Nightmares - How To Cope With Them

[moki]

Hi Hodge,
No, I would never suggest anyone take ambien for nightmares. I guess ambien is just too fraught with side effects. My med dr. won't even think of giving me a prescription.

The lamictal has just been helpful in stabilizing my mood well enough that I'm not suicidal or super angry like I was last fall. I recently realized I am still depressed and am having pretty frequent bouts of anger, so the lamictal alone is not going to do the trick. I will have to go on some anti-depressant, probably lexapro, at least for the short term.

The xanax helps me calm down at night enough to relax enough to fall asleep.

Neither lamictal or xanax does anythihng for nightmares for me. I just endure them and am glad when I wake up that they're over, but am also sad when I wake up because I wake to a daytime nightmare of just getting through the day.

These are the times where, if circumstances were different, I'd find some way to self-medicate. But I won't because I have children to be a role model for and I know how dangerous self-medication can be. And I know it won't solve anything.

So, day after day, you keep looking and keep suffering, but keep looking for the answers to help you get out of the hellhole.

Sorry for the digression...I'm having a rough time lately, and can't seem to stop my sad ramblings...

As always, I'm hoping you find some relief from your nightmares...

 

[hodge]

Hi Moki,

Thanks for more info about various meds. I'm going to stick with the cymbalta for the time being. I'm still having nightmares (which is one reason why I'm still up so late, forestalling the inevitable). But, at least, I'm feeling more motivated, that's good.

I know what you mean about the daytime nightmares. This is such a difficult thing to deal with, isn't it? I wish I had an easy answer for both of us. And for anyone else reading these messages who are going through similar things.

But all I know to do is just take the nightmares as they come and try to understand what they're telling me about what I need to process. At the moment, they're pretty apocalyptic, so it's tough. I mean, whenever my nightmares get to the point of being along end-of-the-world themes, they're pretty hard to deal with. Still, I can find ways in which they relate to my own personal themes, so I do have something to work with. And, it seems to me that working through the nightmares emotionally is all I can do.

I really hope you can find some relief, also, Moki. I'm so sorry things are so rough for you right now; I hope you can find something positive tomorow, even if it's just appreciating some beautiful spring birds in your yard, or somesuch, hodge