Bad dreams nearly every night. Anyone else?

[sad_frog]

Everytime I dream and I'm able to remember it when wake I find my mental state deeply affected by it...because these dreams suck so much they have the possibility of ruining my whole day and possibly relationships.

I usually dream about family and friends that suddenly hate me/shame me/torture me/lock me up/or kill me.
Almost all my dreams I am running away from someone/something. There's usually an element that isn't explained but it basically "everyone thinks I did this bad thing and wont listen to me."
They will beat me or crowd me, sucking away my ability to breathe. Ive been blinded, Ive had my teeth pulled out, Ive been strapped down for what felt like days.

Another big element in my dreams is being locked away forever without cause nor explanation and being killed/murdered. (I've never woke up after ive been killed like it's portrayed in media)

I usually wake up a lot in the night to find im having a panic attack. Sometimes I can go back to sleep easily. Sometimes i'll keep waking up. I usually fall back into the same nightmare if I fall right back asleep so sometimes I just get up and start the day, even if it's 3AM.

Sometimes the dreams are so realistic that I find myself hating the real person I had a dream about.

about 7 years ago I had night terrors from PTSD. My doctor prescribed a medication called Prazosin for my nightmares. I thought it may have been helping but after a few years I stopped taking it and found I had NO nightmares at all and when I started taking it the nightmares would return..

I just wanted to know if anyone else has frequent nightmares and if so what are some recurring elements, how does it affect you, ect..

 

[MeltingHeart]

Everytime I dream and I'm able to remember it when wake I find my mental state deeply affected by it...because these dreams suck so much they have the possibility of ruining my whole day and possibly relationships.

I usually dream about family and friends that suddenly hate me/shame me/torture me/lock me up/or kill me.
Almost all my dreams I am running away from someone/something. There's usually an element that isn't explained but it basically "everyone thinks I did this bad thing and wont listen to me."
They will beat me or crowd me, sucking away my ability to breathe. Ive been blinded, Ive had my teeth pulled out, Ive been strapped down for what felt like days.

Another big element in my dreams is being locked away forever without cause nor explanation and being killed/murdered. (I've never woke up after ive been killed like it's portrayed in media)

I usually wake up a lot in the night to find im having a panic attack. Sometimes I can go back to sleep easily. Sometimes i'll keep waking up. I usually fall back into the same nightmare if I fall right back asleep so sometimes I just get up and start the day, even if it's 3AM.

Sometimes the dreams are so realistic that I find myself hating the real person I had a dream about.

about 7 years ago I had night terrors from PTSD. My doctor prescribed a medication called Prazosin for my nightmares. I thought it may have been helping but after a few years I stopped taking it and found I had NO nightmares at all and when I started taking it the nightmares would return..

I just wanted to know if anyone else has frequent nightmares and if so what are some recurring elements, how does it affect you, ect..

what made you start taking the meds again-even though you have NO nightmares when you stopped taking? I have nightmares but nothing is as bad as when I wake up to life. But nightmare are often a sign of underlying anxiety, so those need to be addressed first rather than seeing the nightmares as the main problem-they are probably a sympton- what is your routine before going to bed- are you doing stimulating activities-watching things, intense music etc? Listening to certain types of White Noise as you drift off is meant to be good- and other low level frequency sounds-like at 432 or 538 hertz-these are meant to be healing for the mind-there are loads of them on you tube.- sounds like new age/ hippy stuff-but there have been scientific studies on stress reduction whilst listening to music at these Hz.

 

[Woodnote]

I have had nightmares every night since I was a child. My dreams are often violent and involve either my family or people I knew from school. I can connect almost every one I have to a traumatic event I've gone through. They make me feel like I can't escape my past. Even my good days end with nightmares.

 

[sad_frog]

what made you start taking the meds again-even though you have NO nightmares when you stopped taking? I have nightmares but nothing is as bad as when I wake up to life. But nightmare are often a sign of underlying anxiety, so those need to be addressed first rather than seeing the nightmares as the main problem-they are probably a sympton- what is your routine before going to bed- are you doing stimulating activities-watching things, intense music etc? Listening to certain types of White Noise as you drift off is meant to be good- and other low level frequency sounds-like at 432 or 538 hertz-these are meant to be healing for the mind-there are loads of them on you tube.

