I suffer the exact same issues---from childhood to my adulthood. I started as a child being abandoned, left alone, kidnapped, chased, etc. After seeking counseling from my childhood issues the nightmares are still intact. I am myself a mental health counselor but still cannot find all of the answers. What we did find though, were my abandonment issues manifesting in my dreams. However, the adulthood nightmares are seemingly "leftovers" of past unresolved abandonment. As much therapeutic work one does, and as great as we may feel sometimes, all of our issues may not be as resolved as we thought. What is most important right now is resolving some issues so the nightmares are not so bad. I have yet to figure this out, as my nightmares are now affecting my life to a point where I feel less real than I once had because of the life-threatening nature of the nightmares. I just want you to know you are not alone and what I would tell other people in my situation is to continue therapy and not to eat before going to bed. Spicy foods tend to induce nightmares, food with iron affects the brain in a way that allows our minds to unfold in the most horrifying of ways as well. Be careful and try thinking positive before bed. Maybe netflix some family guy. Good luck