[shamon86]

For the last 2 months I've been having these nightmares about once a week about random things. Most of the time I don't remember what they are about but I know that I'm always terrefied. I can only remember 2, one where I was at school and there was a shooting (i've never been through a trauma like that, but maybe it just stuck out because of recent shootings) and the other one involved somebody killing people with bombs who were cleaning up a church after it had been vandalized (it's weird I know, but I watched a documentary about the unabomber last week).
It's possible that I've been under a little more stress than usual starting with a new T and going over some of the things that have happened in my life and so I read that anxiety can make you have nightmares, but I thought it would be related to whatever you're anxious about or for those who have PTSD they would dream and re live the trauma they went through. My nightmares don't seemed to be connected with any issues that have come up in therapy and even though of the time, I can't remember what happened in the dreams, I knew I was always scared. Has anyone had similar experiences? Were you able to do anything to help them go away or did it just take time?

Originally Posted by shamon86

For the last 2 months I've been having these nightmares about once a week about random things. Most of the time I don't remember what they are about but I know that I'm always terrefied. I can only remember 2, one where I was at school and there was a shooting (i've never been through a trauma like that, but maybe it just stuck out because of recent shootings) and the other one involved somebody killing people with bombs who were cleaning up a church after it had been vandalized (it's weird I know, but I watched a documentary about the unabomber last week).
It's possible that I've been under a little more stress than usual starting with a new T and going over some of the things that have happened in my life and so I read that anxiety can make you have nightmares, but I thought it would be related to whatever you're anxious about or for those who have PTSD they would dream and re live the trauma they went through. My nightmares don't seemed to be connected with any issues that have come up in therapy and even though of the time, I can't remember what happened in the dreams, I knew I was always scared. Has anyone had similar experiences? Were you able to do anything to help them go away or did it just take time?

I had a recurring dream when I was much younger. I dreamt a vicious cat was attacking me. I had my hands around its throat and I knew if I didn't strangle it to death, it would rip me apart. I think at the time I was coming to terms with who was causing the most (all) anxiety in my life. And the cat was that person. When I realized who that person was, those dreams ended.

Your dreams might be similar. There are a couple of people who either keep you in a constant state of anxiety or they trigger the anxiety. Once you figure out who those two people are, perhaps the dreams will stop. The funny thing about my dream is: once I figured out I needed to get away from that person by decreasing their presence in my life, the dreams stopped. I didn't actually have to decrease their presence, I just had to realize the connection between my anxiety and their presence.

[mote.of.soul]

It's possible that I've been under a little more stress than usual starting with a new T and going over some of the things that have happened in my life and so I read that anxiety can make you have nightmares, but I thought it would be related to whatever you're anxious about or for those who have PTSD they would dream and re live the trauma they went through.

Hi. I'd say going over your life again with a new T is, yes, bringing up uncomfortable feelings which then influence your dreams in an anxious way, a nightmare. It seems quite well established that dream imagery is hardly ever direct but is more symbolic to what you've been experiencing in your waking life. For example, dreaming about killing or death is more often about the death of an old behavior or a part of you that you are outgrowing. I believe that.