back for many years.[/QUOTE]
Spookey... I never dream, except som few times I dreamt that I could fly around... that is almost the only dream I have ever had...
My dreams are extremely vivid and strange.The last dream I had went like this:
I would be thrown into a situation with other people, not knowing what was going on. People would be telling what I was supposed to do and say in a given situation. I eventually figured out that everyone was in this trap. For each person to escape, we had to play act each of several scenes perfectly without mistakes. If anyone was out of step, then everyone had to play that scene over again when it came around next time. If a particular actor was able to participate in each scene one time without any mistakes made by anyone, he would be free, and replaced by someone else who had no idea what was going on.
I had to play a construction worker, a baby, a scuba diver and a dead guy in different scenes that would start without any warning. I remember waking up in the coffin with a vail over my face and thinking, "aha, I'm the dead guy. shhh". In that instance we did the scene right, and I was proud of myself for not messing it up because I had not yet been the dead guy in that scene.
I went from not even knowing what was going on, to eventually being one of the old hands and coaching people what to do and say, in hopes they would do it right the next time around. I can't remember if I woke up before freeing myself from the trap.
[QUOTE=Taag Man]
Spookey... I never dream, except som few times I dreamt that I could fly around... that is almost the only dream I have ever had...
[/QUOTE]Dreams are different from real experiences in that they erase themselves very quickly from your memory. You almost have to write them down upon waking if you are to remember them. I have dreams every night, but by lunchtime I have no memory of the details unless it was a particularly notable dream, or I wrote it down.
[quote=bcgirl]Anybody notice sometimes that your dreams leave an imprint on you for the rest of the day? I've had particularly sad or stressful dreams sometimes that I can still feel emotionally for the rest of the day.[/quote]
Quite often, for even days sometimes the emotion remains with me. I know just what you mean.
My favorite dreams are of flying...been doing it for many years. I'm usually up above the trees where no one can see me. Think I'm trying to hide from something? Hmmm. I once read somewhere that flying dreams means your 'undersexed.' I think I enjoy flying more anyway!
At least these days.
I had a cousin who claimed she never, ever dreamed. We all dream, some just don't remember them or even remember that they dreamed at all. Too bad, in my opinion.
I sometimes prefer my dreams to wakening life. 
GypsyWomyn38456.5435532407
[QUOTE=floofthegoof]
Dreams are different from real experiences in that they erase themselves very quickly from your memory. You almost have to write them down upon waking if you are to remember them. I have dreams every night, but by lunchtime I have no memory of the details unless it was a particularly notable dream, or I wrote it down.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, I know people say that, but it is really so different with me... I just can't remember it when I wake up either...
[quote=bcgirl]I had a recurring dream as a child that I was going to an amusement park with my sister and two of our cousins. The park was ran by talking, walking appliances, like washing machines and such. Near the end, the machines turned evil and started chasing us. We all end up on a couch or something, and then the dream usually ended with a typewriter jumping up from behind and eating my cousin[/quote]Sorry about your cousin. Yes, that is a weird dream! I had a recurring dream as a child that the big 'octopus' furnace in our basement would produce lollipops....yes, lollipops...and they would chase me.
(We need a 'scared' emotiocon, too) [QUOTE=Taag Man]
Yes, I know people say that, but it is really so different with me... I just can't remember it when I wake up either...
[/QUOTE]Try it tommorow morning. If you can remember to remember, then maybe you will remember. Put a small notepad and pencil *on top* of your alarm clock shutoff so you need to deal with it. Even then, all you might remember is that you did have a dream, even if you don't remember what it was. It actually takes a bit of practice.
The most frightening dream I ever had was when I was a kid. It was one of those 'double dreams' where you think you have woken up when you haven't.
I used to be kinda freaked out by 'Mister Moose' from the Captain Kangaroo Show. I had this dream where he had gigantic daggerlike teeth, and would chase me from dream to dream all night long. I could always hear him coming, and I would hide somewhere until I could escape to the next dream. Finally, he came very close to catching me, and I woke up terrified and sat up in my bed.
