[lal81]

I am here because I have been having really disturbing nightmares. These nightmares are about my stepfather (who used to molest me) raping me. They have been going on ever since the sexual abuse was found out by a teacher and I was removed from the house. But they used to be vague and not all the time. But now it is every morning. I wake up from these nightmares between 1 and 3 every morning. And the dreams are becoming more and more vivid. They are so much worse than when these nightmares first started. When I am having these nightmares, it feels like I am being held down and raped right then. Is there a reason for this? Is there anything that I can do to make these nightmares stop?

[Thunder Bow]

This a natural part of your Healing process, as your mind processes what happened to you. Your mind is more willing to look at the feelings now, and that shows that you are Healing. The nightmares will diminish over time as you mind deals with this.

[lal81]

Thank you for your help. So what do you think it means if the dreams are worse than I remember him doing? Like a lot worse. Do you think that it is stuff that I blocked out? There is a dream that always starts off the same. I remember the first part of it actually happened. But the rest of it I don't remember happening.

[Thunder Bow]

Yes, in all probability it is stuff you mind has blocked out. This shows you mind is more willing to deal with that stuff.

Hi lal81, I just wanted to express my support to you. I don't typically have nightmares, but found some info that might help. I pretty much did a google search.

Ending Nightmares Caused By PTSD : Shots - Health News : NPR

Adult Nightmares: Causes and Treatments

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/p...s-disorder.htm

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...s-after-trauma

[Smiles007]

I believe that as your mind processes what happened to you it starts to form ideas and thoughts as to how much worse it could have been. Your dreams manifest your subconscious fears, it might not be what you blocked out. It might just be you imagining what else could have been, your subconscious speaking out as to the emotional trauma you suffered.

[WePow]

Dreams are powerful tools. Even animals dream. The dream world allows the brain to safely role-play. Animals dream about the things in their world and their body responds to the dreams. Dogs will move their legs as if they are chasing the prey. Humans have always done the same thing. We dream about things we hear on the news or things people tell us. Our brains think "What would I do in this situation?"

Dreams that repeat are the mind's way of trying to work through the problem in order to obtain a different outcome to a situation. We continue to have the dream until the brain "solves the puzzle" to its satisfaction at the subconscious level.

For the type of trauma you experienced I highly recommend finding a therapist who can process this with you in a safe way. Your dreams are becoming stronger and more powerful and vivid because it is an issue that your brain NEEDS to SOLVE. Even though the past can't be changed, the brain does not accept that as an answer. Even if the same situation can never repeat, the brain does not accept that as a valid answer. The brain needs to resolve the issue so it can move the problem out of the short term memory space and into the long term solution space. (*you can find research on that and how PTSD works).

My own healing includes EMDR.
https://www.pandys.org/articles/EMDR...alassault.html

The EMDR allows me to enter the event and then be guided by my therapist to change the ending by doing things like seeing my child self grow big and large and stuff the abusers into trashcans. I thought that was all silly and useless when we first began that therapy. But you know what??? My dreams started to change! By doing the EMDR work I was able to find my internal power inside the dream world.

When you learn how to mentally take charge of that horrid situation, when you find your inner war cry and with your entire soul yell it out and use it like a thunder bolt on your enemy, your dream work will be completed and you will experience powerful healing.

Dreams like that stink. Abusers are scum. But you are a precious part of the universe. You DESERVE your freedom from that past. You deserve your voice and your power. It is yours.

[Rayne Selene]

I don't have any advice, but this is happening to me too and I want you to know that you aren't alone.

[MarceloRivas]

Originally Posted by Rayne Selene

I don't have any advice, but this is happening to me too and I want you to know that you aren't alone.

Same here

[TheDragon]

Originally Posted by lal81

I am here because I have been having really disturbing nightmares. These nightmares are about my stepfather (who used to molest me) raping me. They have been going on ever since the sexual abuse was found out by a teacher and I was removed from the house. But they used to be vague and not all the time. But now it is every morning. I wake up from these nightmares between 1 and 3 every morning. And the dreams are becoming more and more vivid. They are so much worse than when these nightmares first started. When I am having these nightmares, it feels like I am being held down and raped right then. Is there a reason for this? Is there anything that I can do to make these nightmares stop?

I'm sorry you're experiencing such a hard time when you're just trying to sleep. I had the same trouble until fairly recently, I was prescribed prazosin. It's starting to be prescribed off-label for nightmares caused by trauma and it's highly effective with minimum side effects.

Do you have a doctor or psychiatrist you can talk to about starting prazosin? I posted a link for more information.

Good luck!

Prazosin for PTSD