I started taking it again because at the time I was young and still suicidal. My medication was given to me and I was expected to take it right when it was given to me. I stopped taking it about 3 years ago.

My dreams are my fears. I have had my mom call the cops on me a lot for depression even when I'm not suicidal. One time she called the cops on me just because I hadn't shown up for my first two days of college. I have thousands of dollars I owe for all the ambulance rides (state law: if the ambulance shows up you have to go with them to be checked up.) I lived with my disabled mom and gma all my life and theyre extremely narcissistic. I was always treated more as a spouse than a child and would have to break up family fights. Once when I was stuck at the hospital my mom went through my phone and saw I had vented about her being too involved in my life at age 19, so she thought it was a great idea to text all my friends on my phone that I was a lier, a bad daughter who doesnt do anything and that these messages show her that I am in fact psychotic. I got out of the house soon after and moved in with my boyfriend but she never stopped trying to control my life. I would set up boundaries and she would break then, I'd give her an inch and she'd run a mile with it. When I would block her suddenly my whole family is begging me to apologize because she becomes "really sick," and me blocking her is giving her stress which sets off her MS. Ive never gotten an apology. Ive recently blocked my mom. She has tried many ways to let me know she is very very ill and this may be her last thanksgiving with the family. I don't trust her she always does this. My blocked list gets longer everyday as she tries to use another family member/friend to contact me. wow... sorry for the rant..

My routine is Sleepytime tea with some honey, at 9 I brush my teeth and stretch. I always try to be in bed by or before 10. I take melatonin but I don't have any medication for insomnia. I have an air purifier that makes some white noise that always helps. I also try to keep the bedroom cold and any bright lights away from me after Ive laid down. I also have a really nice weighted blanket that helps me relax as well..

I have had nightmares every night since I was a child. My dreams are often violent and involve either my family or people I knew from school. I can connect almost every one I have to a traumatic event I've gone through. They make me feel like I can't escape my past. Even my good days end with nightmares.

I think this is exactly what I'm going through, even though many of these tramas I dream about happened so long ago.. Theyre still there when I sleep.

 

[BPD_LE]

I have vivid dreams every night. I also sleep talk, shout, scream, kick, punch and even strangle pillows. I've asked for help and was told by a psychiatrist it was probably my meds. It started after a traumatic event in my early 20s and I was diagnosed with PTSD. I don't dream about that traumatic event anymore but all the others from my childhood.

 

[Nem]

I was left to die in a wheelchair in a hospital when I had my reaction to shitty meds. The paramedics refused to stay with me when I was triaged and the black nurse was racist and made sure I received no care. I have nightmares about this and almost kicked the crap out of a paramedic that I saw one time. I have trouble not driving into an ambulance head on when I'm driving on the highway and I'm not kidding
Sorry to hear
Peace/hugs

 

[MeltingHeart]

I started taking it again because at the time I was young and still suicidal. My medication was given to me and I was expected to take it right when it was given to me. I stopped taking it about 3 years ago.

My dreams are my fears. I have had my mom call the cops on me a lot for depression even when I'm not suicidal. One time she called the cops on me just because I hadn't shown up for my first two days of college. I have thousands of dollars I owe for all the ambulance rides (state law: if the ambulance shows up you have to go with them to be checked up.) I lived with my disabled mom and gma all my life and theyre extremely narcissistic. I was always treated more as a spouse than a child and would have to break up family fights. Once when I was stuck at the hospital my mom went through my phone and saw I had vented about her being too involved in my life at age 19, so she thought it was a great idea to text all my friends on my phone that I was a lier, a bad daughter who doesnt do anything and that these messages show her that I am in fact psychotic. I got out of the house soon after and moved in with my boyfriend but she never stopped trying to control my life. I would set up boundaries and she would break then, I'd give her an inch and she'd run a mile with it. When I would block her suddenly my whole family is begging me to apologize because she becomes "really sick," and me blocking her is giving her stress which sets off her MS. Ive never gotten an apology. Ive recently blocked my mom. She has tried many ways to let me know she is very very ill and this may be her last thanksgiving with the family. I don't trust her she always does this. My blocked list gets longer everyday as she tries to use another family member/friend to contact me. wow... sorry for the rant..