As I sat there, I looked towards the window next to my bed at the streetlight outside, and his silhouette popped up and I saw him *right next to my bed*! I went screaming into my parents bedroom. You know how Shaggy and Scooby Doo run in place in mid air for a second when something scares them? I actually did that.
A couple of nights ago I dreamed I was being chased by a cop on a bicycle. His bicycle had sirens and flashing lights, and he was pedalling like Hell after me. I don't remember if he caught me or not.
Mark -
Im not much of a dreamer now that i am grown but i remember this dream i used to have all the time,it was weird.I was sleeping on the landing to a set of stairs(in my dream),and I would be there sleeping and i would fall off into a deep dark basement.Weird i know but it was a dream i had often as a child.Sandra
I have some friends that are on "the patch" for smoking and they say their dreams are insanely vivid and cool. I don't smoke but I think I'm gonna go on the patch now. Ha ha ha.
I have some really vivid dreams, some of them nightmares on occasion, manytimes just odd.
but
The biggest problem for me is not the dream, but that I don't realize I am out of the dream when I come to, sometimes I am standing or saying something. It drives my wife nuts, because it wakes her. I heard once that when you dream your body is chemically paralized so you don't hurt yourserf, but when you wake it goes away really fast. THis doesn't seem to be true for me though, often I have found myself standing up after the dream is past, and I look around and crawl back into the bed.
It's really anoying, did it all my life.
I always have these dreams where either I am flying or falling. The flying ones are usually trying to get away from something. Falling ones are wierd, not really falling from anything in particular, just falling. These are the ones that wake me up, and when I do, I have this horrible sour stomach. The dreams seem so real.
Now when I was smaller, I would have really disturbing dreams. Now this is gross, but I'll tell ya. When I was younger my mom was always yelling at me. I used to think she was so mean. Well, I would have dreams that she would chase me with a knife, I would fall down, and then she would cut me lentghwise from my neck down to my crotch. Kinda scarey, huh? I grew out of thise dreams. My mom is not a bad person. I guess that is the way I perceived her at such a young age. Its funny how impressionable you are as a kid.
[QUOTE=floofthegoof]The most frightening dream I ever had was when I was a kid. It was one of those 'double dreams' where you think you have woken up when you haven't.[/QUOTE]
THESE really mess me up. This happens to me every few months or so. The first time I remember it happening, I was in university. I "woke up" one morning and I was paralised. I could not get out of bed, or even move my arms or legs. I started screaming for my sister (we shared a room), but she wouldn't answer me. Then... I woke up again. I thought "oh... it was just a dream..." BUT I STILL COULDN'T MOVE. I managed to shake my legs and kind of stamp them up and down in my bed, and I heard a voice out in the hallway yelling "earthquake!" Then I finally woke up for real - I sat up as fast as I could and made sure I was actually awake - I pinched myself, I clutched at the wall, I called out to my sister and asked her if I was awake - I must have looked like I'd gone crazy!
It's strange - each time it happens, I am always in my own bed. And I often can't move. When I can, I often get up and even make as far as the shower before I wake up for real. It's very disorienting.
I have always had flying dreams, too.
I have lots of recurring dreams. Wierdly, they've either started changing or some have gone away completely now that I've started therapy!
I have one where I'm at a buffet and get there too late to eat, or I'm waiting for a very late friend, or suddenly I realize I'm not wearing any clothes, etc. Whatever the reason, I cant eat all the amazing food that everyone else seems to be sitting down eating. The first time I had the dream after getting diagnosed, I got there too late to eat, but instead of giving up, I reached over into a table full of creme pies reserved for a catering affair and took a big swipe of topping with my finger and stuffed it into my mouth. The next time I had the dream, I stole some food from under the sneeze guard (always a slice of cream pie, for some reason). The next time, I refused to wait in the long line for food bc they were going to close down- they sent security after me but I got away with the pie. And the dream escalated until I stopped having it entirely.
Same thing with a dream about going to the amusement park and not being able to go on rides bc I'm with someone who doesnt want to ride. Last time I had the dream, I told her I was going anyway and hit the rollercoasters like everyone else- goodbye dream!
