Poll Nightmare trends

[physicist13]

Two questions in 1 poll:
How often do you get nightmares?
What are they about?

I used to have nightmares that were more realistic, but recently they have been a less exact recreation of actual events

 

[FragileGlass]

My dreams don't always feel like nightmares, however, they are an exaggerated analysis of trauma events I've seen in the ER. Because of the exaggeration it feels overwhelming. By exaggeration, the colour is more sinister, the events happen in weird places rather than the ER where it did happen. Or my mind fills in the blanks on what I didn't see before they got to the ER.

 

[Friday]

I tend to go through nightmare cycles. Every night for some unspecified period of time (days, weeks, months) and then nada for some unspecified period of time, and then intermittently for some unspecified period of time.

Subject varies. From flashbacks whilst sleeping (thank god, this is where nightmares belong! Not while I'm awake and trying to live my life), to true to life, to blends of fiction & reality (I call these ones "too much nightmare fuel"), to pure fiction.

So in the poll above, I ticked every box except the first.

 

[Deleted member 8714]

I checked everyone of those on the poll except "I don't have nightmares" and "nightmares are related to my trauma, but not exactly what happened."

Nightmares are monthly
Usually these types of nightmares, but not always these nightmares are about something I sense is going to happen, premonitions.
Nightmares are weekly
If am triggered by single situation or could be a premonition about a coming event where people will die.
I have nightmares several times a week
The nightmares are dissipating from a memory and nightly nightmares.
I have nightmares every night Sometimes this is true. It depends on if I got triggered and there's a new memory emerging.
Nightmares are replaying real life events
My nightmares are coded by how they begin. If it starts with nursery school or nursing school, it is about what happened to me as a child. If not, then it's about a premonition of someone dying or many people dying.
The subject of my nightmares is not closely related to my trauma
These are my premonition nightmares which usually start off with an earthquake.

My father was/is a serial killer and witnessing death was a major part of my abuse. Ever since I can remember, I would have premonition nightmares about someone/s going to die. I used to work in hospice as an RN and could tell when someone was going to die. I knew 24 hours before they would die. And somehow the patients knew that I knew and would request me for their last day. Beats me why.

My nightmares occur around specific days of the year, at least the ones related to my abuse, such as Halloween, my birthday, etc.

 

[teneighty]

There is basically 3 different types of nightmares for me.
a) the exact scene where i pulled a very close friend from a totalled car. frequency increased whenever car accident information has been concsciously or subconsciously received. e.g. it was on the news and i didnt consciously realize. asking the day after, someone can pinpoint that the info was there.
b) a mix of first response scenarious exact or close to the real situation. frequency similar to a)
c) something i just can`t pinpoint at the moment, which is always the same, upsets me more then a) and b), very rare and i have no clue what it means. i noted those down on paper or spoke them on a voice recorder at night, since my brain cleans up those very fast. will clean up a) and b) first, then maybe go to cleaning up c) in my mind.

 

[EveHarrington]

My nightmares are monthly, or less. Approximately.

They do not relate to my trauma but do relate to my anxieties.

 

[Changing4Best]

I have had nightmares that were somewhat related to real traumas, though not exact. The subject matter is close enough that I did not answer the last option though.

 

[MrMoonlight]

I don't dream, I haven't remembered a dream or nightmare for a long time.

 

[Changing4Best]

I don't dream, I haven't remembered a dream or nightmare for a long time

My Pdoc said for me to stop drinking coffee and I did and I started to dream again. Before, when I drank only 2 cups of it a day, I did not dream. I also had a meds change at that same time, so it could be to do with that too.

 

[MrMoonlight]

Thanks @SheilaKathy I have cut way down on coffee limiting myself to one 6oz cup in the morning. I have also stopped watching tv for the past few days and never news. But now that I'm understanding myself more, any stimulant use, is carefully considered. I think I'm going to ask for an uppage in my antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication, don't t think my current dose is working well enough.

 

[EveHarrington]

I don’t remember my nightmares.

 

[Deleted member 8714]

One thing I forgot to mention with my nightmares is sometimes they are informational nightmares. I literally have awakened with a word I'm saying. One time it was GL-5. I didn't have a clue what it meant until I started a search online. Then that made sense.