The Oedipus Complex: Combat Anxiety

do Lazaro

Mrs. Estrada

English 101

8 November 2015

Combat Anxiety

What causes people to have anxiety dreams? These awful sleeping disorders can be characterized by the feelings of unease, distress, or apprehension in the dreamer upon wakening. Freud was born in Freiberg, Moravia in the Czech Republic, and eventually moved to Vienna, Austria. Freud pursued a medical career that led him to the field in neurology. In the essay, “The Oedipus Complex” Sigmund Freud describes psychoanalytic effects of the mind. Freud states, “Dreams are mental events, not necessarily connected to physical events. The repression of important emotions, a constant process, often results in dreams that express repressed feelings in a harmless and sometimes symbolic

way” (Freud 916). Freud gives fascinating examples and conclusions regarding his psychoanalytic method. He understood that dreams and real life scenarios had something that connected them together. Even though many people doubted his methods, Freud’s work contributed too many of the new aspects used in modern times. In The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud asks, “Is the dream capable of teaching us something new concerning our eternal physic processes, and can its content correct opinions which we have help during the day?” Our mental abilities work in weird and mysterious ways; the brains profound capabilities to project significant dream patterns will determine our different lifestyles. Each dream has its own way in getting their dreamers attention; it gives sufficient amount of information for the dreamer to get the concept of what they have just dreamed. As we all know, every person has different dream experiences. Some have pleasant dreams others have very disturbing dreams that make them shiver in fear. For instance, The Basic Writing of Sigmund Freud states, “It is a perfectly valid physic phenomenon, actually a wish fulfillment.” Freud suggests that people sometimes dream of the things that they desire. Unfortunately, his theories were misunderstood when it came down to unpleasant dreams. Many of our dreams can be uncertain to what they mean, but I know from experience that dreams can really alter our lifestyles. Anxiety dreams can relate to past trauma experiences; therefore, we should consider Freud’s dream analysis.
Anxiety dreams can really damage a person physically and emotionally.

I can still remember my anxiety dreams as if it was yesterday; I was twenty years old when my dreams became a reality. Nothing would ever be the same; I deployed to Afghanistan on January 2010. For some reason I was more excited to go to war than I was scared. I knew what I was about to do was for a good purpose in defending my country. Never in a million years would I have though it would end the way it did. Every time I think about those days, it brings horrible flashbacks. I resided in a Fob what we call a small compound surrounded by nothing but razor wires and sand bags. It was going to be my new home for the next couple of months. We resided in small tent cramped up with smelly marines everywhere. We began conducting operations in a small town in Afghanistan called Sangin, we were a couple months into our deployment when we began taking in casualties. I was scared and devastated by this point. My anxiety dreams began right before the end of our deployment. I would have the same dream repeatedly; I was terrified because in my dreams I saw my marines dead on the ground. It brought tears to my face; I would wake up in fear gasping for air and covered in sweat. My ego took the best of me. I pretended nothing was wrong with me, even though I was hurting from the inside. Those dreams seemed so realistic at times like if I was there in front of my marines looking at them covered in blood and bullet wounds.

I left Afghanistan alive but my anxiety dreams kept on tormenting me.
I believe dreams should not be looked upon as a negligible repetitive incident. According to The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, “Several studies have delineated a pattern of post-traumatic nightmares in which the initial dreams are fairly close to literal reenactment of the trauma an almost exact replay, sometimes with the twist that an additional horror, averted in real life, is added to the dream reenactment.” Many different aspects can characterize post-traumatic stress disorder; the most severe symptom is dream management. Dealing with this awful disease can perpetuate many un-wishful desires, which can lead to violent outbursts at any time. For instance, people who suffer from PTSD can have unwillingly mood swings, which can end up hurting his/her love ones. I believe the most dangerous part of copping with PTSD is the constant replay of the nightmares, because in a sense it restarts the problem that created it in the first place. Anxiety dreams come in many different patterns attacking the dreamers repetitive with tormenting and un-wishful desires. Many people who do not suffer from anxiety dreams can never relate to the severe anguish one has to go through. For example, Jung’s and Freud’s Contributions To dream Interpretation a Comparison states, “Dreams reveal the secrets of the inner life and the hidden factors of the personality.” The constant replay of dreams is a reminder of the things we fear or regret the most. Our unconscious memories can drift us into a distinct world, which can sometimes harm our personalities and body functions. For example, Every time I had an anxiety dream I would twitch and flinch in my sleep, but I knew I was conscious of what was happening even though I was still sleeping. All I know is that our dreams give us more than just past memory flashback, it can sometimes reveal what might happen in the future.
People who suffer from anxiety dreams should acquire medical help.

When I returned from my deployment I was fine my anxiety dreams had vanished, so I though. Weeks and Months passed, I was content with my life. One night I was watching a war movie with a lot of violence and graphic scenes. That same night my anxiety dreams returned, I could see everything again like the first time blood, guts, and my marines on the ground. I was heartbroken inside and out, but I knew I had to be strong and seek professional help. I saw a counselor the following day, which recommended me to a psychiatrist. I followed up with my psychiatrist appointment; she was a very intellectual person with a lot of patience. She helped me overcome my anxiety dreams. She explained I was suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. According to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among Navy Health Care Personnel Following Combat Deployment, “Navy health care personnel experience a confluence of multiple stressors that are associated with PTSD, such as repeated deployments, exposure to wounded/dead friendly forces, and participation in combat.” As a result, these were some of the causes of my anxiety dreams. I think what worried me the most was the fact of losing more of my Marines to war. I believe the biggest threat was the fact that I could not control any of my anxiety dreams, it was controlling me and there was no hope. I believe my dreams were trying to warn me of something tragic that was about to

happen. Once being discharged from the military, I found out two of my good friends committed suicide. I was in complete denial because I had just seen them not to long ago. This awful news frighten me because these where the men I use to see in my dreams all the time. I knew my friends suffered from PTSD, but I never thought it would take their lives. Nevertheless, I was feeling guilty because I felt I could have intervened in this tragic incident. I believe Freud’s symbolic method about dreams are real, because I have actually experienced it. Therefore, we should consider Freud’s Dream Analysis, because his methods have come a long way in helping to better understanding dreams.