Quick Tip: Dreams Mean Literally Nothing

Dreams mean nothing, literally nothing. Dreaming about murder does not mean you are a murderer. Simple concept, but it can be especially hard for people with OCD to accept. It certainly was for me. I had to understand that it was not like I was acting on anything in my dreams, and dreams, like the OCD thoughts that cause so many problems have to be treated with indifference. Sleeping should be a restful time, but for people with OCD who value complete control over their mind, it can feel like they are letting their guard down in some way. And this can actually lead to more anxiety until the person decides to start treating their dreams as the meaningless experiences they are.

It can become even more difficult to deal with dreams when there is a physical reaction involved as well. For example, dreaming about some terrible sexual act and then waking up with an erection. That is a huge anxiety red flag as OCD is basically screaming at you saying “You dreamed about this terrible thing and then obviously this other thing was a result of it!” But just like all the other dreams, the key is to remember that dreams mean nothing and this means nothing as well. Men wake up with erections frequently (sometimes every morning) and this is a perfectly normal non-sexual occurrence. OCD is devious enough to try and take a normal bodily function and turn it into fodder for anxiety and stress. If you take only one idea away from this post, it should be this: dreams are completely random and mean nothing and understanding this truth will help reduce the role OCD can play in your life.