I guess I've always known unconciously that something was holding me back from "eating the goodies" and "riding the fun rides" that everyone else did, but never knew what- now I know.There is more to this concious, preconcious, and subconcious thoughts that we or most in the psychology profession understand. Call it crazy, but if we as children, develop our subconcious before we have much awarenss of our concious, so as I ramble on, things are established before we even understand the world around us. Our sub has to be the "hard drive" of our life, everything is stored in it, and our dreams can be any combo of the hard drives memory, only a small portion makes it to the concious part of our world. The most recent dream could have been triggered by an event in your day that you never even comprehended, but your sub did. Therefore, by translating your dreams, you are entering what very well could be your soul. Now I have a headache. I don't know if that makes sense, it does to me.
hey kiddo, i'm not sure sure how old you are now, i assume not 13, maybe mid-20's i'd be curious how far back you remember anything about your life? for me it's about 4. anyway, the ages of around 7-12 are major in our mind development and most social interaction begins, relationship stuff. this link isn't the answer, but it's a direction, if you care to dive in.
as far as why your dreams are you as a kid, it could mean a bunch of things. if anything happened during that time, like a trauma or life changing event, it wouldn't make more sense. otherwise, more info would be needed.
enter at your own risk.......it's a deep topic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosoc ial_development
this quote fit's our post's...................
A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. --Albert Einstein
As a child I would try to fly, and was so disappointed when I couldn't get far. Glad I finally got off! At least you have an idea of what it's like to be up there somewhat. OR Perhaps you don't really want to let go of what you're life has been like???? [QUOTE=shock] I have some friends that are on "the patch" for smoking and they say their dreams are insanely vivid and cool. I don't smoke but I think I'm
gonna go on the patch now. Ha ha ha.[/QUOTE]
Shock...are you on meds for AD/HD? I really think these meds will give you the vivid dreams you are looking for. I know you're kidding about the 'patch'... at least I hope so...wouldn't want you to start craving nicotine.
[quote=ChosenOne]A couple more things; Depressed poeple dream more, older poeple less, and dreaming may begin in the womb........ [/quote]
Now, what constitutes 'older people' I wonder? I'm 55 and I dream as strong and frequent as ever, and hope to continue to do so as I really do get older.
[quote=Reizende]Okay, the question is, why do many of us ADD people have flying dreams? 8) Seems a lot posted that here[/quote]
As ChosenOne quoted, dreams of flying may be "hidden desire to break free from your life". Since many of us AD/HDers have been so 'unhappy' most our lives living undiagnosed and not understanding why we were so 'different' or 'unaccepted' the way we were....it's understandable we've had the subconscious desire to break free of that life and dream of flying away from it all. It makes perfect sense to me. However, I really enjoy flying in my dreams and hope I continue to have these dreams....even after working with meds and improving my my life. I don't generally have flying dreams. I've had dreams where I've tried to fly, but couldn't get more than 5 or 10 feet off the ground before being pulled back. It's a strange feeling.
I've had lots of swimming dreams though. I LOVE these because I can't swim in real life. I seem to do a pretty darn good job in my dreams though.
I have nightmares. Lots and lots of nightmares lol. Was hoping I'd grow out of them but I'm 28 and they are still going strong. < =""> I just had a dream that I was in a bicycle race pedaling really fast until on of my knees busted and everyone else started beating me. I tried to continue pedaling but the knee was hurting too much and eventually just qui tthe race and went to the side.
There was a giant on the side with a huge axe. He asked me why I quit the race- he was rooting for me. I said- knee problems. He dais- "knee problems? I'll fix that!"
He took a huge swing with the axe, motioning to swing the blade at my kneecap.
I woke up just as the axe was gonna hit me with so much pain in my knee and can barely walk on it now. I injured it a few years ago muntain biking, but it has not been bothering me at all for a long time.
Just scheuled a doctor's appointment.
