So after having nightmares for the last two months (the longest period of time in a row that I’ve ever had them, although I’ve been prone to nightmares throughout my entire life), I’ve been curious to investigate them more, as I really don’t know that much about why they happen.

According to Wikipedia, “a nightmare is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety, and great sadness.  The dream may contain situations of danger, discomfort, psychological, or physical terror.  Sufferers usually awaken in a state of distress and may be unable to return to sleep for a prolonged period of time”.

The main causes are psychological, mostly stress and anxiety, but apparently opiods can also contribute to nightmares.  I definitely have all of the above in my system, but I have for many years so I don’t know why these dreams are bombarding me all of a sudden!  I wake up and snap up in my bed in a panic, usually with cold sweats and/or a good shriek, and sometimes I even have to get someone to talk me down, as they are so realistic that I believe them to be true for awhile.

I have a feeling that since I’m making progress on being semi-okay when I’m conscious, that all my post-traumatic stress disorder issues are bubbling up while I’m asleep.  I’ve been dreaming of things that were extremely upsetting to me ten years ago, that I haven’t thought of in ages.  It’s like now that deal with the present, the past is coming up in my brain to haunt me.

I’m not entirely sure how to get a handle on these nightmares, or if I’m just going to be stuck with them for the near future.  I see my psychologist tomorrow, so hopefully she has some ideas to face some of these fears that are apparently locked in my head.

Have any of you battled with prolonged nightmares?  Did anything help them go away?

xoxo,

Annie