Drowning

I have a theme to many of my nightmares. It involves me drowning. On a ferry that's sinking, driving a car off a cliff into water, running on a sinking log boom. Always awaking before hitting the water. As a child, I was afraid of falling off of docks not wanting to get too close to the edge of boats or breakwaters. The water scared me. But, what if I'm not afraid of physically drowning? What if it's emotional drowning? I let others do it to me. When someone came back into my life a few month ago, I said to my DBT coach "I'm going to have to be careful he doesn't drown me." And here I am, wanting to help, wanting to fix and knowing I'll get taken down in the wake. I've asked for space. I don't want to drown this way.