My routine is Sleepytime tea with some honey, at 9 I brush my teeth and stretch. I always try to be in bed by or before 10. I take melatonin but I don't have any medication for insomnia. I have an air purifier that makes some white noise that always helps. I also try to keep the bedroom cold and any bright lights away from me after Ive laid down. I also have a really nice weighted blanket that helps me relax as well..

I think this is exactly what I'm going through, even though many of these tramas I dream about happened so long ago.. Theyre still there when I sleep.

No worries about the rant! i totally get it (though of course your own woes are unique to you)- I had a very cruel, narcisstic mother-i havent seen or spoken to in 20 years, and was pretty much abandoned by father-who had always remained very cold and totally emotionally unavailable-as well as in any practical, finiacial and basic support sense too. No other family. This is part of the reason I want to ctb- I really should never have existented to begin with and that feeling is felt in every cell of body. Shocked about the ambulance costs! seem like yr mom has certainly caused you so many troubles and uncalled for harm-i'm sorry :(
Your bedtime routine sounds pretty good, give this music a try as an extra-its really nice-actually think it mgt be 528Hz-they are the main ones on you tube. You had much therapy? guess that costs as well! There is alway a catch ey. I feel bad for what yr going through at such a young age, I remember some similar problems myself.

 

[Final Escape]

I rarely ever dream, it's kind of lame lol! No memory of them if I do. Very rarely remember. I envy the people who dream a lot and remember them. I wonder what's wrong with my brain that I don't dream or have hardly any recollection when I do.

 

[BPD_LE]

I have had nightmares every night since I was a child. My dreams are often violent and involve either my family or people I knew from school. I can connect almost every one I have to a traumatic event I've gone through. They make me feel like I can't escape my past. Even my good days end with nightmares.

Yes, I can relate to this. Sleep is meant to be peaceful. It's like you can't get away from these things even when you're asleep! How are we meant to move on when it comes up in our dreams? You can't escape. In the morning it's like you've never been to sleep, same shit all day, all night. It's torture.

 

[MeltingHeart]

I rarely ever dream, it's kind of lame lol! No memory of them if I do. Very rarely remember. I envy the people who dream a lot and remember.

woah I never heard that, is it meds?

 

[BPD_LE]

I rarely ever dream, it's kind of lame lol! No memory of them if I do. Very rarely remember. I envy the people who dream a lot and remember them. I wonder what's wrong with my brain that I don't dream or have hardly any recollection when I do.

I envy you!

 

[Final Escape]

woah I never heard that, is it meds?

No, even when I go off meds or quit weed I don't have much dreams or ones I remember. I was once off everything for some months but it did not make a difference. Not much. The dream fairy steals my dreams damn it lol! I've probably consumed too much flouride and there's brain damage or it's from years of stimulant use ruined my dream capacity. Jus kiddin I don't know.

 

[TotallyIsolated]

I go through periods of recurring nightmares for weeks or months at a time. They're almost all about failure or being inadequate. Its mostly school or university, sometimes jobs. They're dominated by dread - "what am I going to do?" I'm going to fail or to get fired, or I'm assigned something to do and I can't even begin to understand it.

The worst part is that the feeling of dread stays with me after I wake up. The negative trains of thought are like "remember that time you failed a test at made-up University?" - I *know* it only happened in a dream but it still counts against me somehow.

 

[sad_frog]

No worries about the rant! i totally get it (though of course your own woes are unique to you)- I had a very cruel, narcisstic mother-i havent seen or spoken to in 20 years, and was pretty much abandoned by father-who had always remained very cold and totally emotionally unavailable-as well as in any practical, finiacial and basic support sense too. No other family. This is part of the reason I want to ctb- I really should never have existented to begin with and that feeling is felt in every cell of body. Shocked about the ambulance costs! seem like yr mom has certainly caused you so many troubles and uncalled for harm-i'm sorry :(
Your bedtime routine sounds pretty good, give this music a try as an extra-its really nice-actually think it mgt be 528Hz-they are the main one on you tube. You had much therapy? guess that costs as well! There is alway a catch ey. I feel bad for what yr going through at such a young age, I remember some similar woes myself.

