[stopdog]

Has anyone had a bout of nightmares that featured therapy and that included sleep paralysis?
If so, and if you figured it out, was it related to therapy or just random other stuff?

[Ellahmae]

I have sleep paralysis but it's unrelated to therapy. Haven't figured it out yet. I just know I hate when it happens with a passion. The first time I remembering it happening was when I was 19.

Not sure if that's what you were asking.

I've experience both, but not at the same time.

[Crescent Moon]

Originally Posted by stopdog

Has anyone had a bout of nightmares that featured therapy and that included sleep paralysis?
If so, and if you figured it out, was it related to therapy or just random other stuff?

I am in the field of Neurophysiology. I'm not sure you're interested in this - or maybe you already know - but I can tell you some things about "sleep paralysis." It's during REM sleep that we dream. Our brain puts out chemicals during REM sleep that paralyze us so we don't act out our dreams. With respect to that, a sleep disorder can result in acting out dreams because the brain is not putting the paralyzing chemicals out, or the brain can also fail to resolve the paralysis when out of REM sleep. That means the paralysis may still be in effect when we awaken. It's usually very brief, but can be scary. The phenomenon is frequently associated with Narcolepsy

[stopdog]

I have been having recurrent nightmares with therapy/therapist as the background and almost nightly sleep paralysis (which is, with my great dread of trapment, unfortunate for me). I am trying to decide if it is actually related to therapy or if therapy is just a convenient backdrop for the nightmare.

[Crescent Moon]

Originally Posted by stopdog

I have been having recurrent nightmares with therapy/therapist as the background and almost nightly sleep paralysis (which is, with my great dread of trapment, unfortunate for me). I am trying to decide if it is actually related to therapy or if therapy is just a convenient backdrop for the nightmare.

Do you wake up during other dreams and feel paralysis, or only during therapy dreams?

[Crescent Moon]

Since it's almost nightly, my suspicion is that you have a sleep disorder, and you also dream a lot about therapy. It happening together would be a coincidence based on the frequency of both.

[stopdog]

I have, probably like everyone, bouts of recurring nightmares. They are not all with therapy as the subject. It is generally 3-4 other areas that reoccur (one common one for example is flunking law school/failing the bar). Therapy as a subject has just been since I have been doing therapy this time. I also have had brief intense occurrences of sleep paralysis that then goes away for months and then comes back.
This is the first time they are paired together.
But I just wondered if it happened to anyone else. I thought it probably a long shot.

[FranzJosef]

Did you ever have sleep paralysis before you started therapy?

[stopdog]

Yes, I have had instances of sleep paralysis ever since I can remember. I don't remember when it first started, but at least by high school and possibly earlier.
Usually it happens just once or twice and then goes away for months, but I have had a couple of other times where it would go on longer before disappearing. I know it is not a big deal -it is just sort of annoying.

It is probably just coincidence.

[FranzJosef]

I don't suppose you'd consider discussing it with your therapist?

[stopdog]

Just wondered if anyone else experienced it.

[dj315]

It might be that your brain is conveniently picking therapy as the background. I get sleep paralysis occasionally, and mine are unfortunately ALWAYS centered around a demon being in the room or on me and it's always crushing me. I can count on that 100% of the time. When I was really, really young, it was some kind of evil presence my imagination would make up. So it's a common theme that my brain makes up--Yours just might be therapy/stressful events.

[Crescent Moon]

Originally Posted by stopdog

Yes, I have had instances of sleep paralysis ever since I can remember. I don't remember when it first started, but at least by high school and possibly earlier.
Usually it happens just once or twice and then goes away for months, but I have had a couple of other times where it would go on longer before disappearing. I know it is not a big deal -it is just sort of annoying.

It is probably just coincidence.

Well, and I forgot to tell you that you only remember dreams when you are awakened during REM sleep. If you go through your REM cycles without waking up, then you won't remember the dreams. If you find yourself feeling tired a lot, and don't feel like you're getting good sleep, having a sleep study done is an option. Otherwise, fortunately the overlapping paralysis is very brief.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by Crescent Moon

Well, and I forgot to tell you that you only remember dreams when you are awakened during REM sleep. If you go through your REM cycles without waking up, then you won't remember the dreams. If you find yourself feeling tired a lot, and don't feel like you're getting good sleep, having a sleep study done is an option. Otherwise, fortunately the overlapping paralysis is very brief.

I know it is not really a big deal or serious - that is not what I was trying to ask about or get at. I understand it is a bit silly to mention and is merely a usual albeit an extremely unpleasant but not dangerous thing. I can't tell how long the paralysis really lasts but it does feel like it lasts an interminable period of time before one is able to move or call out. But I wondered if others had the combination - nightmares about the therapist/therapy and then being unable to wake up/move when there is a sense/scene of great peril.

