When the lines between dreams and life blur...?

[SunshineCupcake]

This might sound a little convoluted but... Lately I've been having these memories of events or conversations or even just reading something and I don't know if they are "real" or from mundane dreams. I'm starting to think I may be losing my grip on reality, and I just can't tell the difference between dream and real memories sometimes... Has anyone else had this happen? Is there anyway to learn to tell the difference? I'm not...cracking up or anything am I?

[DNK]

Well, over the years there have been a few cases in my own life where I've gotten dream events mixed up with real ones. It's not very regular, but it happens every few weeks or months. I can't think of any specific examples, but it would be like, "did I see him 6 months ago or was that a dream?" Generally it's referencing something small from a long time back where I have just a slight glimmer of a thought of what I'm trying to remember, like a deja vu feeling without the deja. It's not like, "did I go to the mall yesterday or was that a dream?" though, or at least I'll quickly remember which it was if I do ask it. But if it's getting very regular or you just don't feel right, I'd see someone about it. The internet isn't the best place for medical advice.

[SunshineCupcake]

i don't really mean medically...i was more wondering whether or not this was normal, and if you can learn to tell the difference

[drewmandan]

Should a line be drawn?

[Lyikos]

This happens to me thanks to Melatonin occasionally. Not sure why, but that stuff causes me to have mundane dreams where I do things I normally would, nothing flashy, weird, or amazing. If I happen to remember such a dream it usually takes me a few minutes to realize I was dreaming.

[DNK]

Well, I've heard that confusing dream memories and waking memories can be a symptom of a certain disorder(s), although I can't remember where it was I heard that since it's been a few years since happening upon the information. Probably nothing, but if it becomes a significant problem, well, then it's a problem. Anyway, when I've started to get confused in the past, I just push myself harder to remember the actual memory. It can be a simple matter of desire and effort. The brain is funny like that. Just try it, want it, belive in it, and then put the effort in and it can work. Or not. Good luck.

[lethalagent14]

I used to have the same problem; in fact, I was so bad that I nearly drowned myself several times because I believed that I could breathe underwater, and I also convinced myself that a classmate in 5th grade had threatened me with a knife in front of the rest of the class. I eventually had to go see my councilor at school, who sent me to the school psychologist, who sent me to a real psychologist, who didn't do much. After a while I made up my own reality check-type system, then I got a computer and stumbled across all kinds of information concerning dreaming, and now I rarely have to worry about whether or not something really happened. It mostly came down to not taking my memories for granted, and spending enough time in reality to know the rules. Now when I focus on my memories and the present I can spot inconsistencies in my dream-memories with relative ease, it just takes some observation. You need to learn your own mind and what kinds of stunts it likes to pull on you, then identify and analyze them when they pop up in your memories. It just takes practice and time. And no, I doubt you're going crazy. Although, if it gets bad you may want to get some kind of professional help. Good luck.