I would highly recommend anything on the psychologist Carl Jung. He was Freud's buddy, but had a non-sex perspective. If you are interested in getting to know yourself, this is the way. One of my favorite quotes from him; Man's task is to become conscious of the contents that press upward from the unconscious. Your dreams are your sub entering your pre, which becomes your concious thoughts. Deep stuff but it's all about this life. In fact, if you study them it will help you better understand the stuff that has been sitting in your sub since childhood, and may drive you. Also, dream dictionaries are useful. Everything has a definition; Water is emotion, and flying is a hidden desire to break free from your life in someway. Most poeple don't sleep well, let alone consistantly. So it's tough to capture the info, but it's worth it to write it down. If you think about, if we use very little of our brain, our sub must hold the majority of the other space? It's all just opinion, but what isn't.ChosenOne38457.1403703704A couple more things; Depressed poeple dream more, older poeple less, and dreaming may begin in the womb........Okay, the question is, why do many of us ADD people have flying dreams? 8) Seems a lot posted that here.
[QUOTE=ChosenOne]A couple more things; Depressed poeple dream more, older poeple less, and dreaming may begin in the womb........[/QUOTE]
When I do dream, its in black and white, even though I am not color blind (like they say people who dream that way are). What does that mean?
[QUOTE=Reizende]When I do dream, its in black and white, even though I am not color blind (like they say people who dream that way are). What does that mean?
[/QUOTE]I've heard it said that everyone dreams in b&w, but I'm sure I dream in color so I can say that the saying is false.
I have one recurring falling dream that usually involves jumping on a trampoline. I'll be jumping up and down and suddenly get vaulted 1000 feet in the air, and then be terrified on the way back down.
[QUOTE=Dave2u4now]
I have some really vivid dreams, some of them nightmares on occasion, manytimes just odd.
but
The biggest problem for me is not the dream, but that I don't realize I am out of the dream when I come to, sometimes I am standing or saying something. It drives my wife nuts, because it wakes her. I heard once that when you dream your body is chemically paralized so you don't hurt yourserf, but when you wake it goes away really fast. THis doesn't seem to be true for me though, often I have found myself standing up after the dream is past, and I look around and crawl back into the bed.
It's really anoying, did it all my life.
[/QUOTE]That's interesting - you may have REM Behaviour Disorder. Check out this link:
http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.net/rem/
The section on sleep paralysis is VERY interesting - I never knew that before. No wonder I sometimes feel like I can't move when I'm pulling myself out of a dream.
Wow bcgirl, thankyou,
I had never heard of RBD before until I checked out your link. This is something I have had at a very early age, and my parents told me to stop doing it. (yea, like how) They told me it was too much TV.
Today my poor understanding wife, has to put up with my talking, thrashing, kicking, and the rest. Often I would jump up out of bed, and scream something like "We have to get out of the house" my wife would first startle, then say, Your dreaming again, lay down, often it takes a moment to realize she was right. I do this three times a week at least, LOL, umm yea I don't know why she still loves me. She's a saint. Sometimes I think/dream the house is on fire, other times there is a killer in the home, or the worst of all, something dreadful has happened to our son. I jumped out a window once in my youth, and ran right into a door, ouch...
But I never knew what it was, it just was. So thanks for the link, odd how you can help someone with the smallest things..
ON wednesday I see my Psy Doc for my ADD meds, I will talk to him about it, I have never mentiong it, was a bit ashamed.
Dave2u4now38457.7755439815Princess, I used to dream all the time that my teeth fell out, one by one. I'd wake up and check to see if they were still in because it was always so real. I suppose it's because I've had problems with my teeth forever, but recently I finally got all the top ones pulled ..and hope I don't have those dreams any more!!!There's something I always wondered about -- when you see a movie where some big creature, like Gadzilla, steps on people in its path running away from it. I used to have dreams where some big ape was chasing everyone, and squishing them.
But I always ran in the opposite direction...from where he was coming from...and always saved myself. I could never understand why all those squished people didn't think of doing that? 
Duh?
