I very frequently have dreams about food: large quantities of food, me eating the food, even bingeing. Upon awakening, I am full of angst and guilt. The dreams are very vivid and feel totally real. I have even had dreams of my teeth falling out. Is this abnormal and what does it mean?
Dear Visitor,
We often dream about things that are subconsciously suppressed during our waking hours. If you have been experiencing a recent awareness of eating disorder issues in your life and experiencing anxiety about possible changes in your life that are needed but haven’t yet begun talking about this much with others, these dreams would be understandable. You may have much more awareness of the triggers, temptations, or effects of food fears on your everyday life but maybe aren’t expressing those verbally or in therapy.
So, the anxiety surrounding these issues could be coming out in your dreams. The fact that these are so vivid and real could be due to extreme anxiety involved with real life issues of possible bingeing, food fears, or health problems from purging. If you are being awakened by these dreams or having any kind of night terrors or nightmares that are keeping you from sleeping or getting adequate rest, you should discuss this with your primary care provider or psychiatric provider. You may have a sleep disorder, hormonal imbalances, or an anxiety disorder; all of which can be treated.
Jan