[FranzJosef]

Is sleep paralysis the same as knowing you are asleep and not being able to wake up? Cos I had that briefly when I was a child, but never as an adult.

[stopdog]

It feels to me like you are awake but can't move or call out.
Mine occur when trying to wake up.
This might give a better description.
Sleep paralysis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Ellahmae]

Mine happen while falling asleep as well.

[brillskep]

I've never had sleep paralysis, thank goodness, that would freak me out even though I'd know what it is. I have had a few (and I mean, very few) nightmares about my therapist / therapy. I haven't discussed them with my therapist but I've thought about them and they did relate to what was happening in therapy as well as my own fears.

Anyway, in my experience, dreams often tend to have more levels. There's one level that may be related to the people or activities in the dream and the symbolism you attribute to them and how they relate to your current life situation, but if you look into it on a deeper level, it does tend to say something about yourself rather than those other people. In my opinion, dreams operate with a lot of symbols and metaphors, even when the dream seems rather straight-forward (I know my dreams seem like that sometimes).

In my case, nightmares with similar topics end when I understand them and change something in my real life. I remember before my college admission exam right after high school, I was extremely stressed and even fell sick and I used to have nightmares about water, flooding or me drowning in stormy seas / flooding pools. Right after I got admitted into college and my personal life also got better, I actually had a dream about waters receding peacefully and after that those dreams stopped.

Speaking of the different levels of dreams. When I went for a couple of sessions of Jungian dream analysis, I went in hoping to talk about dreams about a certain person in my life and help solve my issues with her. But true to her Jungian training, that therapist was more interested in my meanings and projections than in my relationship with that person, which was a little bothersome to me, but after those sessions my physical health improved (!!). I mean, it was so sudden and without any medication and after such a long time, that it couldn't have been a coincidence. So in my opinion it's definitely worthwhile to explore dreams on more levels, if you are open to that kind of thing.

[Elisabetta346]

Oh don't me started on sleep paralysis! Each time it happens hear and see ghosts or demons coming to harm me or someone trying to kill me and I get them a lot !!!! But never nightmares about therapy.


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[Crescent Moon]

Originally Posted by stopdog

It feels to me like you are awake but can't move or call out.
Mine occur when trying to wake up.
This might give a better description.
Sleep paralysis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That was interesting! Especially the part about sleep paralysis typically involving nightmares about being in peril. I didn't know that. Can't help but wonder if the brain sends out a more potent paralysis concoction based on the potency of dreams? So pleasant dreams don't require as much as frightening dreams that might activate the amygdala? Maybe that's what creates vulnerability to sleep paralysis when we have nightmares?

It's not surprising that your scary dreams involve therapy.

And it would be interesting to hear what those therapists are doing at you (in your dreams)

I've only had a few dreams about therapy at all. Usually when I was anxious about something. And I've had very brief sleep paralysis only twice and don't remember if it was associated with any dreams.

[Perna]

I worked with my dreams during therapy and so most had something to do with whatever I was working on in therapy. I did have a couple weird sleep paralysis things (once, when I recovered I actually went to look in my closet for the woman I was sure was hiding there) but I don't remember how that particular dream/event figured in to anything. I do remember I was in the dream/event and powerless to stop some wrong or warn the woman, etc.

[precaryous]

I have had instances of sleep paralysis. I think I have also had night terrors.

I dream often about therapy...I dream a lot about my PrevT. In my dreams she is either a teacher or a T. The most awful dreams are feeling like I am in crisis and need to find PrevT...or need to call her. In my dreams I am unable to find her, get to her...or I can't remember her number and I am endlessly redialing.

I have not had sleep paralysis while dreaming about therapy, though, SD.

It can feel terrible.

[stopdog]

The person of therapist is unclear in the dreams. No face is visible and often just a shadow or a glimpse of the therapist's body is all that is seen (or that I remember).

[Quito772]

I have sleep paralysis fairly regularly; like you, it usually comes and goes in bouts - I will have it every night for a couple of weeks, then nothing for a few months.

My most recent episode did involve therapy, although not with 'my' therapist, just a generic 'therapist' (I couldn't see their face). I think my nightmare absolutely was about therapy; about the relationship I have with my therapist. It also played on fears I have outside of therapy as well but these are fears that are brought into sharp focus during therapy. Personally I would think the fact your mind chose therapy as the setting is relevant. It certainly is for me anyway. I discussed it with T who helped me to untangle what it was about and how I felt. I find talking about it and understanding it is the best way to stop the dreams from recurring as often.