Question:
I was in treatment for my eating disorder and mild Bipolar Disorder. We were completing a life story and people around me were talking of repressed memories . I started to remember a dream I had of my father kissing me which really grossed me out. Someone suggested this was a drudged up memory. I spoke with my dad about it, we are very close, and he laughed. He has told me whenever I have asked that this is not reality. He suggests this was thought up after someone mentioned it to me and I was obsessing over it to answer where my Eating Disorder and Bipolar Disorder came from.
I am terrified that there is something I can’t remember and I keep obsessing about the thoughts in my head. How do I stop obsessing about this as it surly must be a false thought. I do not want to ruin my wonderful relationship with my father.
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Answer:
In the field of psychology there are many different opinions about dreams. According to psychoanalysis dreams represent the fullfilment of wishes. In other words, there may have been a time when you wished that your father had kissed you. That is very normal. Other psychologists view dreams as parts and pieces of things from the day before that were bothersome, stressful or not attended to. Perhaps there was something you did not get to because you were too busy with other things. Finally, there are those psychologists who are convinced that dreams totally meaningless and are nothing more than our nerve system twitching or getting rid of some energy while we sleep.
You are engaging in obsessive thinking. The root of obsessive thinking is anxiety. The best way to deal with obsessional thoughts is to remind yourself that your brain is playing tricks on you. In other words, your father is right, this dream is not reality. Next, replace this obsessional thought with something pleasant. Perhaps there is a wonderful place you want to travel to. Picture that place. Distract yourself from the obsessional thought with anything that is pleasant. Never try to force yourself to not think about something because the more you try to not think of something the more you will think about it.
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Eating disorders are closely related to obsessive and compulsive ways of thinking and behaving. The wish to be perfect is obsessional in nature and part of eating disorders. Bipolar Disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain. Both of these disorders have nothing to do with your father or with your relationship with him.
Imagine pleasant things, learn and use yoga and get into meditation. Exercise also helps.
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