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Ptsd Nightmares

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amanda3of4

New Here
Hello everyone,

Please forgive me if this is a repeat topic, I've only recently found this website. My PTSD nightmares have only been getting worse and worse. I've finally hit a plateau, meaning they aren't getting worse anymore, but I have a nightmare EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!!! I have a psychiatrist and a therapist, but they don't seem to be the best support network considering neither of them really care about getting the PTSD symptoms under control. My questions is, what can I do about these nightmares? I tried a medication for it, but for the little help it gave in suppressing the nightmares, it somehow made my sleep quality worse so I had to go off of it. I always get at least 8 hours of sleep but honestly I need at least 10. Aside from feeling exhausted all the time, my biggest concern is that I always remember the nightmares, and the effects stay with me usually for that day, but when my nightmares are at the highest intensity they make me physically ill for as much as a week. And they tend to strain relationships because of how strong the emotions are. I just don't know what to do, and neither my psychiatrist or therapist is helping me. Is that because there's nothing that can be done for it?

Thank you all for your help.
 
I had severe nightmares for... well way too long. The best thing I've found for me is to leave the TV on set to an innocuous channel at low volume. That seems to short circuit my nightmares. Other folks have mentioned using the radio for the same purpose.
 
If you are adventurous and at least a little on the brave side you could try lucid dreaming too. It simply means teaching yourself to recognize when you are dreaming and either wake yourself or even take control of your nightmare.
 
I use an ap called dream moods to analyze my dreams. Easily, the symbols make sense. The thing that I am finding is that what may seem like one thing symbolically means something very different. In a non scary example, I dreamt of having a lesbian encounter that didn't seem weird at all... and I am not a lesbian in the least bit. Here is what the ap said:
If you are not a lesbian in your waking life, but dream that you are a lesbian, then it signifies a union with aspects of yourself. It is symbolic of self-love, self-acceptance, and passion. You are comfortable with your sexuality and femininity.

So maybe if you start to analyze the meaning of the dream symbols and/or write them down you will have more power over them. Unfortunately, if you are reliving your trauma in your dreams, the symbols won't help much.
 
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