[complic8d]

First, I want to apologize for not responding to posts in forums and let everyone know that I am still here for you. I'm focusing just on going to chats recently. So, I feel kinda bad coming here now, but I need some feedback. Thanks.

This is going to be confusing to explain, but I'll try. This morning I had what seemed like a flashback in a dream in a dream. I felt like I was having a dream/flashback where I was being sexually violated by an object. Then I thought it was just a dream, but when I "woke" up from that dream (but still dreaming) I saw evidence on the floor next to my bed. Objects that had to do with the violation and also children's toys. Then I thought, "NO, this is all true, it's real". I was upset but then thought that I was maybe still dreaming so then I awoke, for real, to find myself in my own bed, in the present, and that it was just a dream. Confusing, huh?
My question is, should I take anything from this dream or was it just random? I do not know of any event like that happening, but it seemed so real in the dream, and I feel sick when I think of it. I have a lot of symptoms that tell me "something" happened long ago, but no real memories of much at all, good or bad.
I know that no one can know for sure what the dream meant, if anything, but I just was wanting some input from others in this forum. How do your memories come to you? How do flashbacks happen? I would just like to know what others experience, like this, or anything else about memories/flashbacks.
There is so much wisdom here that I respect whatever input you have. Thanks!!!

[Fox]

{safe hugs comp} I wish I could help you, I'm still so new to all of this myself but I've had similar dreams. Dreams within dreams are so confusing for me too. I handle being killed in dreams a lot better lol. It can be that something did happen and that was a flashback in your dream. Or you could have been triggered by something you read or watched on TV. If it happens again in your waking hours then you'll have a little more solidity towards maybe that is something that did happen. But at any rate try not to worry too much about it. Something my T said on Friday, "I don't want to retraumatize you by any means", rings true. Try not to dwell on it too much. If it is a flash back of an event you didn't process, how does that change your view on things today?

We see a lot of people on PC who have gone through that stuff and remember it now; that triggers flashbacks and memories that we're not sure is real or not. I question reality most of the time. It's hard to tell for me if I'm awake or not. I have dreams that are so real and vivid. So I have a hard time knowing real memories from those brought on by reading triggering posts and watching movies that involve things I've seen in reality. Please take care and stay safe {huggles if okay}

[pegasus]

(((((((( complic8d )))))))))

Dreams are the way the mind works things out and slots things away into the right compartment and yes flashbacks can happen when you are dreaming or awake. Flashbacks tend to be more persistant and can feel very real. Many people with DD have been abused in childhood usually from a very early age. I know this feels really awful but it is part of the healing process.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by complic8d

First, I want to apologize for not responding to posts in forums and let everyone know that I am still here for you. I'm focusing just on going to chats recently. So, I feel kinda bad coming here now, but I need some feedback. Thanks.

This is going to be confusing to explain, but I'll try. This morning I had what seemed like a flashback in a dream in a dream. I felt like I was having a dream/flashback where I was being sexually violated by an object. Then I thought it was just a dream, but when I "woke" up from that dream (but still dreaming) I saw evidence on the floor next to my bed. Objects that had to do with the violation and also children's toys. Then I thought, "NO, this is all true, it's real". I was upset but then thought that I was maybe still dreaming so then I awoke, for real, to find myself in my own bed, in the present, and that it was just a dream. Confusing, huh?
My question is, should I take anything from this dream or was it just random? I do not know of any event like that happening, but it seemed so real in the dream, and I feel sick when I think of it. I have a lot of symptoms that tell me "something" happened long ago, but no real memories of much at all, good or bad.
I know that no one can know for sure what the dream meant, if anything, but I just was wanting some input from others in this forum. How do your memories come to you? How do flashbacks happen? I would just like to know what others experience, like this, or anything else about memories/flashbacks.
There is so much wisdom here that I respect whatever input you have. Thanks!!!

At one point I was having trauma based dreams. At the time I didn't know some of what I was dreaming about had happened to me, just that they felt so real. I told my therapist that I thought I was having a flashback in my dreams because some of the stuff I was dreaming about was the same as what I was seeing during my flashbacks during the day.

She explained to me that theres a difference between having a "nightmare" and having a "flashback"

She said flashbacks happen only during consciousness. While you are awake and fully aware something in the present triggers a memory, that memory comes forward and you feel like you are right there all over again experiencing everything but you don't loose consciousness. you have trouble telling the present from the memory for a while then the memory goes away and you are back to experiencing the present again. I told her I understood that big time cause that keeps happening to me.

Then she explained nightmares to me. She said nightmares happen when you are in the unconscious (asleep). They can be dreams about nonsense stuff you know and feel is not real. They can be dreams about things we fear, things we enjoy, things we have read about, seen on tv, Things we have had happen to us or heard about happening to someone else. They can also be a mixture of emotions. interpreting dreams to find out why and what they are is not easy. our minds take what we experience during waking times and sometimes blows it all out of proportion mixing a little of this a little of that, some truth some fiction. she said each person can have the same identical dream but because each person has their own lives, wishes, likes fears the same dream is going to mean different things.

She had me keep two journals one for flashbacks and one for nightmares. We would go through them during my sessions and I was soon able to tell the difference between having a nightmare and having flashbacks. We were also able to take my nightmares one at a time and figure out why I was having them, what their purpose was. Some of them were because I was just trying to do too much at one time. some of them were from my reading things in newspapers, in class and on line and my mind blew them out of proportion, Some of them were things I heard about from others. Some of them were memories of trauma I went through.

I cant tell you whats going on with you. I'm not you. the only way for you to discover what is your having flashbacks and what is your having nightmares and what they both mean to you is by talking to your doctors. let them know whats going on and they will know the best way to help you.

[Miracle1986]

(((((comp)))))

[Hunny]

Dearest Complic8d

Maybe you can just do some special things for yourself today, more than one and use some distractions that you enjoy. Also, write your dream down to go over later. The dreams that have disturbed our system the most we cannot always remember without writing them down.

Reviewing the dream in light of what is going on at the time has helped too. Later, looking back at the dream with an open mind helps alot too. Should your dream be trying to tell you of what happened in the past, to some degree or another, then you have your therapist, and other things you do to take care of yourself and you have us here at PC.

The most important thing is that you be okay right now. We are here for you.

Safe hugs to you
with care and concern,
Hunny

Originally Posted by complic8d

First, I want to apologize for not responding to posts in forums and let everyone know that I am still here for you. I'm focusing just on going to chats recently. So, I feel kinda bad coming here now, but I need some feedback. Thanks.

This is going to be confusing to explain, but I'll try. This morning I had what seemed like a flashback in a dream in a dream. I felt like I was having a dream/flashback where I was being sexually violated by an object. Then I thought it was just a dream, but when I "woke" up from that dream (but still dreaming) I saw evidence on the floor next to my bed. Objects that had to do with the violation and also children's toys. Then I thought, "NO, this is all true, it's real". I was upset but then thought that I was maybe still dreaming so then I awoke, for real, to find myself in my own bed, in the present, and that it was just a dream. Confusing, huh?
My question is, should I take anything from this dream or was it just random? I do not know of any event like that happening, but it seemed so real in the dream, and I feel sick when I think of it. I have a lot of symptoms that tell me "something" happened long ago, but no real memories of much at all, good or bad.
I know that no one can know for sure what the dream meant, if anything, but I just was wanting some input from others in this forum. How do your memories come to you? How do flashbacks happen? I would just like to know what others experience, like this, or anything else about memories/flashbacks.
There is so much wisdom here that I respect whatever input you have. Thanks!!!

[anderson]

(((((((comp))))) we hope things work out for you.