Thanks again medkev... I have to confess, I did post hoping you'd interpret this one for me. >>;;

The traits my friend inhabited... helplessness, a certain unwillingness/inability to help herself, a sort of desire to be noticed (attention seeking after a point), vindictiveness when that desire isn't met... I'd say I definitely did these things too. On the other hand, the bit where in the dream it felt like she was "punishing me" because of my snapping by shutting me out, being silent, doing things I didn't want -- I think I connect that with my ex a LOT more.

And I think I do see the conflict there -- between the joy and the anguish of those two things. I'm disturbed also because there have been dreams before in which I have screamed at her to the point that she hung herself (major mess in my mind over that) and others in which we've fought to the point that when I woke in the morning my throat was hurting. I love her and I care for her; she's my oldest friend and I really am glad she could come and stay without thinking over it too much. Conversely this also made it difficult to say, today, that I need some space... so really, I'm distressed. But what you're suggesting is that these are traits that exist in me, to an extent?