I’ve had the same basic dream over and over. The only difference is which of my friends I kill. Usually I stab them to death. Got any clue as to why?

I haven’t been in a fight with any of them. Please help me make sense of my dreams. I hope I’m not a psychopath!

—Stacey, Age 16, Single, Ontario, CANADA

Hi Stacey—

Woah! I’m not sure I’d want to hang out with you in a dark alley. I might get stabbed when I’m not looking! Ouch!

Dreams of killing people—with guns, knives, and other weapons—are strong dream symbols of aggression. Because you are killing your friends in your dream (this sounds like Scream 4), we know that occasionally you have been feeling angry with some of them. (Whichever ones you decide to kill!)

Anger is a confusing emotion, because sometimes we can be upset with someone, but we’ll be afraid to tell them or communicate our feelings. If you’ve been feeling frustrated with your friends—maybe it’s one thing one week, another thing the next—your dreams are a call for assertiveness training. It’s time to give up the “nice girl” act, and get your feelings off your chest!

Next time you feel frustrated with a friend, instead of keeping your feelings inside, try counting to ten, and then letting your friend know that something he or she is doing is bugging you. Your friends will respect you for being honest, and your dreams of being secretly angry will disappear.