Nightmares Getting Worse And More Frequent

[BlackbirdSinging]

Lately I've noticed I'm either having more nightmares or the nightmares I'm having are getting worse. They're getting more graphic and violent and are very disturbing. I'm having one to two nightmares a night.

Sometimes I wake up sweaty. Other times I won't have one and then the next night I might have two. And they're the kind of things I'd never had dreams of before. I had been staying up late to avoid being asleep for too long. That way when I did sleep I'd be in such a deep sleep I wouldn't remember any nightmares. That worked for quite awhile. But it made me more easily triggered during the day.

I'm not even trying to avoid sleep anymore because these nightmares come no matter how long I'm asleep now. I'm wondering why this is happening and if it's happened to anyone else.

Was there a reason for it? Is there a way to make them stop or make them more infrequent? I did mention it to my therapist so it's something we'll address soon I hope. Anyone else dealing with this?

 

[tired of the fight]

Yes, I know exactly what your going through.

 

[tired of the fight]

 

[Deleted member 19804]

I'm dealing with the exact same thing right now. I'm sorry you have to go through this, I know how horrible it is. I've been on antidepressants for over 1,5 year and the nightmares are still getting worse. Not just scarier, but so very much more real. I have serious trouble discriminating between dreams and reality. Sometimes I even lose sense of logic, knowledge and/or reality during the day.
Unfortunately I don't know where it comes from and I don't know how to stop it. I think it's really good that you told your therapist about this. I hope he/she can help you out.

It's really weird that the symptoms get worse, isn't it? It's not logical. I mean, apparently there is a time lag of one or a few months until the PTSD symptoms set in, but why would it get worse? And not just in stressful times; it's completely unpredictable.
I'm not just confused and frustrated about it, I'm also very curious as to how this is possible.

I wish you the best with dealing with this. I hope you'll have better and calmer sleep soon.

 

[BlackbirdSinging]

My nightmares eased up when my therapist and I backed off of talking about one of my abusers. But this morning before I woke up I had what I considered a dream. It was so disturbing to me. Even in the dream I was very anxious and upset. I didn't realize it until later but the feelings carried out into my day.

The more I think about the dream the more uncomfortable I get. I'm starting to think it was more like a nightmare. Why can't I get away from this stuff? Why do I have to be haunted by it even in my sleep? If this is never going to go away will I ever get a break?

I hate dreams that are disturbing and detailed. Every time I think about it I get the creeps and I feel it happening all over again like I'm still in the dream. Part of me wants to go to sleep so I can get away from the image and the feelings. But part of me is scared I'll have another nightmare.

 

[rebecca.kaysen]

I remember this first started happening to me when my therapist and I began talking about things I had never gotten out before, things I kept in for almost ten years. Lately things have been getting bad again. I have a new therapist, but we haven't gotten deep into anything yet.

I am triggered by new situations. Anytime I am stressed about anything (right now it's looking for a new job) my sleep is more disturbed. I wake up feeling nauseous. I avoid sleep (like right now). I'm not quite sure what to do myself, but you aren't alone.