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Trauma Relive in Dreams, Insomnia then Depression, Sweats

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CantinaCam

Hi,
I have been struggling a lot with basically anything I have to do to live. I struggle eating, sleeping, communicating, and just being okay in the world. I have anxiety and am undiagnosed PTSD. I had a very traumatic first year at school where I was sexually assaulted two times.
I used to worry a lot more about my sleep, but I realize the more pressure I put on it the harder it is to fall asleep. So I just sleep whenever I want which is not recommended by many people but its the only way I get any sleep.

When I wake up from sleeping, I am dripping sweat and usually have panic attacks because my dreams often are triggering. I will see people from the trauma or that have hurt me in my dreams. Often I am being chased or attacked and about to die. And every time, it feels so real that in the dream I say "I wish this was a dream" not I hope.

Im open to suggestions, comments, and questions
 
Nightmares are super common in ptsd. Are you working with a therapist? I had horrible insomnia for years until I went to a cbt insomnia therapy course that retrained my brain how to sleep.

Unfortunately it's probably not something you can solve on your own. You need that outside guide to walk you thru it
 
you may benefit from practicing lucid dreaming. one method is to imagine climbing a rope as you sleep, with the notion of climbing 'up' to waking. then, when a dream is going bad, one can remember to climb 'up' and out of the dreams. it takes a lot of practice and perhaps not everyone is able to do it, but i favour anything that gives us agency over ourselves - even if we fail, we tried.

i 'swim' to waking, myself. doesn't always work, sometimes i'm so wrapped up in the dream that i don't realize i can leave it. but some success is good enough.
 
Have you learned any grounding techniques?
For me, when I first wake up I find an object in my space that i can instantly recognize as not being part of my trauma memories.

Find something you will see immediately when you open your eyes that you can use to recognize that you're somewhere safe.
Use more than 1 thing if you need.
 
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