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Common Divorce-Related Dreams and What They Mean

Getting a restful night’s sleep while you’re going through or contemplating divorce can be challenging. You’re likely tossing and turning or having more vivid dreams during REM sleep than usual. Dreams or night terrors during divorce can add to your anxiety or be enlightening. 

Or perhaps you stumbled across this blog because you’ve been dreaming about divorce – but that’s disturbing because you are happy in your relationship or you are a single person. The truth is, dreams can be incredibly symbolic, revealing our deepest thoughts and feelings. Or, they can be random collections of memories and images that crept into our subconscious.

So, how do you know if your latest dreams are trying to tell you something or are just the result of perhaps a big meal or an intense TV show before bed? Read on to learn more about how to interpret your dreams.

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What does it mean if you dream about divorce?

Like all divorce themes, dreaming about divorce might represent your current circumstances. If you’re thinking about or going through the divorce process, you are likely trying to process things as you sleep – so you dream about it. You might be trying to get part of the process done, or are having trouble understanding something and thus try to make sense of it in your dreams.

You might also be confronting a fear, either of losing your spouse or of staying in a marriage that isn’t working out. If you are single, you may simply be afraid of being left or alone. If you dream about your parents, family members or other loved ones getting divorced, it may symbolize your fear of losing a source of support. 

Dream Moods suggests that if you dream about divorce, you may need to access and reprioritize things in your life. You might need to separate from something that isn’t working in your life. That might not be your spouse – it could be someone else, a job, your living situation, or even a bad personal habit. It might also mean that you are not happy with a component of your relationship and should work on it, ideally by talking through it with your partner.

What are some common dreams about divorce?

There are several common scenarios in dreams of divorce. Here are their possible meanings beyond simply processing your current circumstances, feelings, and desires.

  • Your spouse or partner wants to divorce you or break up: You are moving into a new step or phase of your relationship. Some key relationship is changing.
  • You tell your spouse you want a divorce: There is something you need or want to let go of.
  • You are getting divorced while pregnant: Usually, this means a life change or period of growth and creativity. You are going in a new direction or want to pursue a new idea or goal. If there is trouble with the pregnancy, you may feel that a goal or idea is out of reach or that you have failed.
  • You’re confused about if you are really getting divorced: You may be in denial about some aspect of your divorce. Perhaps there is one conflict you are unable to reach an agreement about or something that seems nonsensical to you.
  • Your spouse takes your kids or pets from you: Your childlike qualities are being scrutinized, or you feel a loss of innocence. You may be feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities or that you lack control over your circumstances.
  • You or your spouse are hiding things: Someone may be withholding information or being dishonest. This dream reveals feelings of guilt.
  • You regret your divorce: Disappointments are consuming you. You need to work through overcoming a loss or failure (real or perceived).

Meaningful dream symbols and themes during divorce

If you’re getting a divorce or thinking about ending your marriage, you might dream about the following themes or symbols. Here are their possible interpretations beyond a literal translation of what a dream means.

  • You are paralyzed, frozen, stuck, imprisoned, or trapped: Something is not fully developed or is outdated, or you feel rejected or suppressed. 
  • You are being attacked, hurt, or in danger: You need to be more cautious. It can also mean your negativity toward something or someone is preventing you from moving forward.
  • You are alone, lost, or secluded: Feeling rejected or misunderstood.
  • Your spouse is ill, dying, or dead: Grief or facing a loss. It can also mean that you feel you lack a personality trait or quality about this person that you admire. It usually means that you are feeling the lack of this person’s presence in your life.
  • Your spouse is cheating on you: Compromised standards or morals are weighing on you. Your self-esteem has been damaged or you are feeling mistreated (it can also just stem from paranoia). 
  • You’re in love with or sexually intimate with someone other than your partner: You want to explore your sexuality or have closer connections with others. You long for intimacy or closer relationships.

    What should I do about my dreams?

The truth is, dreams are entirely subjective. You can’t possibly clearly recall everything about them. It’s more about what you remember after it’s over and your emotional reaction to it. Your dreams only have power if you decide to give it meaning in your life.

You might find that journaling about your dreams helps you make decisions. Writing out the details of the dream can help support your mental health when you have a bad dream and then have trouble falling back to sleep in the middle of the night.

Or, you might decide it’s all just random and means nothing in real life. Only you can decide whether to give them meaning. Sleep well and remember: this is temporary.

Need help knowing your options for moving forward? Schedule a free 15-minute call with a member of our caring, experienced team today.

Resource

What Do Dreams Mean? ClevelandClinic.org.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Head of Content
Communication, Relationships, Personal Growth, Mental Health
As Hello Divorce's Head of Content, Katie is dedicated to breaking down the stress and mess of divorce into clear, helpful content that delivers hope rather than fear. Katie most often writes about the emotional toll of divorce, self-care and mindfulness, and effective communication. Katie has 20+ years of experience in content development and management, specializing in compelling consumer-facing content that helps people live better lives. She has a Master's in Media Studies from the University of Wisconsin. Katie lives in Texas with her husband and two adorable cats, and you can find her hiking and bird watching in her free time.