Completely Powerless Over Nightmares For 20 Years

[Glenn R.]

I have been having nightmares every single evening for the past 20 years, ever since I was on a flight that nearly crashed. Those nightmares are never about the flight, but rather situations -- hundreds of them -- that I have no power or control over: being on death row on execution day; falling off a cliff; being penniless in Chicago (where I never lived); being back in the neighborhood I grew up in and running for my life from bullies.................You get the picture, I'm sure!

I have been in therapy again for the past two years. It helps to some degree with the other symptoms of PTSD I might experience while awake, but not with the nightmares. I tried just about every type of therapy over the past two decades; nothing helps with the nightmares. And the deeper I sleep, the more intense they are.

I always wake up completely traumatized and with muscle spasms all over my body. Sometimes it will fade to some degree in a few hours. But then there are the nightmares that are so incredibly agonizing that I'm stuck with the post trauma all damn day. I can't focus and read or do much of anything else except watching TV.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Powder]

I can relate.

At the core of this is the control issue. Control is a huge issue when you've run against it in a life/death situation that gave you PTSD.

I cannot relate one bit to those who can say "God is in control" and feel some relief. I don't say they feel 100% relief, but they are not haunted by PTSD, so they don't have constant nightmares and waking up feeling like the nightmare is still going all day. That is the PTSD.

However, there is a place for doing some kind of thinking and talking about the fact that we are in some control, but that too much trying to control is also undermining to happiness. Therefore, finding a balance for how much control you need is critical and must be adjusted from time to time.

Stress levels need to drop, life needs to be more routine, and more control can be outsourced to trusted others or automated, such that it is less at the front of your mind.

Also, I tried taking Melatonin for sleep. It allows me to sleep in, but also increases the kind of negative nightmare dreaming just before waking. I'd rather wake earlier and be a bit tired that sleep in and have nightmares. Look at chemicals you are consuming including food sensitivities, and night eating and drinking. Notice what you take in and change one thing at a time until you find the relief you seek.

 

[Friday]

Prazoin ... A blood pressure medication, used off-label for its quirky side effect of dreamless sleep, is successful for a lot of people.

For myself, I've never found anything that helps stop/prevent nightmares, but a whole lot of things help both how fast I recover from them & how much or how little I care that I'm going to be having them. Meaning it's incredibly rare that I won't sleep because I am trying to avoid/put off having nightmares.

My nightmares tend to come in cycles. Pretty much without fail, I always forget the things that help after & I have to remember; right. This. Okay. So I start working on my recovery times, again.

 

[The Black Phoenix]

@Glenn R. we should start a club.. I am right there with you. I'm exhausted until my head hits the pillow, and then the anxiety sets in. Some of my dreams are directly trauma related, but I would say 80 to 90 percent are not directly so. Some of them are so bad, I actually remember ones that I had over 15 years ago; vividly. My PDoc has also started me out with Prazosin but we are still working up the dose, so I still dream quite a bit, though I don't seem to be in as much of a terror when I wake up (I'm not sure the content has improved, but I'm still on a small dose).

Sometimes meditation works for me before bed, but it's hit and miss. Maybe talk to your therapist about possibly trying Prazosin or maybe working on some relaxation techniques that might help?

 

[Tinyflame]

I had versions of the same nightmare for over 20 years, I think it had to do with a racing heartbeat & self-assessment/blame that is. I can't say why it stopped; I can only guess maybe feeling better about myself (less guilt about it-?), having a positive routine/ some hope, & it not mattering as much. Feeling better about the present versus badly about the past, +/or stronger about the present/ therefore 'future' maybe? Idk, I no longer feel that who knows if it will reoccur.

Definitely high stress= nightmares/ night terrors for me.

Best wishes to you.

 

[JACC]

I had versions of the same nightmare for over 20 years, I think it had to do with a racing heartbeat & se...

I have photographic memory and in another posting I stated that the nightmares of the same events comes back in my dream more and more often..... It's up and downs and i never had anxiety attacks until post events.... It also makes things worse when not many people understand or can even relate to what happened to me. I don't have social anxiety issues I actually prefer socialization. But because of what happened and the ongoing efforts to reverse or fix the events that was non of my fault nor in control of, the anxiety of when the nightmares will start decreasing, when my aMURDERED puppies will be revenge, and what I can to to continue thinking the positives (so hard).... Especially when the recurring nightmares of the same events and waking up sweating and crying continues randomly..... What can help

 

[Glenn R.]

@Glenn R. we should start a club.. I am right there with you. I'm exhausted...

Unfortunately, I tried Prazazone to no avail! I am beginning a class on anxiety management next week, and I hope that works at least to some extent. Thank you for your feedback.