How to deal with suffering

Tonight I sat in meditation counting from one to ten. Then it began all over again. My mind wondered to events, places to go, problems that might occur.
Last night I dreamt of a young friend M who smokes pot everyday but is very creative.
Her designs have made her quite successful recently.
Despite her current life she still suffers from the past. Why did she come up for me in my dream?
The Addict
Creative
suffering
The past
Interesting to note these. Suffering I too run from old feelings. Or at least I used to run more from them more with alcohol and other distractions. Staying with myself through meditation is comforting. I have tools to help nurture my soul and relieve some of it's pain.
Phillip Moffit talks of suffering

Subjective vs. Objective SufferingWeek  3

There is suffering that originates from external events and the suffering you experience because of how you process those events in your own mind. It is an objective fact that your life is filled with challenges, from illness to conflict with others to the death of loved ones. But in addition to—or more accurately, in reaction to—these objective painful experiences, you also have an internal experience. Your mind is filled with a seemingly endless stream of emotions that arise in reaction to what’s going on around you. It is this subjective type of suffering that the Buddha is primarily addressing in the First Noble Truth. As you deepen your understanding of this richer and more complex meaning of dukkha, you will find opportunities for freedom and well-being that you never even knew existed.