Nightmare Triggers

[PureDogs]

Good Morning,

I'm wondering if any one of you may have similar experience I had - I woke up with nightmare and sweating.

The trigger are vague - let's make it simple, I am wondering if one trigger that can cause nightmare of something else?

 

[Kas_Can_Fly]

Firstly yes, I frequently have nightmares that wake me up absolutely terrified.

As for the other question, I would say yes, because in my opinion, dreams (and therefore nightmares) are the brain processing your subconscious thoughts and memories, they are frequently disorganised and often don't relate to things in the way we think they would. High stress usually increases nightmares and these might be about things you are stressed about or by things you didn't realise were stressing you and with unresolved trauma it is common for these things to be lurking in your subconscious.

For me all of my triggers link to each other and everything is interconnected, so it wouldn't faze me but even if yours aren't all tangled together like mine I should imagine that it wouldn't take a lot for your brain to go from the obvious trigger to anything else that is stressing you from now or your past.

 

[PureDogs]

I have nightmare often and my psychiatrist prescribed me with one medication that is somatic medication.

That medication is for blood pressure (However, I don't have bp issues) it helps to prevent nightmare. It does works at most of time. I would know if I have one by the mood impacts me when I woke up.

May I ask - What kind nightmares?

My nightmares is based on what happened to me in the past and how I went through.

 

[Seasounds]

Yes, I agree with Kas. The medication you mentioned; has it worked/let you sleep consistantly? If yes, good. If not, maybe another med?

 

[PureDogs]

Change,

I am on another medication as well and this medication is on the very low dosage due to side effect may impact more than how it will be effective to me.

In other word, It does work and sometimes it doesn't.

Sometimes when I knew I have nightmare AND does not remember by how the dream impacts my sleep. I don't stay sleep whole night. I woke up few times - my psychiatrist does not want to increase the mg due to side effect.

Not only that, I do get "wandered thinking" during the day, for example, eye movements, thinking too much, agitated, and other few to list. I'm struggle on this and trying to understand the whole picture.

Yes, I have therapist if you plans to ask ;-)

Both (Psychiatrist and Therapist) encouraged me to meet more people who has PTSD and get more support which is important thing to do.

 

[tillybee]

I have panic attacks at night, every night. I wake up and I look and feel like I've been in a shower! Mine experience is purely because I'm trying to hold on and control myself in the day so at night when I sleep it all piles to the fore front and gets me. I've been in the sleep clinic etc etc. The only time I don't experience this is with sleeping tablets. I'm not sure why this is, or whether it's because I'm that out of it I don't get up and realise.

Do you suffer with panic attacks? Could they be the key to the nightmares? I know mine are connected.

 

[PureDogs]

Tillybee,

Yes my panic attacks is associated with my PTSD and whatever with what kind stressors/trigger may impact me.

Sometimes I get them out of blue without any reasons. My psych stated that it happens when something "block out" in my memory and not able to identify which stressor or trigger. This is because something in my mind block and not able to retrieve what specific it is coming from.

 

[tillybee]

Yes, I am like that too. I'm not sure how to figure things out sometimes. If your memory is blocked can something still trigger that blocked memory? And if so how are you to find the trigger if you can't remember?

It hurts my brain to think! I hope you are feeling okay today :)

 

[PureDogs]

Tillybee,

Thank you for being concern.. I'm just okay and not going to try dwell too much :-)

That is something I'm trying to figure out because I do know that it is there. It is simply how it impacts how I feel or act. For example, I get uneasy when someone went too over line with me - I know it is a stressor (or trigger), but what or where it come from? I hope I'm saying clearly.

 

[Kas_Can_Fly]

May I ask - What kind nightmares?

I do get nightmares directly related to my traumas, but more often than not I get aspects of the trauma dotted throughout the dream and abstract. When I say abstract -I mean caused by the environment of the dream more than people for example sometimes it's like I'm trapped in a house but none of the doors will open and it's a maze, I need to escape otherwise I will die, but it's all a trick and I'm being crushed by objects/furniture which give me physical pain which I also get from knocking into things while trying to escape instead of the traumas that caused those pains. I have so many different dreams but always with these elements. But if you add it all together, whilst it might not be directly about rape, I'm being held down and I can't escape, I have pains all over, I'm scared and I think I might die, also there's often a sense of humiliation in the dream.

 

[tillybee]

Yeah you are deffinately clear. This is a total grey area with me. I'm hoping over time I can shed some light on this because it is very confusing. I have so many questions with no answers but I know this forum is super cool! The members here will all help. So when the question pops into my mind I'm just going to pop it on here.

If I find anything out on this one I'll be sure to let you know. If nothing else at least you know I share your experience on this one so your not alone! :)

 

[PureDogs]

Tillybee

I'm glad that my explanation is clear to you. Some people was not sure what I'm saying.

May I ask - how do you cope the panic?

For me - I would remind myself today date and it was over not happening again.