Why Am I Waking Up 1 Year Later At Same Times In "middle Of Night"? ....

[njray]

Very brief history ... It has been almost one year since I was assaulted by a young male with a knife and brass knuckles (He tried to kill/rob me for drug money... SAD! :-( ). I was injured and will finally have surgery soon. The attack was completely unprovoked and occured in the middle of day (Not sure if time of attack is relevant to my current issues) while I was waitting for a realtor to show me a home for sale and thank god there were multiple witnesses which assisted in the quick apprehension and conviction of the attacker. The attacker was sentenced and is serving a lengthy term in jail. Now my concerns.....I am waking up at approx 3:00 am almost everyday. When I wake up I am recalling parts of the attack vividly. I can "See" the knife and subjects face and eyes and "feel" the head lock I was in (He initiated the atttack from behind me of course). It has greatly affected my sleep and I am very lathargic during what would be regular productive times of the day and anytime I see a knife I relieve the event at some level although as a male I am ashamed to admit this to family / friends and often mask these conditions with my outgoing personality at the age of 48!

Your thoughts and suggestions would greatly be appreciated...

 

[Froggie]

Very brief history ...I am waking up at approx 3:00 am almost everyday. When I wake up I am recalling parts of the attack vividly. although as a male I am ashamed to admit this to family / friends and often mask these conditions with my outgoing personality at the age of 48!

Hi njray, welcome to the forum, sorry for this horrendous incident that you were put through. As for waking up during the night, many of us have that weird hour thing and it's not always 3 AM, it may be different hours. It's normal for PTSD. In the beginning, it's hard to share with family and friends as we are not sure what is going on with ourselves. There are interesting articles concerning the hippocampus and agmydoloid. Just go to the search box on top and write in those 2 words, you will have important informations. And there will be many people here who will be able to relate to you and your experience.

 

[kers]

What you are describing is VERY typical with PTSD. In fact, sleep disurbances with nightmares/memories are one of the diagnostic criteria, in the category of "intrusive recollections." This actually works itself into a vicious circle--when you wake up with nightmares and memories, you interrupt your sleep, which makes you more tired the next and and more prone to having increased symptoms and waking the next night, which makes you more tired...and so on.

PTSD thrives on secrecy. Admitting what is going on, whether to family, friends, or a therapist, is an important first step in dealing with it and resolving it. You are having a response to a trauma, and by facing the trauma you will be able to have relief and fewer symptoms. Poke around the forum to learn more, but know that you are not alone.

 

[njray]

Thank you for the responses to my post. Yep it is 4:30 am but I was up at that magical 3:30 am and watched sports center recap of football games that I fell asleep watching cause I was so tired from not sleeping night before. I really have lost my drive and to be honest it really sucks........ I definately am going to use this forum for my immediate concerns and issues (and there will come a time I will not need it as much for myself but to help others thru these horrible times)..... I will beat this f/up "disease"?

Lastly, for this post . Education is key...... Sharing is important..... U feel all alone but after reading so many posts we are not alone as I thought we were...... If YOU KNOW ANYONE SUFFERING this forum without a doubt can be a piece of the puzzle to recovery......... as just in my short interaction with the sight I feel there is hope.....maybe !