Reacurrent Nightmares...

[In memory of miracle]

I didn't know where to post this, so I figured general recovery could be good. I have just woken from another nightmare. I have been having them pretty much daily. They involve my dead parents,car accidents,losing my sober time by drinking and drugging,and being lost,not being able to find my way back to my home or my parents home.I wake up very frightened and stay that way for some time.
I went back to sleep this morning and had another one...Does anyone else have any experience with this? Any insight as to where it comes from? Could it be med's? I am begining to think I have some form of PTSD.
I also got a message from a dear friend this morning.They said they are deppressed and hopeless and want to be left alone,that scared me too,should I respect their wish?
Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.
God bless us all!
Trish

[Ann]

Trisha, it's no secret around here that I suffer from terrible nightmares or night terrors as seems to be more appropriate in describing them. Unlike a normal nightmare, I cannot wake myself up, and when I do wake up I am screaming or crying. And if I go back to sleep, if continues, and this cycle can go on all night.

We had a discussion about these on Nar-Anon a while back and I was surprised how many people experienced much the same thing. I believe it is a form of PTSD and just something we have to deal with and work through until they stop.

That's not always easy, mine come in clusters and can go on for 3 or 4 nights and that means no sleep and, therefore, exhaustion. Often I will stay up late because it seems that it helps when I am really tired before I go to bed. Other times I will get up in the night and come here or turn on the TV for a bit or listen to music just to clear my head and try to avoid repeating the dream.

I'll find the link that helped me most and maybe you can see if it fits what is happening to you. I know how awful this is, and I hope that for you it is only temporary.

Hugs
Ann

[Ann]

Here's the link that helped me most. Night Terrors best described what happened to me, except unlike many, I remember very vividly the dream.

http://www.nightterrors.org/

It's amazing that I can have a peaceful, happy, day and then at night turn into a zombie. I took comfort that others went through this, for a while I thought I must have lost my mind.

Hope it helps you.

Hugs
Ann

[In memory of miracle]

Thanks (( Ann ))
I appreciate it.You are the best! I was begining to think I was really flippin" my lid!

[Ann]

Have you had these long, or did they just recently begin? And this may sound strange, but can you tell some nights that they are going to happen? I'm asking because sometimes I "know". Don't ask me how, it's just a feeling I get that I can't describe, and like I said it can happen just as easily at the best of times for me as at the worst. I have never been able to identify a "trigger" and have learned to live with them as best I can.

It can be embarassing though, if it happens when I have company (lately I've been lucky) and when I went to visit Mooselips at her cottage a few weeks back I had to warn her to ignore me if she heard a scream in the night. (I got lucky then too).

You're not crazy Trish, and you're not the only one this happens to.

Hugs
Ann

[Scared2Bme]

I too have reaccuring nightmares involving my family. I was raised in a violent abusive home. I wake up shaking in a panick attacks. Basicaly there is a lot of violence in my dreams, getting beat, lots of screaming, breaking stuff, sexual abuse, ect. I often have woken up crying hysterically. Its very scary and I can relate with you. Hang in Miraclen, What does'nt kill you makes you stronger.

Scared

[In memory of miracle]

I have had them since the begining of my sobriety and I guess before that, but not with such frequency. I have been having them every night for the past few weeks.

When I was a kid, a young kid, 10 I think, I had a traumatic experience, which at the time I didn't know was traumatic. (I'm not going to post it all here)

Anyway, from then on, until very recently, on a regular basis, I had this one particular nightmare, the same nightmare. It rarely changed at all over the next 30+ years of having it.

One day I watched a show about dreams, and this person was having a very similar dream to mine, and she had worked on and found out what it was connected to, and when she stated what happened to her, I suddenly remembered my childhood event, being similar as hers was, and as our dreams were.

So I told somebody about my "event". The first time I ever said anything about it out loud to anybody...I talked about it. And I haven't had that same dream since, or any other variation of it.

So after all that typing, whats my point? Maybe there is a thing or two, you could talk about with someone, and at least get it out of you.

