Nightmares? Or are they?

DogTired

Silver Member
This is not an angry question, I'm just asking for your thoughts.
My therapist. She wanted to talk about my flashbacks and nightmares.
I knew there was a difference but this little gem caught me unawares.
"You know when you are having a nightmare"as you are awake!"

WTH? I'm asleep, reliving an excerpt of nastiness, in full color, smell, sound, and pain.
Interacting with the action (apparently I thrash around), speaking to and listening to others I knew. (in a variety of languages says SWMBO)
(note: SWMBO has recorded some of my verbals, and I do respond to them when played back in that language. Automatically and not thinking about it.)

It's just like the real thing. Then, it finishes. Or it is stopped by the wife or dog who wake me up, if I'm getting out of hand.
Or, I WAKE UP, once the 'nightmare' has finished. Usually confused, generally upset, and sometimes that's it for the night as far as sleep goes.

Except, according to my therapist, I'm awake and can stop the nightmare whenever I want to.
So the question.
After an hour of the therapist trying to convince me I'm awake, am I just in denial, or have I just made history as the only person who dreams in their sleep.
Before anyone answers, remember, I'm not angry, just asking.
 
I have 3 kinds of nightmares.

- Total fiction. Good or bad.
- Too much nightmare fuel. A blend of fiction & reality.
- Flashbacks whilst asleep. In bed. Where they f*cking belong! Oh vey. Brutal. But at least I’m flat out, instead of attempting normal life.

Except, according to my therapist, I'm awake and can stop the nightmare whenever I want to.
Pfft. Yes & No. AKA? It take PRACTICE. The whole 10,000 times to master anything? Not inaccurate. In the beginnning of attempting to ‘wake the f*ck up’ you might get 1 success in 400. It’s the trying that really matters/works, in my experience. The more I try? The more I’m successful at it. The percentages are reeeeeeeally low, when I start trying. By the time I’m nearing 10,000? It’s flip a coin. And then? Like magic, it. just. works. But, at least for me? It reeeeeally takes all of that practice to master. And since they’ll just switch OFF for years, for no reason, then flood back? It can take a reeeeeally long time. Or? Happen overnight.

Keep trying. Keep failing. Fail better.
 
You are asleep but as to whether you can control it is another matter. I don't think it's control I think it's distraction. I have terrifying nightmares I am there again as a very small child in a cold, small, dark place trapped. It took time but I have slowly taught myself to look for the standby red light on the tv. That tiny light brings me back to reality, I still have the nights it doesn't work and my hubby grabs my hand and brings me back but most nights searching for that little red light is enough to ground me.
 
before the ptsd dx had coalesced far enough to gain my current day understanding of ptsd flashbacks, i referred to my flashbacks as, "nightmares i have while i am awake." or, sometimes, "daymares." could this be in the ballpark of what your therapist is getting to? quite a few of those 20th century antiques called my flashbacks, "hallucinations," so i was quite inhibited in discussing them.

for what it's worth
before i healed far enough to lose the nightmares, my hwmbo assured me i got more exercise when i was asleep than while i am awake, and i am one hyper-assed swmbo.
 

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