Nightmares - How I Got Rid of Them

[Seeking_Nirvana]

OK, I understand. I just thought that if one wasn't ready to face the trauma they could work on the nightmares because in that way the subconscious feeds you a little at a time, as the mind can only take so much.

Also, even now that the nightmares stopped, I sometimes have a really bizarre dreams. It used to bother me, but now it doesn't bother me because I understand it even if it has nothing to do with the trauma.

I suppose trying to learn dream interpretation is too time consuming. I just felt it is worth the while for peace of mind, when a dream bothers a person even though it has nothing to do with their trauma.

I won't bother with it anymore unless some one specifically asks for help.

Evie, I apologize for posting this thread. I didn't mean to discredit the hard work you put forth in healing. I was just frustrated because I felt that my work at healing was discredited.

Tammy

 

[batgirl]

I won't bother with it anymore unless some one specifically asks for help.

OK I'm a little bit confused now. You won't bother with what Tammy? Why are you apologizing? You don't have any reason to. I'm not offended at all, and you have a right to your opinion anyhow. I had just noticed so many threads on nightmares, and people struggling with their nightmares for so long and not getting any better, and I really related to that because that was me before I started really working on my trauma. I was just sharing what worked for me, my nightmares were horrendous and I found that not concentrating on them was best, but if you find concentrating on them helps you then that's cool. Honestly it's all good as long as it helps you.

 

[anthony]

Tammy, far far from that. There is no one way to achieve things. What there are though is better ways than others. For you dream interpretation worked as you where not ready to face your trauma, however; you ended up doing exactly that once you worked out a little bit of a longer way that you had to do that in order to stop the nightmares once interpreted. Valid, just more lengthy.

Again though, there are lots of ways to do things, and with all the people and experience on this forum I aspire that we find and highlight the shorter ways for those who are healing, who have the chance to learn from our experience and not do things the hard way, however; it is still noted that other methods exists when the head on approach fails. In that event Tammy, your way would be recommended without a doubt, it just means that person is not ready to face their trauma, though they are ready to discover what their nightmares are about. In learning that you learnt you must attack your trauma to help you, which means others who may not directly want too, also find out the truth, just a different way and a bit more time taken. The shorter the healing process, I believe the better for the sufferer.

I would say most of us here are lucky in that we suffered for shorter times, though plenty here who suffered a decade, two or more already. Society is more open to mental healthy nowadays, and people know and/or are learning faster to seek immediate help and information to guide them faster, not just crawl under a rock, or live with it, or get over it, as most of us would have been told. The more educated society becomes, the faster many can speed up the process of healing instead of suffering for decades.

 

[tude]

batgirl, I read your post last night as I was cooling off from my therapist appt. I was frustrated and angry at the seemingly over-simplified idea that becoming aware of my feelings was going to help me do CPR. Truthfully, the idea is threatening. I don't want to feel those feelings. They are painfully intense and overwhelming. It's difficult for me to admit that simple emotions are causing my symptoms. Until I deal with them, I am going to continue living this nightmare.

Sharing your experience helped clarify and affirm what was becoming clear to me.

 

[Seeking_Nirvana]

Anthony,
I do feel it is unfortunate that I didn't get a correct diagnosis for 23 years and that I figured it out on my own. My new doctor agreed I had PTSD and told me to find this forum. But by the time I seen him I already had the nightmares calmed down, but felt every avenue toward healing would benefit me.

I'm still working with dreams and the subconscious mind, as well as healing myself from other issues.

Peace
Tammy

Evie, I thought there was a possibility I offended you. I just wanted to make sure that I didn't.

 

[baileysemt]

batgirl, and here I thought you were going to say, "I stopped sleeping!"

I'm sorry, just a little old-fashioned humor. Hope I made you smile. :kiss:

Bailey

 

[spiritofnow]

I am what I beleive young people would refer to as a newbie on this forum/site :-)
Anyhow, I found these blogs very interesting, it is great to read actual experiences and how that has informed each individual. I have had many symptoms for years-trauma occurred in early years and I have only recently sought help. Nightmares have been one of my favourites (sarcasm) to the point where my ex-partner could not sleep in the same room as me due to my twilight exploits. And yes my nightmares increase when I have internal stress or anxiety about life. I guess I concur with one of the previous posts, that as I am working through my trauma my dreaming has become less horrid. I always understood that these dreams where just a subconscious valve, I just never realised how to overcome it.
I won't write my autobiography right now - although I feel purging would be of some use. I will wait until I find my way around this virtual place and find the right spot to reveal myself to fellow survivors.

So, hello and thank you for being here - I have a good feeling about this place :-)

 

[anthony]

Hi spiritofnow, welcome to the forum.

 

[batgirl]

Can someone explain this to me please??

batgirl, and here I thought you were going to say, "I stopped sleeping!"

I'm sorry, just a little old-fashioned humor. Hope I made you smile. :kiss:

Okay, I'm sorry Bailey, but this post has been bothering me ever since you posted it, I just haven't said anything because I feel like a total retard. I've tried to forget about it but it keeps bothering me.

To explain, other than PTSD I am autistic, and I have trouble with certain types of humour, especially if it's subtle or there's innuendo. Innuendo is a really difficult concept for me. I take things very literally. Anyways, my point is, can someone please explain to me the humour here? I am not trying to be rude or snotty, I seriously do not understand what is funny. Logically, I don't see the humour. I did stop sleeping because of my nightmares, for weeks at a time sometimes. Why is that funny? It wasn't funny to not sleep for days on end. Seriously I don't get it and I feel like a retard, so if someone could explain it I would be grateful. My dad tried but I didn't understand his explanation. Maybe because the humour is old fashioned? Ugh I don't know. Somebody please explain if you can!

 

[grace5555]

Hey, Evie - let me give it a shot although I am not making much sense these days so take it with caution. Alot of times when people say they have found a solution to something, a sarcastic/humor-intended reply someone might make is that they just "quit doing it". For example, I could say that I have found a cure for my asthma...I quit breathing. Or I have discovered how to fix road rage...quit driving. She was joking with you in that you said you had found a way to stop nightmares...hence her comment you quit sleeping because you can't have nightmares as long as you are awake. Flashbacks, daymares, etc., etc. but not the traditional definition of nightmares. She was not intending it as any insult at all - just kind of sarcastic humor at something we battle so furiously against. Does that help at all? It is also possibly a more common American humor? I am not sure there but just a thought.

 

[batgirl]

Hmm yeah actually I think so Grace, thanks so much! I never thought about it as being sarcastic humour. Usually I understand sarcasm. Thanks for the example of stopping breathing, that's a good comparison for me. I think what threw me off was the "I stopped sleeping" part because I really did stop sleeping at one point to avoid the nightmares, and it wasn't funny at all. And just to be clear, I was never insulted by the joke, just confused. To quote Mr. Spock (who I relate to sooo much!!) "Humour... it is a difficult concept. It is not logical." ;) Though I do obviously have my own sense of humour too, a warped one. :p

 

[grace5555]

lol - I like your sense of humor, Evie. I thought the part about asthma might help as you understand that well too. Nope - not funny at all to stop sleeping to avoid the nightmares. I am not sleeping at the moment for nightmares and other reasons so I understand. I am so glad you are back home in your own bed and can't start healing.