I too don't have any family, or that's what it's always felt like. I was always everyone else's caretaker. I don't want contact with my family because they are extremely toxic. My father molested me and left a family without any support. I learned that my mother only had me to try to keep my father around even after she believed he might be attracted to other men. I feel so alone as a young adult I don't have anyone to give me wisdom. I dont think I was ever meant to be born. I am trying therapy now but can only afford to go once a month and I can only do this because I saved money by only taking a half dose of what is prescribed to me.
Thank you so so much for listening to me.. I will try the music tonight! :)

 

[TotallyIsolated]

I too don't have any family, or that's what it's always felt like. I was always everyone else's caretaker. I don't want contact with my family because they are extremely toxic. My father molested me and left a family without any support. I learned that my mother only had me to try to keep my father around even after she believed he might be attracted to other men. I feel so alone as a young adult I don't have anyone to give me wisdom. I dont think I was ever meant to be born. I am trying therapy now but can only afford to go once a month and I can only do this because I saved money by only taking a half dose of what is prescribed to me.
Thank you so so much for listening to me.. I will try the music tonight! :)

oh god thats awful I'm so sorry

 

[exhausted]

Yep, I have absolutely brutal nightmares which give me an "emotional hangover". They are so bloody disturbing and sometimes I can even feel the physical pain for a while after waking up. Generally, I tell friends or family if I have a nightmare, it can help a bit.

 

[webancverba]

Yes, the strangest nightmares of getting killed or exam marks back, but I can barely remember them 10 mins after. Keeping a diary helps with processing emotions

 

[Bagger]

I've had few week long episodes of very bad and sad dreams, the ones about rebuilding everything I've fucked up in the past were the worst. Imagine that every night you fix everything in your life only to realize that it was just a dream. It greatly affected my daily mood for whole months, it sucked so much that i tried to not sleep at all. But after taking SSRI for couple of days i started to dream very differently, and now its better. I don't even remember much in the morning... I like it this way.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

I sleep so little any dream even a nightmare is welcome. I dream of going home but I'm not allowed. Then I awake and find my dream is reality. I lost my home and was banished to this awful place by my siblings. How I wish I could sleep and dream like I used to.

 

[Worthless_nobody]

This is all to relatable for me. At this point I would give almost anything to stop these evil, creepy nightmares. It happens almost every night. It's like being forced to watch a horror movie I can't turn off. I wake up still feeling exhausted like I never slept. My life is already in ruins but the dreams just make everything worse. I just have this gross feeling and so depressed about the dreams it was ruining my life back when my life was semi good and tolerable.

If anyone takes a med that stops or cuts down on dreaming please let me know! And no weed does nothing for me but people swear by it. The closest I have come to dream free sleep was when I took Xanax at night and while it was active it suppressed the dreams. That's obviously not a good long term solution though due to building tolerance and addiction. Antihistamines like unisom kinda help but not for a full 8 hour night.

 

[Ness]

I'd definitely call my nightmares frequent, I usually have at least one every two days and up to three a night. I usually get those being molested or fatally injured ones, sometimes both, but I wouldn't actually die even if I get so injured that it should be impossible to still be alive. But lately I've had some where I die and then there's a nothingness up until I wake up and I think those are worse because I wake up. But all my dreams usually feature molestation, being hunted and death (and living through death). It always takes me a while from when I wake up to manage to do anything but lay there and stare blankly ahead, my mind stuck on the dream I'd just had.

Sometimes I also have the ones where I'll wake up, fall asleep again and the dream will continue which is definitely never fun. I wake up several times a night no matter what but I don't always get stuck in the same thing. If I'm lucky I don't dream the second hour (I usually wake up between every 1 or 2 hours).

Tried a bunch of things, can't seem to figure out a way to make them or my sleep issues stop.

 

[Ark]

I legitimately have painful dreams every single night. When it's not nightmares it's dreams of certain things being better in my life that are never going to get better. So that makes me wake up, and I cry until I fall asleep again and start it all over again. This has been my life for 5 months. I am so tired I feel like life is a haze right now. It is unbearable.

 

[notjustyetagain]

the best "purpose" i got out of psych drugs is finding a regimen which curtails dreaming. one would think that if living out a tortured existence, the brain would try to liberate itself via its dreams, but no... even there, no salvation. however i find that even if the sensory information of a dream is stripped, the emotional content lingers on, so i have dreams that are merely awful vs being all-out nightmares. i used to have a lot of lucid dreams aged 11-14 but they stopped as quickly as they started. though even in lucid dreams i was still me, which put on things a fatal dampener.