[googley]

I have started having nightly nightmeres again. About people breaking into my apartment to attack me. I hate not being able to get away from everything through sleeping. I feel betrayed by my brain.

[skeksi]

I'm sorry you're having this right now, googley. I think you and I have connected before on this; I have the same fears and nightmares. It's really scary, isn't it?

Can you think of one thing that would feel you feel a bit safer before you go to bed, and one thing that would help you feel comforted if you wake up in terror? These aren't answers to the problem, of course, but sometimes just having something to take the edge off helps.
I hope you have good dreams tonight.

Is the post-traumatic stress related to waking to find the traumatic event ongoing?

[googley]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Is the post-traumatic stress related to waking to find the traumatic event ongoing?

No, the attack was in the past. But I'm living alone for the first time and I think that is making me feel vulnerable. I wish there was a chain lock on both the front and back doors, but there is only on the front (even though you can see one from the other. I'm in grad housing so I can't change it. I get scared when I have nightmares. So scared just thinking about it.

[skeksi]

Googley, what kind of doors are they? I have a regular door, with a deadbolt, and a sliding door. I put a metal bar in the sliding door and hang my keys on my deadbolt (so if it opens, they will crash to the floor). Maybe rigging something like this will help? In old apartments, I was known to put chairs in front of doors, or cans, lol.

Waking up from nightmares is horrible. I am sorry you are stuck dealing with this

Perhaps you should call housing and request that a chain be put on the other door. If they will not agree, ask if you can put one on at your cost.

Good luck.

[NuckingFutz]

Keep a baseball bat next to your bed. You also might try to learn some lucid dreaming techniques. In this way you will eventually have some control on the direction of the dreams...then you can actually have more control over what happens and your reaction to them. If you have just undergone a meds change that could be causing it too.

[miray]

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I went through the same thing for a very long time. It may sound strange, but I will tell you what helped me with the dreams. I forced myself to write down every detail of them. It was very hard at first, because all I really wanted to do was forget them, but after awhile, it really helped. I started looking at the events in the dreams in a different light. I was taking every thing literally and that really wasn't the case. What seemed to mean one thing, actually meant something else. It helped me in so many ways. Just something to think about. When it comes to the doors, if they won't let you add a chain, skeksi gave some great advise with the keys, and putting other things in front of the door. If that helps you feel safer, by all means, try it.