Nightmares again

[Stepup]

Hi Folks, I have been having severe nightmares for a decade or so. That's not to say I didn't have them before that but they have well and truly faded away. I'm a 64 year old male who has a long history with major depression but I thought it had gone away for a while, oh well, I guess it never really goes away completely. Anyway the nightmares seem to be about being trapped or lost. Up until 5 years ago I was having nightmares about being trapped in a past marriage to someone whom I despised, then it was about being trapped in work environs and being unable to move forward or back. Last nights episode was about being lost and unable to find my way out and going around in circles. It was a relief to wake up this morning to realise it was only another dream but I was distressed none the less. Now I have a cuppa and have calmed down to my usually calm demeanor but I would surely like to find a reason for the nightmares because and better still, ways to avoid them.

Regards G

[On The Road]

Hi Stepup,

Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂. I'm sorry that you are struggling with lingering nightmares probably caused by depression. It must not be easy for you. I am in a similar situation due to my depression and anxiety issues. Nightmares can be real-life related or just be unrealistically weird... My nightmares can be things I'm worried, scared about, or further traced back to negative things that happened in my childhood...
one thing is that it even causes sleep paralysis when I could realise it was a dream and start to wake myself up... which really affects my sleep.
I'm not sure if you have the same problems as I have, but the SSRI antidepressants really did reduce my symptoms and my sleep has gotten better since then. and I also reduced my consumption of caffeine, and avoid anything overexciting at night (clubbing, loud music, watching sci-fi blockbusters etc). I'd also recommend grounding exercises, which are said helpful for coping with nightmares and flashbacks. I wonder if you talked with your GP about this, I think if possible they may make referrals for CBT.
This is just my personal experience, hope you find it helps in some ways. Feel free to share more if you like.😊

[Beeee]

Hello Stepup,

I'm so sorry to hear that your nightmares have returned. What you've described sounds like a scary experience and it's understandable that you would feel distressed. As On The Road has mentioned, speaking to your GP and potentially getting a referral to a psychologist could be a great way to understand the cause of the nightmares and find ways to prevent them from occurring.

It seems like you reflected in the past and understood the reason for your nightmares when you were trapped in work and marriage, are there any reasons you might be feeling lost at the moment? And when your nightmares did fade away before, was there any specific action that lead to them fading away?

Wishing the best,

Beeee