ashdawn8287
Platinum Member
My abuse took place when I was asleep. I woke up to it. Since then (22 years), I have suffered from very emotionally disturbing nightmares. I'm on a beta blocker/blood pressure medicine that they found helped veterans.
The nightmares aren't every night but they occur frequently still. I think I will always suffer from nightmares and sleep disturbances. I wake up in panic and sweat most nights. I have learned to cope. It is just very annoying.
I talked about my traumas face to face yesterday so the nightmare tonight that woke me up after sleeping for 4 hours was probably because of that. People who know me or live with me like my wonderful fiancée know and see this a lot. They also know not to touch me or wake me up because if it.
My sleep schedule is as normal as it has ever been though. It is just hard staying asleep because I think I am conditioned to equate sleep with danger because of my abuse at 4 years old.
My nightmares are never of the abuse itself. The nightmare plays out crazy situations that make me feel certain feelings related to trauma. And those strong feelings wake me up because they're so intense.
Its 5 am here. I have a long day ahead of me so I guess I will be drinking coffee today lol.
If you experiences the same nightmare situations I do, is there anything else I could try in order to stay asleep. I have tried sleeping aids, sedatives, I relax before bed, I maintain as normal of a sleep.schedule as I can. Even with sleeping pills and sedatives I still wake up. I no longer take anything for sleep by the way.
I have worked through a lot of these emotions related to sexual abuse and my nightmares are more so surrounded by the physical abuse from 2 abusive relationships.
I think I should get involved with domestic violence some how because it is different from sexual abuse and most of my healing has been about the sexual abuse. I think the domestic violence aspect is something I need to explore and heal from seperately.
Thoughts? Advice? :)
The nightmares aren't every night but they occur frequently still. I think I will always suffer from nightmares and sleep disturbances. I wake up in panic and sweat most nights. I have learned to cope. It is just very annoying.
I talked about my traumas face to face yesterday so the nightmare tonight that woke me up after sleeping for 4 hours was probably because of that. People who know me or live with me like my wonderful fiancée know and see this a lot. They also know not to touch me or wake me up because if it.
My sleep schedule is as normal as it has ever been though. It is just hard staying asleep because I think I am conditioned to equate sleep with danger because of my abuse at 4 years old.
My nightmares are never of the abuse itself. The nightmare plays out crazy situations that make me feel certain feelings related to trauma. And those strong feelings wake me up because they're so intense.
Its 5 am here. I have a long day ahead of me so I guess I will be drinking coffee today lol.
If you experiences the same nightmare situations I do, is there anything else I could try in order to stay asleep. I have tried sleeping aids, sedatives, I relax before bed, I maintain as normal of a sleep.schedule as I can. Even with sleeping pills and sedatives I still wake up. I no longer take anything for sleep by the way.
I have worked through a lot of these emotions related to sexual abuse and my nightmares are more so surrounded by the physical abuse from 2 abusive relationships.
I think I should get involved with domestic violence some how because it is different from sexual abuse and most of my healing has been about the sexual abuse. I think the domestic violence aspect is something I need to explore and heal from seperately.
Thoughts? Advice? :)
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