BTW, I dream in color most of the time. GypsyWomyn38457.6749768518I've had so many crazy dreams! recently though, i dreamed that I met John Kerry, the guy who ran as democrat for president lol. thought that was hilarious. it felt so real in the dream. That was the first dream I've ever dreamed about presidents and politics. Other then that I've had stupid dreams about my annoying room mate. or fun dreams about working at the restaurant I work at with friends. I used to have really bad dreams though like i was flying and then I would fall. Once in a dream I was walking around a mountain and it was so narrow and then i fell off the mountain. thousands of feet. I was screaming and in my dream i landed on my bed and was just fine. I was like "that was actually fun!" so weird lol. Have you ever had dreams where you are dreaming that you are dreaming? lol. Sometimes in my dreams I've asked myself "is this a dream?" so much crazy stuff. I've dreamed that my grandma has died a couple times. not good at all. I dreamed that my dad did also once and my cat. All separate dreams at different times of course. I dreamed that I was losing my teeth once and was panicking. They were falling out. I have the wildest imagination. yikes lol. I used to watch a lot of "Friends" TV Show and dreamed that I met all the actors/actresses. lol. Have you ever had dreams and then woken up and you dont know if it just seems familiar or if you really have had a dream like that before? so confusing. When iwas little I dreamed people were always chasing me. I rarely have nightmares anymore. Except for once I dreamed that i got in a car accident. It was soo scary! i felt so bad in it. My dad gave me this car and I'm always trying to be a very good driver. I dreamed many times about eating lol. Usually dreams are so fun! i always look forward to sleeping and dreaming but as for the nightmares, I could do without them. It's weird how some dreams just stick out and you wake up and can remember them forever and how some fade when you wake up.That's wierd about the teeth dreams. I have a recurring dream about wearing braces and the band around the molars start coming off. I do everything I can think of to keep them on, but it doesnt work. Wonder what that means? Had that dream last night.This may be a weird question but how do you guys see yourselves in your dreams. How old are you. Not sure if it is just me or not but I am always a kid in my dreams. Usually about 8 - 10 years old. I think the oldest I have ever seen myself is 12ish. Sometimes it makes sense because the dreams are about kid stuff like dreaming I was back in school etc. But other times I'm driving or doing other adult stuff yet I'm still in my little kid body. I cannot remember ever having a dream where I am an adult. Is that completely weird? I think it is.
Oh well guess it's just one more weird thing to add to my weird list.
Yes, my dreams have been vivid since on Adderall. Not in a good way. Mostly just dreams filled with anxiety and stresses. But hey, at least if I dream, I know I am asleep. I didn't sleep at all when I first started taking the med.i don't think my dreams have been affected much but I have always had dreams. when i was young, flying horses were my main dream
When I was younger, I used to dream that I was running as fast as I could in a race but only managing to move at a snails pace. Also, that something was chasing me and I started going down a flight of stairs, then jumping down over the handrails faster and faster until I was just sort of flying down with out touching the stairs at all. Or that I could float an inch off the ground if I concentrated really hard. I wish I learned to fly, it sounds wonderful!
Now I rarely remember dreams except once every couple of years I will have a dream that is extremely vivid, that seems to be sending me a message. They are very intense, and affect my mood for days or weeks afterward.
My mom has the "teeth falling out dream". She says it is not uncommon, and tends to run in families. Thank goodness I don't have it, it sounds awful!
Heh, reading about people's dreams is really cool. I actually feel like I dream less on the meds, but I think some of it may have to do with my stressful job. I'm worn out at the end of the day. Anyways, I used to have frequent flying dreams. I even had a recurring one where I could fly like a superhero (all I had to do was think about it and I'd take off). My dreams have always been super-vivid. Mostly they were related yto something that happened during the last day or so. I remember watching Saving Private Ryan and I had the most vivid dream I was in a war, complete with rifle and everything. My dreams are the main reason I cannot watch horror films. If I watch a horror movie, I won't sleep for a week. Whatever happened in that movie will permeate every dream and I'll wake up sweaty with my heart racing. I also have falling dreams a lot lately. I'll be having a "normal" dream and then I'll fall off a buildong or something and right before I hit I'll wake up in a start where my whole body jerks.
I still like the flying dreams the best. I feel like dreams seem to come more for me when I'm not stressed out from life too.
Does anyone else ever dream that you are other people?I constantly have dreams where I'm someone else- all ages, sexes, races, time periods, situations etc. The other night I dreamt I was a young boy and my giant bearded hells angel stepdad was chasing me to hurt me. Another recent one I was an elderly Jewish man during the holocost. Young girl in ancient Egypt, etc.
Kinda made me start wondering seriously about reincarnation!