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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 10:16:29
I've had a dream twice now about having live cockroaches in my mouth. The big outdoor sort that fly.
The first time, it was clearly linked to my responsibility to take care of others. I was preparing food for my family, and fortunately I started eating before everyone else, because I bit into a meat pie and got a live giant cockroach in my mouth, and more came crawling out of the pie. And there were cockroaches in another part of the dinner as well. Again, I think I ate a bite, but no one else did.
This time, there was a lot about work and things undone. And Daddy was still alive, but very ill and needed to be brought to the hospital. Someone I didn't know found a squished cockroach in their mouth, and then I realized I had a live cockroach in my mouth.
This is getting really disgusting, to wake up with the feeling I've got a live cockroach in my mouth. If there's something my subconcious is trying to tell me, I'd just as soon get the message.
Any ideas?
Posted by Tabitha on November 10, 2005, at 12:34:07
In reply to Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 10:16:29
Yuck! That does sound unpleasant for you. Er, I'll take a guess: could it refer to something ugly inside wanting to some out? Some 'unacceptable' feelings in there? Like resentment, anger, etc? And they have wings, so they could fly away if only you'd let them out. But letting them out is yucky and gross.
Posted by daisym on November 10, 2005, at 12:39:37
In reply to Re: Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Tabitha on November 10, 2005, at 12:34:07
I've heard that when everything else is annilated that only the cockroaches will be left. So perhaps this is about surviving all the hard stuff lately? And that you've had to do some gross things to protect your family, but you are doing it and living through it.
And I agree with Tabitha too, ugly stuff coming up and out.
ick. I'm sorry Dinah. I hate those kinds of dreams.
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on November 10, 2005, at 13:12:12
In reply to Re: Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by daisym on November 10, 2005, at 12:39:37
Let me preface this by saying that I like the above interpretations, and maybe believe them more than what I'm going to say. But this occured to me and I thougth I'd share. This is a "What would Freud say?" sort of answer.
The mouth may symbolize another oriface, like the vagina. So your dream may be about dark, dirty feelings about sex or sexuality. Actually, this would fit with the somewhat forbidden feelings of discussing sex or sexual abuse in therapy. That would tie in both the idea of the mouth and the vagina.
Alternatively, I suggest that you stay away from horror movies. ;)
Best,
EEP.S. I cannot believe I said "vagina" 2 times in this post (well, now 3). I'm usually so shy!
Posted by 10derHeart on November 10, 2005, at 13:34:41
In reply to Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 10:16:29
I like everyone's ideas, but....
Seems like you should really give EE's some serious thought.
I know you've connected at least one dream to something else, but I can't help but notice the "coincidence" (a concept I rarely even believe in ) around the timing of these dreams and you beginning to work on sex therapy.
Cockroaches, to many people, are one of life's most truly revolting and dirty-seeming creatures. Perhaps way, deep down you fear something will "come out" of you that is also this way, in working with the new T. (Not that there IS anything...just that maybe you fear there is...)
I also think in a way, the vast numbers and near indestructibility (a real word?) of roaches is also sort of a frightening thing. And I think you're written before the whole being a grown woman/sexuality issue has lots of frightening aspects for you??
Or - I'm just talking through my hat ;-)
Hope the dreams go away, Dinah - yuck. Do you think you'll tell either/both Ts about them?
Posted by Tamar on November 10, 2005, at 14:40:52
In reply to Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 10:16:29
What very unpleasant dreams! I’m pretty much with EE here. I think dreaming of cockroaches in your mouth symbolises talking about things you find thoroughly repulsive, and the mouth can also be a symbol of female genitalia.
