My father haunts my dreams

[itsher]

Ive seen threads on this and ive noticed people dont really understand why it’s happening, other then assumptions.

Basically ive been having recurring nightmares the last few months about my father sexually assaulting me and raping me. last night i literally woke up screaming help me from one of the dreams, what sucks is i still live under my parents roof ( im underage ) i feel likeni have no safe spot. to mention my door doesnt close. anyways not the point. my father from my Recognition has never assaulted me or anything sexual. im confused on why i keep having these dreams and it really hurts me. last night i had not one BUT two dreams of my father trying to rape me or assault me sexually. ive talked with my therapist about it and she never gave me a clear answer on why. i just want these dreams to stop. Any help?

 

[itsher]

also id like to mention ive never been raped in my life. if that has any play in these dreams

 

[Muttly]

As far as why you are having the dreams, that's hard to say for sure. And probably something to keep working on with your therapist.

Something that my old therapist had me do, to help make dreams less traumatizing is to rework them. Like after you wake up, change the dream. So imagine yourself getting away. Imagine it be someone who is wearing a mask and not actually your dad.

Also, welcome to MyPTSD

 

[itsher]

As far as why you are having the dreams, that's hard to say for sure. And probably something to keep working on with your therapist.

Something that my old therapist had me do, to help make dreams less traumatizing is to rework them. Like after you wake up, change the dream. So imagine yourself getting away. Imagine it be someone who is wearing a mask and not actually your dad.

Also, welcome to MyPTSD

thank you, and thank you again!

 

[arfie]

hello itsher. welcome to the forum. gentle empathy on the nightmares. nightmares suck, both literally and figuratively.

i have also done professionally guided "reframing" work on my nightmares with several therapists. i think that might be the same theory set as @Muttly's "reworking." rape was one of my common nightmare themes. in my case, i my perpetrators never had faces. but they were still terrifying. over the course of the therapy, i came to believe that the rapes symbolized loss of personal control. i'm still puzzling, but i think the lack of faces points to my social anxiety. nothing personal. just a child prostitute's birthright.

but that is me and every case is unique. . .

gentle support while you sort your own. welcome aboard.