Hi GemAndLogan,
Thanks for reaching out again; I'm glad that you've been using the forums!
Nightmares hey? I'm sorry that you're struggling with them and I know how awful they can be.
A few things that have helped me along the way;
- Know that your nightmares are a good thing. Yes they are awful, and terrifying but the nightmares mean that your brain is processing what's happened to you. That is healthy. I know this is ironic, but I'm hoping that it can give you comfort knowing that all of this pain does have meaning behind it. This will pass. It's painful but it will pass.
-Try to imagine what it might be like if your dream changed in someway. For me personally, I would lay in bed after the dream and imagine going back and either fighting back or creating/doing something that could have a nicer outcome. This worked for me at the time because I was a child and that's 'what I felt I needed' but ultimately you could change it in anyway you see fit.
- Look into lucid dreaming. This is a bit hoodoo and can be quite a process, but the ability to change your dream while in your dream is very helpful.
- Have a think about what could calm you either during the day or when you wake up. I know that if I have a stressful day or are triggered/have gone to therapy I'm more likely to have them. Where as things like mindfulness, lavender oil, natural sleeping tablets, exercise and journalling make them less likely or less intense. The same sorts of things that help with anxiety can help with PTSD nightmares; regardless of what that may be.
Sidenote: even if nothing seems to bother me that day if I'm journalling I may find that something is hiding underneath the surface that I wouldn't otherwise have noticed. I really encourage you to try this one out.
I hope that this helps somewhat! If they continue and they do really start to bother you know that there other options available like EMDR, hypnosis, medication and CBT. 🙂
