Does this mean anything?

[Amy_Lisa]

So, I've been wondering about this for a while. There are multiple times when I am scared to be alone with my dad or hug/kiss him. I was nervous to spend the night there when I was younger because I would often hear him say my name in his sleep. I also have been afraid of older men for as long as I can remember. Does this mean anything? I feel like something happened when I was younger, but I really don't know/if it was my dad.

 

[James McGregor]

So, I've been wondering about this for a while. There are multiple times when I am scared to be alone...

With the absence of any specific memory, then no it probably doesn't mean what you imagine it might. The danger with feelings is trying to find memories to justify them, that's not good for anyone. General free floating anxiety can make anyone feel uncomfortable with people close to us, it can make us not like closeness which then feels bad when someone tries to show affection, we then feel strange about that and try to fill in the blanks. Try not to over analyise it, it is what it is, a feeling - sometimes we never work out why, and that's ok

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Agree. Don't fill in blanks with stuff. I did that and ended up with a false memory all done unintentially by me and reinforced by bad "therapists".

Think of it like ripped up picture. The pieces can be seen several different ways. All wrong of what the picture actually is.

Maybe he is saying your name in his sleep because he is having a nightmate of you getting hurt. Or maybe he is just dreaming of having an innocent good time with you. Out doing something innocent that parents do with their kids. Maybe it is just a weird dream where you play a part in it. We all have weird dreams that doesn't make sense or could never really happen in real life. Like flying or whatever. Still innocent. You cannot fill in "oh, he did something to me and now dreaming of it" as that likely isn't true.

Many people feel weird being close with their parents. Many teenagers or young adults feel weird about hugs from and being close to their parents without having been abused by said parent.

Don't fill in what's not there. There are a millon innocent reasons for these things.