dreams

I've had several vivid dreams about my father (my abuser) recently. In one of them, a long, extended dream, I kept running away, trying to find a safe place to sleep. Dad kept tracking me down, no matter how far I ran or where I tried to hide.

Dad used to wake me up from my sleep. I would beg him not to. He said he did it to find out if I was still breathing.

My wife tells me that having dreams like this is one way for our minds to deal with things that they might not be able to deal with consciously. I think she's right.