It worked for me, on accident of course, but it worked. And BTW, my dream never had people in it, it was me alone in an empty room, with one single object in front of the door...

[Gabe]

I agree with Doug on this.
Many times, dreams...be they positive or negative...are a manifestation of what you aren't talking about or dealing with.
And they will come back to haunt you as long as you keep those things within.
Once you let them out, they are less liable to keep haunting you.

[historyteach]

I've never remembered my bad dreams...
I've been told by many that I scream out and flail my arms in my deep sleep. But, I have never known what it's about. Just that I do it.
Interesting post; thanks...
Shalom!

[In memory of miracle]

Perhaps I could be talking more about the stuff in the dreams. There is really nothing in my life that is a secret anymore, but I imagine I have some feelings that have been surpressed. I am a bit afraid to right now to look so deeply, I must say. 21 months sober and in a lot of ways I feel I have not completely "thawed out" yet. Know what I mean?

[historyteach]

Miracle;
I honestly think that we are always a work in progress.
As deep as we go; as thawed as we get...there's always more...because we are always growning.
Whaddayathink?
Shalom!

[Ann]

Maybe it will work for you, Trish, but I've talked about every single issue in my life, if not here, with people I trust. And I've talked about my dreams since I remember them vividly.

Something MG suggested is self-talk, especially if we remember the dream. Review the dream in our mind and as each sequence takes place, tell ourself that we're safe, that it's just a dream, that it's not real and cannot hurt us. Her theory is that maybe we can repeat this when we are actually having the dream. I've tried that and so far no luck but I'm still trying.

Also, my doctor gave me a mild anti-anxiety/sedative to take before I go to bed. They don't agree with me much, so I usually don't take them until about the second or third night when I really badly need sleep. It seems to help, it's hard to tell because, as I said before, mine come in clusters and go as quickly as they came. If yours continue, maybe talk to your doctor and see what he/she suggests.

Unlike Doug's dream, I'm pretty sure I understand where mine comes from, it's just getting them to go away and leave me alone.

I'll be saying a prayer for you, Trish, because I know how scary this is.

Hugs
Ann

[DesertEyes]

Nightmares, yes.
Like demons who flee their shadows
And into my mind seek refuge
From their fear of themselves.

Here's the scoop on nightmares. They come from two different sources:

Chemical. Pretty much anything can stimulate nightmares, from too much mexican food to menopause. Meds of any kind can create nightmares, either when you first start taking, when you are trying to get off them, or once your body adjusts to them. I was once put on a short course of Restoril to help with my heart, oh body did that give me ugly nightmares. Included here are mild cases of "petit-mal" epilepsy and sleep apnea. I've been tested for all that and more and am fortunate not to have it.

Emotional. Stress and it's cousin PTSD are the source here. The best treatment for this is a good shrink backed up with an appropriate support group. I went to several therapists and become involved with ACoA and ISA, which was hugely beneficial and reduced my nightmares to manageable levels.

One technique that I found very helpful was to write down my nightmares in great detail. I noticed that certain "themes" kept repeating in them. Then I wrote down a slightly "improved" version of the nightmare where it was just a _little_ less frightening. I kept rehearsing that improved version in my mind over and over again until my nightmare actually changed to match the improved version. I kept "improving" the story until I came out the winner, and after many months I was able to change my dream from a horror into a victory.

No, I won't describe the details in a public forum cuz my nightmares give other people nightmares. Unless you've got a lot of practice dealing with the trauma of tortured children you don't want to go there.

Mike :-)

Originally Posted by miraclen2003

.... and in a lot of ways I feel I have not completely "thawed out" yet. Know what I mean?

Yep. Sure do. Hang in there, your not alone.

[In memory of miracle]

Well, last nite was better. I was up afew times and still had dreams, but they were just "strange",*lol*. I have been overdoing everything, smoking, coffee,eating and worrying. I have been spending alot of time trying to read mind's ! One of my many talents! So, just for today, I am going to put things back in G*d's hands and let go. I want my Zen back!
Bless, Trish