It would be absolutely fascinating to see if you could use your lucidity to find out why you have those reocurring problems/weaknesses in your dreams. It seems like they would have some meaning.

Anyway, using any dreamsign like that definitely helps you become lucid if you RC at them. Some people use nightmares to become lucid. Personally, I'd have dreams of being chased when I was younger, and it always felt like I was running in molasses. Eventually I figured out the pattern and started RCing when it happened. Then I could just jump up and fly away.