THE CORRECT ANSWER IS... B. The family
Hi Amanda—
Dreams of using again—of having a drink or of taking drugs—are common among people who have made a conscious effort to stop. You don’t tell us the history of your alcohol use, but your dream may reflect your desire to drink again—or fears that you will drink in the future.
Because your personal life is about to be “tried in public,” it comes as little surprise that you are dreaming that your behavior being is scrutinized and “judged.” The “family dog” that acts like a watchdog in your dream represents your awareness that your family is “watching over” your behavior. Once your mother sniffs you and learns that you have been drinking, a secret conference is held (your mother whispers something to your stepfather),and the family decides that they will take you home—like a misbehaving child.
Because a drunk driving charge inevitably is a public matter (in addition to appearing in court, you lose your license and must rely on friends and family members for rides) your dream reflects your family’s involvement in and monitoring of your progress. In a significant twist in the dream, however, your sister emerges as the owner of the watchdog, and she appears wearing a disguise. The meaning of her camouflaged appearance is plain: throughout the ordeal, you feel your sister has been presenting you with a “false appearance.” Your family designated her to “watch over you,” and her behavior feels like a betrayal.
Actions always speak louder than words. During a difficult period in your life, you deserve congratulations on your year of sobriety, and you deserve to feel proud of yourself. Now is the time to let your actions, and the thoughtful decisions you make, to speak for you in your relations—both with your family, and with the court. As you continue to prove yourself on a daily basis—to yourself first, to others second—your memory of your “public examination” will recede into your emotional past, as an event that warned you as you headed off course, and that helped define your goals and values for the future.
Dear Dream Doctor—
You are so good at sifting through the details.
As for my sister, she hasn’t been appointed the family watchdog as much as she has elected herself to judge me and not speak to me over the past few months. I have had a huge problem with her criticism of me in that she, too, has a drinking problem—and should be the last person casting judgment.
Since she hasn’t had any legal repercussions herself she has had a “holier than thou attitude” and never ceases to remind everyone of my problems, especially at family get-togethers. At her wedding, she was so drunk she threw me in the pool with my dress on. She has often put my candle out to make hers shine brighter, and all of my friends and former boyfriends have observed that she is jealous of me to the extreme.
Thank you for your kind words.
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