Anybody else want to ctb because of dreams/nightmares?

[daikon]

It's not my main reason, but every time the dreams/nightmares come back, I feel so sure that I can't live the rest of my life being subjected to random psychological torture by my subconscious. My life really is just a series of nightmares.

 

[21Neberg]

They're horrible. Nobody deserves to be awake all night worrying about things and people who haven't even thought about you for a month. I wish I could make them go away, but I can't.

What has helped me though is listening to music. It usually helps me clear my mind, and allows me to go back to sleep again.

 

[Terminally drunk]

Just remember the blind only dream in sound and the blind and deaf dream in vibration. and everything is a complex mystery. but do not let your dreams get too you. you might think there's meaning to it. but there isn't. give a thought 7s seconds and it stays. try to think other things before sleeping. what sort of nightmares are they?

 

[GlowingCactus]

I used to have bloody terrifying nightmares very regularly. I mean I can't imagine feeling more scared than I did in these nightmares and I still felt extremely anxious for about an hour after waking up.

Anyway, taking 5-HTP before going to sleep has fixed the problem for me. However some prople report having vivid nightmares as a side effect so your mileage may vary.

 

[daikon]

Just remember the blind only dream in sound and the blind and deaf dream in vibration. and everything is a complex mystery. but do not let your dreams get too you. you might think there's meaning to it. but there isn't. give a thought 7s seconds and it stays. try to think other things before sleeping. what sort of nightmares are they?

My dreams definitely have meaning. Either they're a way to think over problems I have or they're wish fulfillment. But the nightmares are just a big mishmash of all my anxieties, usually stuff involving my family. It's awful.

 

[JustAboutDone]

Hi Daikon, it's really not surprising you have the nightmares you do given what you have been through xx Also what happened to your boyfriend was so unexpected and so utterly horrific that it will take you a long time to find peace with it. There is a medication you can take that is just for nightmares, I can't remember the name off the top of my head, I will try and think. If you can talk as much as you can about the worse things out loud that may help? Sometimes it does for some people.

You must be suffering from terrible ptsd from what's happened. I'm so sorry xxx

I suffer from nightmares constantly so tend to avoid going to sleep if I can. Not much of a solution really!


Edit: here it is

Physicians prescribe prazosin, sold under the brand name of Minipress, to treat nightmares for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Oddly enough, this medication does not seem to be effective in patients with non-PTSD nightmares.

 

[daikon]

Hi Daikon, it's really not surprising you have the nightmares you do given what you have been through xx Also what happened to your boyfriend was so unexpected and so utterly horrific that it will take you a long time to find peace with it. There is a medication you can take that is just for nightmares, I can't remember the name off the top of my head, I will try and think. If you can talk as much as you can about the worse things out loud that may help? Sometimes it does for some people.

You must be suffering from terrible ptsd from what's happened. I'm so sorry xxx

I suffer from nightmares constantly so tend to avoid going to sleep if I can. Not much of a solution really!

Probably — never been diagnosed, but most of the symptoms check out. Talking about the nightmares with a therapist made them come much more often, which was terrifying. It was like my subconscious was telling me I was too fucked up to ever tell anyone what really goes on in my head.

 

[JustAboutDone]

Probably — never been diagnosed, but most of the symptoms check out. Talking about the nightmares with a therapist made them come much more often, which was terrifying. It was like my subconscious was telling me I was too fucked up to ever tell anyone what really goes on in my head.

God, that must have been grim :-(
I wonder if you can get an assessment for ptsd it might help get the right treatment instead of just a talking therapy. I don't know, I have a bad attitude with therapists!
Sometimes with ptsd a group thing might work. I know they've been doing a lot of work with this different kind of therapy (not the usual talking kind) which is much more helpful for ptsd. Not rapid eye movements but something similar.

(Lack of sleep has seriously scrambled my brain, sorry!)

 

[daikon]

God, that must have been grim :-(
I wonder if you can get an assessment for ptsd it might help get the right treatment instead of just a talking therapy. I don't know, I have a bad attitude with therapists!
Sometimes with ptsd a group thing might work. I know they've been doing a lot of work with this different kind of therapy (not the usual talking kind) which is much more helpful for ptsd. Not rapid eye movements but something similar.

