venuscat

I have been on SR for quite some time now...yet no matter how long I am here, I am continually surprised by things I have missed. I had NO IDEA this forum existed.

I am plagued by nightmares.
I have been for a very long time.
And they are always vivid, and I always remember them.

It is often so difficult to move on from a nightmare into my day.
It can take a good few hours for me to truly understand that these things didn't happen.

It is a wonderful thing to be able to share this with others who have similar experiences, and who understand.

Thank you for this forum. ♥

Venus xx

SoberLeigh

I have the occasional insomnia, too, venuscat. I signed off about two hours ago, thoroughly tired, and look where I am - awake!!!!

venuscat

Yes, I noticed that Leigh...

Since I stopped using grass and alcohol, I have not had any issues with insomnia.
I sleep easily. Always. I know; I'm weird.

wackybunny

I didn't know it was here either. I've had nightmares all my life. I never could relate to people who talked about good or happy or just strange dreams. What are those? All the dreams I remembered were of being chased, threatened, people coming to my house with guns, always trying to escape but always my escape route is flawed for one reason or another. I hate the ones where I see a car of bad people drive up my driveway because those are the ones that feel the most real. Since I quit pot almost a year ago I've had maybe 5 - 10 dreams which were not super scary. That's a start I guess.

wackybunny

I suspect the nightmares are related to feeling afraid as a child and not having any escape because the cause of fear was in my own family.

Mags1

Me too, V, I've had such vivid dreams and perhaps nightmares, my husband always blamed the booze, but hey, I still have em.
Some are good though. And some aren't.

venuscat

(((bunny))) ♥♥

Hello love. Yes, I can relate to that. In a very big way.
And almost all of my nightmares now contain family members.


(((Mags))) ♥♥

So now I know I am not alone. Not that I am glad you girls go through this as well....but you know what I mean.

wackybunny

Yes. It's funny when people are talking about dreams and I tell them I only ever have nightmares. I'm a happy enough person during the day but when I go to sleep, the darkness inside my mind is unleashed. I tell people this is why I don't watch scary movies, I see enough of them. How many people are like this I wonder? I can't remember anyone else saying "me too".

venuscat

Exactly. I have never known anyone else like me in this regard...until now that is.
Same re the scary movies...and big action movies...watching these only unleashes holy heck for me when I go to sleep.

wackybunny

Well, we have one more thing in common now.
I made a bit of progress years ago when I practiced lucid dreaming. When I was being chased I turned and faced them and asked what they wanted. They said they were just coming after me to take me to a self defence class. Oooh, deep meaning.

SoberLeigh

I am giving this thing called sleep another go. Goodnight.

venuscat

Nite lovely Leigh. ♥

And wow bunny...that's very revealing.

wackybunny

I also hit and kick in my sleep and steal blankets. Is not nice to wake up to poor bf's annoyance with no recollection of my reported behavior.

venuscat

So last night I went to bed so happy.
Had a beautiful birthday dinner with my family....survived my sister's drunkenness.
Survived the food (people don't necessarily cook very well when they are drunk).
Came home with my beautiful roses and half a pavlova, posted pics for my friends in my October class thread...and I thought, surely, tonight will be different.

But no. One of the worst nightmares I have ever had.
I was in a big car park (parking lot for a shopping centre), and I was trying to find a space. It was the day before Christmas and I needed gifts in a hurry. There was nowhere to park. Right up the back there was a space, but there were university students laying there. (?) So I took my big SUV and rolled right over them...what? Then I had to roll back because I knew I was squashing them....I can still remember how sick I felt. Then I bolted...tried to pretend it didn't happen. Next thing you know I was arrested (sort of) and told I couldn't leave the country with my family. Then I was in jail.

Really??? What the heck. I woke up very upset.

SoberLeigh

Oh, v, what a sad dream - but, thankfully, just a dream.

Hawks

A little dream analysis

Running over the students........ Your need to fulfil your desires and goals..... Anything that gets in your way, will be "run over"

Running away....... You don't want to take responsibility for your actions.

Landing in jail...... Deep down you know that there are consequences for actions.

There is a key in your words about your sisters behavior and cooking

You "survived" them

Victim mentality

Next time, go with love, forgiveness and gratitude

Then there is nothing to endure or "survive"....... You are there to help, participate and see what you can contribute to the event.

venuscat

Hawks ~ I agree with some of that.

But not the victim mentality part...surviving my sister's drunken behaviour is tough, constantly. I cannot help her. I have tried. I always go there to help, participate and see what I can contribute to the event. (which was a birthday dinner for me). And I am allergic to a lot of things, and she keeps accidentally making me very ill...so....the word was used with good reason.

Hawks

I have an alcoholic sister too.

It's not easy But agree to disagree on that one then.

wackybunny

That sucks, Venus. I wonder why all these terrible dreams. I still have stressful dreams about being a waitress although I haven't been one for ten years. If anyone has done that job for long, they've probably had them too. We used to call them workmares. Also, I often get the ones where I'm trying to run but my legs are heavy and won't move fast. Bleh.

venuscat

bunny, I believe (and there is a great deal of research on this) that there is a huge relationship between food and nightmares. I went out for dinner last night and ate things I don't usually eat. And I was sick all night. And in a lot of pain.

I believe that manifested in my dreams.

As for your dream ~ I think bad dreams about trying to run but being unable to are pretty common. A lot of people have those dreams.

Now I am determined to find a way for us to sleep without these voyages into such dark places. Common sense tells me that the more we address our concerns and fears in our waking hours, the more peaceful our sleep will become.

We both have a lot of stuff to deal with from our childhoods...so maybe as we work through those issues, it will get better.