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Problems concerning dreamland. What to do? Is it true that dream journaling keeps nightmares away?

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TLDR: Is it true that dream journaling keeps nightmares away?

For some background, I was in a year and a half long abusive relationship where I was co-erced to do bad things to my ex and myself for about 6 months. 2 years have since passed but I still get nightmares involving these bad things every night.

In these dreams I would masturbate, have sex with someone, or even rape my ex. My brother tells me it's probably only because I'm a hormonal 17 yr old but I don't like to believe it. I believe it's connected to my trauma, as I've never had these types of dreams before it happened.

These past few months though, there has been a new addition. I've had these sexual and triggering dreams (dreams that makes my body respond, which I really hate and urge me to just commit suicide) for so long now that they aren't all that surprising anymore, so imagine my shock when I start getting animal abuse and torture in my nightmares. I really have no idea where these come from; I don't even watch animal farm factory documentaries or anything like that. They just started showing: gutted pigs, sewn-on dogs, and the likes.

Now I remember I read something somewhere that went along the lines of: if you journal your dreams, even nightmares, they will start to go away; and I'm wondering if this is true at all? Because yes, I already practice dream journaling, but I avoid doing it when I have nightmares because I prefer not to remember those sick images at all.
 
My nightmares went away once we resolved them in therapy.

One of the problems with this is PTSD amnesia and that when you uncover why you are having nightmares it's really good to have the support of a therapist as it can uncover stuff about trauma you may not remember. That can leave you in a really bad place.....
 
Dream journaling helps me with nightmares. I find that when I write them down I can process what I was feeling that led to me having that dream. When those feelings are addressed/the problem causing them is solved, the nightmares don't come as often. When I ignore them and try to forget, they only get worse
 
hello angela. welcome to the forum.

My brother tells me it's probably only because I'm a hormonal 17 yr old but I don't like to believe it.

i would agree with your brother if the dreams were pleasant or better, but you feel these as nightmares. not my idea of the perfect romantic dream, to say the least.

i suffered epic nightmares and night terrors for years. keeping a dream journal didn't cure them by itself, but it provided many pertinent clues to guide the therapy which helped me resolve the trauma and end the nightmares. i still keep a therapy journals which helps me identify and settle my anxieties before they have a chance to escalate into my dreams.
 
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