I suffer from incredibly vivid dreams, they are so real that when I wake up, I have to wait for my brain to sort out it's virtual filing cabinet as it slowly goes through and reconciles that these were dreams and not fact.
Many times I know that I am dreaming whilst in the dream but it makes things no less real, the dreams are generally violent and fearful and deal with people who I would rather not have there in situations that are beyond my control.
It's said that dreams are your subconscious mind trying to work through things but these themes seem to roll on and on, I am also the wrong gender in these situations but I think it's more to do with the historical context of the other people and situations that are involved or embodied.
I am sure I am not alone in such things so anyone else suffer like this (I hate to use such a dramatic word but it really is head ....) and how if you have, have you got through to make things better?