bad nighmares, dread going to sleep some nights..

Flickety I still dream that I haven't revised for A levels......

I have bad dreams that I'm still working as a nurse and all that it involved.STRESS!

Flickety, I believe our subconscious tries to resolve those deeply pushed down anxieties, during our dream life. This time of year is more highly charged emotionally than any other, and it isn't surprising that for many of us, our dream life is, well a bit tiring frankly. I had a complex dream involving two former colleagues, and issues that arose about 20 years ago last night. Quite ridiculous, and even more ridiculous, redemption and resolution came as the dream progressed. Still, whatever gets us through the night ...

I had vivid dreams after my husband died, I still dream about him now 6 years later. Now he is present in the dream but he never speaks. I recently had to take amytriptilene for shingles and had awful nightmares. They stopped when I stopped taking the pills.

i sympathise with you peaches i too still have vivid nightmares of seeing my husband die (4yrs ago) i relive it over and over...

Most of my dreams are a mishmash of recent events, but the problems that my repetitive isolation dreams represent are not repressed anxieties from childhood but problems I was aware of at the time and have accepted and lived with without problem ever since.

Deceased relatives appear in normal dreams doing ordinary things. Sometimes I am aware they are dead, other times not, but their life is a dream life and I am not shaken when I wake and they are not there. I find it rather comforting.

I don't have nightmares but then I don't have dreams either!
About 9 months ago I had a nightmare, exceptionally rare , but the next day I was diagnosed with Labrynthitis (viral infection of the ear).
Many years ago I used nicotine patches to give up smoking and had the most wonderful , vivid dreams . It was like watching a fantastic film every night I loved it ! So I would say illness or medication could be the cause but not , you say, in your case.

I think it is deep rooted general anxiety. I suffer from depression and some anxiety. I have tried lots of things over the years , some pretty wacky.
Something I have been using for the last few months which has helped more than almost anything else and I have mentioned in another post is guided meditation and hypnosis tapes. I have used all the Paul McKenna ones which I have borrowed from the library and they have helped only a little. Didn't work at all for the slimming!
What I use now are on You Tube (so free) search David Fairweather -Self Relaxation. Headphones really are a must but listen anyway even if you don't have them. It is a personal thing but I love his voice , it works better the more you listen ,takes about 20 minutes . Don't wait till you feel especially anxious. I have sometimes listened 3 times in a row it has made me feel so good. I usually do it during the day but you might prefer it at night. He has other s available and if you don't like his style ther is lots of choice.Anything that relaxes you, even a regular massage would probably help. Anyway lots of loving feelings coming your way. It must be hell.

lost of very positive ideas and thoughts ove the last few days I have not had nightmares and strangely enough the last few days/week has been pleasant and less stressful (family together etc) although other probs are cropping up again....it has been lovely going to bed and waking up during the night normally and not waking up via a nightmare!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

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