I have nightmares like that - where it is so real that during the day I'm unsure of my reality. Not very often but once and again. It sure shakes you up doesn't it? My T had me write down every little detail of the dream - then when I looked at paper - it helped me thru the day to keep it in perspective that what was on the paper was the dream not my reality.
Then she had me look at the nightmare to see what in my present world would be triggering the flashback - what was the over all trend of the dream - insecurity, fear and such. If I was able to do that, it helped to resolve the trigger and really put the nightmare away,

She had a masters in dream analysis - didn't know they had that until I met her but evidently they do.

Another therapist taught me to draw out the dream on a piece of paper and then draw the solution of how you would like the dream to have turned out.

For instance if in the dream my ex-husband was hitting me - I would draw the police there to save me or draw a
giant hammer to pound on his foot so he wouldn't hurt me.

I've also taken like scrapbooking supplies and used them to project the feelings in my dreams - like one I did had halloween masks on it. Because I had a recurring nightmare of extremely scary things in the dark staring at me.

I know some of what I suggested may see to be "over the top" but it truely works for me. As I am spending the time on the drawings writings, scrapbooking I am actually processing the feelings and the nightmar loses it's grip on my life.


I also make myself as comfy as possible, hot choclate, a good book, a comforter and a heating pad. It makes me feel warm and safe, where nothing but nothing can hurt me.
And eventually the nightmare fades.

((((hugs)))) Lu