DEAR ABBY: Do dreams have a meaning? I have the same disturbing dream over and over again. It happens often. The scenario is the same, but the place in the dream varies. I wake up feeling anxious and can't fall back to sleep.
Do you have any advice or suggestion on what I can do about this? You have helped many people; can you help me? -- SLEEPLESS IN KANSAS CITY
DEAR SLEEPLESS: Some dreams have a "meaning" -- others do not. Your dream may be an attempt by your subconscious to work through something in your life that you haven't been able to resolve consciously, which is why the dream is recurring.
However, it's important that you understand that dreams usually aren't literal. An example would be a person who dreams he or she is naked in a public place. It could be caused by fear of "exposure" of some secret, or wish fulfillment having completed a successful diet and exercise program. Because the dream is causing sleeplessness and anxiety, it may help to discuss it with a psychologist. Just talking about it may help the problem go away.