[thunderbear]

I have been having nightmres about my mom when she was in hospice. It's all like a movie the dreams are like i am atching a recording of it all it is that accureate. i smell the smells hear the voices in my dreams. See her. Hear her. What do I do? I trie thinking happpy thoughts while drifting off. But argh I can not take reliving this all the time. I just wanna forget. One time I had a flashback of him. He hurt me alot. I wakeup scared like he's gonna get me. And hurt me in his heroine daze. I'm scared now thinking abuot going asleep tonight

[phoenix7]

and the fear makes you more anxious and more likely to be triggered into having a flashback or nightmare

Try doing a relaxation technique before bed - iaphramatic breathing is a good one - or if you are into visualisation - think of a blue light surrounding you protecting you from the nightmares -

I say to myself before I go to sleep that I am not going to have any nightmares tonight - sometimes it works

Fre-assuring yourself that this is the past that you survived it and so you can survive it now because its just replaying is another technique - getting up after the dream and doing something to take your mind off it also helps but it has to be relaxing

Hope things improve for you soon

[chalmette70043]

Hi thunderbear. I was having nightmares like that constantly when trying to sleep. So i just didnt sleep. I would doze off thorughout the day for 30 minutes or so at a time, but wake up with flashbacks.

My pdoc put me on a med called lamictal and that helped quite a bit with sleeping and not having flashbacks/nightmares. I still have a hard time of getting sleep 4-5 hours a night. But the flashbacks and nightmares only happen a few times a week now. So much better than the way it was.

I hope you find a way to tone down the nightmares. Maybe your pdoc can prescribe you something to help.

chal

[phoenix7]

How are you doing thunderbear ?

[thunderbear]

Originally Posted by phoenix7

How are you doing thunderbear ?

not so good p7. thanks for asking. having alot of nightmares lately and right now it's hailing outside

[phoenix7]

I'm sorry Thunderbear -
can your dr help you? wishing you sunshine and rainbows

[Starbuck1128]

I am afraid to sleep every nite becuz of fear of nightmares of abuse. I relive it so often in dreams. I have a friend who helps but he's gone now, for now anyway.
Just know you are NOT alone

You're not alone is right. i go through on and off periods of dreams/nightmares. When "on" it's every night for weeks or even months. i call them "nightmares" because of the content but qualify them with "dreams" because i don't feel them. It must be VERY hard to feel them.

i think it's a good idea to do self calming. Also, writing them down might be a way to release some of their hold and intense need to be replayed. Dream journaling can also be a useful tool with therapy.

i hope you can find some relief from the fear. The only thing that works for me is thanking my selves for telling me what happened because i've blocked it all from my conscious memory and have chosen a path of "i'd rather know all the good, bad & ugly than not know myself or my own life".

i truly hope you can find something that works for you and what you decide you need.