The first dream, in the setting of your family, should be a comfortable atmosphere. Your family may represent aspects of yourself, or things you feel comfortable with. You try to feed your family by making dinner, but you make something that isn’t nourishing; instead it’s quite the opposite. Your trying the food before the others might suggest taking the initiative in something that disgusts you. Food in dreams can be about ideas or about comfort, but I think it’s interesting that it’s a meat pie, since meat is often symbolic of male genitalia and pie is often symbolic of female genitalia. So I think the pie represents sexual intercourse, or at least sexual activity with a man. It’s also interesting that the pie (or the meat in it) is disgusting…
The second dream, in which things are undone, seems to involve a lot if anxiety, in contrast to the first dream. Given the possible sexual theme, it’s possible that you see sex as work that isn’t being done right or finished properly. Another member of your family appears in this dream; this time it’s your father, and fathers often represent a source of something (energy? a series of events? protection?). His illness could indicate you’re uneasy about something and the hospital might represent a need for inner healing. As for the squished cockroach… well, it’s pretty hard to squish them isn’t it? I think it’s there in contrast to the live one in your mouth, which could indicate that there might be something you’d prefer to repress, or that somehow has been repressed, but can’t be repressed any longer; it has to come out somehow. If it’s about sex, maybe it’s about coming to understand why you feel the way you do about your sexuality. I think even though the imagery is nasty, these are very positive dreams because they seem to suggest some kind of emotional cleansing.
Well, those are my thoughts. I could be completely wrong of course… I hope it’s of some help.
Tamar
Posted by littleone on November 10, 2005, at 14:48:50
In reply to Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 10:16:29
I don't know about the rest of the dream, but this comment really jumped out at me:
> and fortunately I started eating before everyone else
The "fortunately" word. Like you need to rescue the others or take care of them or put their needs before your own. And not just that you felt you needed to, but that it was your responsibility, your duty to do so. That it woud be unthinkable for you *not* to do that.
Posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 19:19:50
In reply to Re: Dream analysts? Sort of gross. » Dinah, posted by littleone on November 10, 2005, at 14:48:50
Y'all have given me a lot to think about. I know that there was an underlying sense of obligations not met in both dreams, but that could be sexual or nonsexual.
I'll have to reflect on the dreams with these ideas in mind, because I'd really like to get the point of these dreams so they'll stop. And I'll bring them up with my therapist, and the sex therapist too if I decide I think it has a sexual element.
I don't know if this has an impact on the dream, but my anxiety has skyrocketed the last couple of days. So much so that I don't trust myself to post totally appropriately, so I have been trying not to post. I can't recall if the first dream came during a period of high anxiety.
Hmmm... So that means I may be afraid something disgusting (or at least inappropriate) will come out of my mouth.
Posted by Jen Star on November 10, 2005, at 23:04:24
In reply to Re: Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 19:19:50
hi Dinah,
what if you wrote the posts you really wanted to, and then deleted them? Sometimes (for me, anyway) just typing it feels better, even if I don't actually post it.If the posts are not "uncivil" in any way, what if you went ahead and posted them, just for the heck of it? Maybe this could be your "free pass" to post whatever you wanted.
Just a thought.
I hope your anxiety goes away soon.
JenStar
Posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 23:24:28
In reply to Re: Dream analysts? Sort of gross. » Dinah, posted by Jen Star on November 10, 2005, at 23:04:24
I often do that. :) It's very cathartic.
I'm not actually afraid of being uncivil, exactly.
It's just that when I get really anxious, things around me seem strange or foreign sometimes. A little tiptilted. It usually doesn't last very long, it's just a variant of derealization or depersonalization or something, and it's an anxiety symptom.
It used to scare me until my therapist pointed out what it was, and I was able to see that yes, it did accompany anxiety.
I'll be better soon, I think. Until then, if I don't sound quite like myself, that's why.
Posted by All Done on November 11, 2005, at 10:48:08
In reply to Re: Dream analysts? Sort of gross., posted by Dinah on November 10, 2005, at 19:19:50
> Hmmm... So that means I may be afraid something disgusting (or at least inappropriate) will come out of my mouth.
Hi, Dinah.This made me think about your posts where you were concerned about what or how much to disclose to T3 in your first meeting(s). Were you afraid you might say something too soon that she would perceive as disgusting or inappropriate?
Laurie
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