(Lack of sleep has seriously scrambled my brain, sorry!)

Maybe — I've kind of lost faith in the mental health profession (therapists are so afraid of death and suicide lmao). I've seen a bunch of terrible grief counselors and therapists. But not having grotesque nightmares every month or so sounds pretty sweet.

 

[JustAboutDone]

Maybe — I've kind of lost faith in the mental health profession (therapists are so afraid of death and suicide lmao). I've seen a bunch of terrible grief counselors and therapists. But not having grotesque nightmares every month or so sounds pretty sweet.

Giving you a gentle squeeze if you'll let me cos I blinking hate counselling types! Am not a drug advocate but i know what it's like to live with nightmares and the sick shaky feeling when you wake up, your heart pounding, sweating and wishing you were dead - so see what the doctor has to offer. You've been through so much, demand something decent! Xxx

 

[TheCrow]

This may be an insane suggestion, but have you thought about trying to learn how to lucid dream? For some reason, I'm able to, and I always have dreams about people chasing me or me hiding from people trying to get me. And every time, I just fly straight up into the sky to get away. I fly in this weird swimming motion to get up, but I can always get higher than the enemy and get away. It's like it's activated when there's conflict—I realize it's a dream and I get away from the problem. If the nightmares won't stop, maybe you can try to control the outcome. Again, I realize this suggestion is way out there.

 

[daikon]

This may be an insane suggestion, but have you thought about trying to learn how to lucid dream? For some reason, I'm able to, and I always have dreams about people chasing me or me hiding from people trying to get me. And every time, I just fly straight up into the sky to get away. I fly in this weird swimming motion to get up, but I can always get higher than the enemy and get away. It's like it's activated when there's conflict—I realize it's a dream and I get away from the problem. If the nightmares won't stop, maybe you can try to control the outcome. Again, I realize this suggestion is way out there.

I tried lucid dreaming once, but it was really physically uncomfortable (I did the method where you lie completely still until your body falls asleep while your brain is awake), and the possibility of the sleep paralysis always kind of put me off. But I'll look into it again! PM me some tips if you have any!

 

[GoneCantFindHer]

I suffer from nightmares due to PTSD from prolonged abuse. Every time I go to sleep, I feel scared of having nightmares. I've tried medicine, therapy, meditating, putting myself into a calming sleep routine and still, the nightmares come. They are so vivid and awful. When I wake up, I can't shake the feeling...it's like it leaves this residue on me through the day. Having nightmares definitely contributed to wanting to ctb. I've been having these particular nightmares for 7 years.

 

[kkatt]

This may be an insane suggestion, but have you thought about trying to learn how to lucid dream? For some reason, I'm able to, and I always have dreams about people chasing me or me hiding from people trying to get me. And every time, I just fly straight up into the sky to get away. I fly in this weird swimming motion to get up, but I can always get higher than the enemy and get away. It's like it's activated when there's conflict—I realize it's a dream and I get away from the problem. If the nightmares won't stop, maybe you can try to control the outcome. Again, I realize this suggestion is way out there.

You beat me to it. LUCID DREAMING is the only way to overcome this horrible situation.
Many,many people live in fear of sleep because of vivid and frightening dreams.
There are a number of "how-to" videos on YouTube about it. It takes a very long time to master and is almost impossible if you are either drunk,heavily medicated or just overtired.
A few tips to get started are:

*Maintain a rigid routine with a regular time for bed regardless of how tired you are. Keep the room cool and well
ventilated. Avoid strong scents including aromatherapy products. Stay hydrated.
* Keep a notebook by your bed and whenever you wake and remember a dream,write down whatever you can recall,right
away. Then read those notes back to yourself as often as you can at first and try to keep it in mind. This will help you
recognise the dream state.
*If you do notice a dream state, try not to panic and force yourself to wake. The aim is to raise your consciousness to a level
where you can simply allow a familiar thought/memory to come to the fore.Then relax and return to the dream along with
your new,improved experience.
*A slightly different concept is,on recognising the dream state,to simply steer the dream into a more positive direction.

REMEMBER this takes a lifetime to master so be patient. However it is a genuine light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Hopeless_soul]

You must be suffering from terrible ptsd from what's happened. I'm so sorry xxx

Yeah, I'm sorry, daikon. Just the idea of going to bed used to frighten me. Once I even had auditory hallucinations due to PTSD. I don't have nightmares anymore, just plain insomnia. I dealt with it taking sleeping pills (zopiclone), but I regretted it since it affects your short term memory.

Hope it gets better.

 

[StarDust]

Hi Daikon, it's really not surprising you have the nightmares you do given what you have been through xx Also what happened to your boyfriend was so unexpected and so utterly horrific that it will take you a long time to find peace with it. There is a medication you can take that is just for nightmares, I can't remember the name off the top of my head, I will try and think. If you can talk as much as you can about the worse things out loud that may help? Sometimes it does for some people.

You must be suffering from terrible ptsd from what's happened. I'm so sorry xxx

I suffer from nightmares constantly so tend to avoid going to sleep if I can. Not much of a solution really!


Edit: here it is

Physicians prescribe prazosin, sold under the brand name of Minipress, to treat nightmares for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Oddly enough, this medication does not seem to be effective in patients with non-PTSD nightmares.

There are a couple of medications available for nightmares that I know of: Clonidine and Prazosin. They both have pros and cons and it is worthwhile to seek out your GP and ask about them. I know this is another one but I can't remember the same right at this moment. Nightmares are horrible. I live with them constantly, I fear going to sleep most of the time.

 

[Ch92921]

this life is a nightmare

 

[SoulSearcher]

this life is a nightmare

Agreed ! Also I thought I'd post in this chat cos I had a weird dream last night that I was living a dream and it was so disorienting I almost lost my sh**

 

[JustAboutDone]

There are a couple of medications available for nightmares that I know of: Clonidine and Prazosin. They both have pros and cons and it is worthwhile to seek out your GP and ask about them. I know this is another one but I can't remember the same right at this moment. Nightmares are horrible. I live with them constantly, I fear going to sleep most of the time.

@StarDust thank you, I hadn't heard of clonidine

 

[daikon]

I suffer from nightmares due to PTSD from prolonged abuse. Every time I go to sleep, I feel scared of having nightmares. I've tried medicine, therapy, meditating, putting myself into a calming sleep routine and still, the nightmares come. They are so vivid and awful. When I wake up, I can't shake the feeling...it's like it leaves this residue on me through the day. Having nightmares definitely contributed to wanting to ctb. I've been having these particular nightmares for 7 years.

Man, that feeling of a dream "residue" is so relatable. If I don't try to forget the dream as soon as I can, it screws me up for the whole day, or longer. It's so damn frustrating when all those tips to help nightmares don't work.

I'm sorry for all you've gone through, and I really hope you find peace.

 

[postmortem]

I can't believe I found a thread for this before I created one.

My dreams and nightmares stay with me a long time after I'm awake. Some days, my dreams are good, like really good, and I feel like I don't want to wake up. Other days, I have nightmares and I feel like CTB is my only way out.

 

[daikon]

I can't believe I found a thread for this before I created one.

My dreams and nightmares stay with me a long time after I'm awake. Some days, my dreams are good, like really good, and I feel like I don't want to wake up. Other days, I have nightmares and I feel like CTB is my only way out.

Nightmares are so rough — like even if you claim dreams don't mean anything, just having those horrible images in your mind all day is a drain.
What are your good dreams about?

 

[Scribble Fan]

I'd love to escape my dreams too. Mine are very bland and boring but they attack my self-esteem and make me feel worthless as dirt. It hurts. I'm not sure you could call them nightmares but they leave a grey, melancholic pit in the bottom of my stomach.

Then occasionally I'll have a good dream. I had a beautiful one where I found this suicide partner and we hung ourselves together in the pale, cold sunlight. I wish I had more dreams like that.

 

[Mort]

Well for me they more like wakeing dreams as i am not sleeping much luck to get 5 hrs a week . Sum are so bad that i try to fight them of i looks like i am having a fit try all sorts of things to stop them. But no luck :( i am just worried that its going to happen in public and i end up hitting sum one. If that happens think i end up in the nut house locked away for every . Just need more sleep all so other things are getting worse like my hearing get bad i keep hearing things a night when it's all quiet . All so my eyesight is falling me i can sort of onley see black and white in one eye the other well thats just odd to seeing things that aren't they. Well thats me in a nutty nutshell:D