Night terrors

Night terrors
M

markw

Registrant
I am having really bad nightmares, really night terrors. I have had them before through the years, but never this bad, and they have never hung around this long. They stay with me all day after I have one. I cannot get them out of my mind. Almost every night I relive the rape that happened to me when I was 8 years old. It is maddening. I wake up all sweaty and shaking and scared, really scared. I can even smell him, and I hurt, like it has just happened. Nothing I try seems to stop them. I stay up until I drop, afraid to sleep. I feel so helpless, like I am 8 years old again.

Does any else have these problems? Does any one have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Mark
 
Mark - I don't have them now, but I did as a child until age 15. I was molested for over 5 years. In my nightmare the police came and arreated me for being a pervert. They would take me to juvinal hall and take me outside to a post. There my hands would be tied to the post and my shirt removed. Then I would be whipped and blood would trickle down my back. It was at that point that I would wake up. Even today, over 38 years later, I still feel panic and hurt as I relive the pain of those nightmares. Seek out a friend and ask for help. I once helped a friend through his nightmares. I stayed at his house and when he would wake up I would hold and love the child within. Having someone there and not being alone helped as he delt with the pain in counceling.
 
I know he isn't there but I keep seeing him. Sometimes I wake up and he's in the room, standing by the door, blocking the only way out or sitting on my bed the way he used to. A few days ago I asked to sleep in my foster parents bedroom and they let me. It's embarrassing 'cause I'm not a little kid but being near them is the closest to feeling safe I can get right now. I know if I'm alone in my room I'll never get to sleep. It's scary.
 
ive had similar dreams since i was a kid, it hurts so much, when they get so bad that i make myself stay awake for fear of what i might dream, its like bein totally under his control again. i hate him so much
 
There are methods to take control over these night terrors. Ill got into depth on the issue with anyone interested.

Aden
 
Mark R

I still have nightmares and flashbacks due to the abuse, but I take ambien and minipress to help me sleep and reduce the nightmares. Talk to your T about what could help you through this difficult time. Not that the meds are the only way to handle these but sometimes working with your T in therapy the meds can assist you to understand what's happening to you.

Sorry your having such a rough time.

Chuck
 
Mark,

You are not alone brother.

I too suffer from night terror and nightmares and the fear to go to bed. The walk down the hallway towards the bedroom encites much fear. If I'm not sleep by the time my head hits the pillow, I'm not going to sleep. There have been many nights that I have gotten no sleep whatsoever. For some reason those are Monday nights. I haven't figured that out or even if there is a connection. When I do sleep, I flail during my sleep. The blanket and sheets will be off the bed, that includes the bottom sheet. It's been awhile since I have woken in the pool of sweat, but it does happen. I don't remember my dreams, I don't know if that is a good thing or not.

I am working closely with my psychiatrist on this. Today he increased two of my meds and changed one out. I've been on one that has helped a lot. It really gets me to the point that I can be asleep when my head hits the pillow and gives me a solid 8 hours of sleep. That is something I am not familiar with. That still doesn't get me to the bed. Which is why he has changed my anti-anxiety medication.

All of this has been an improvement from before. Therapy is helping with my hard work dedicated to healing myself. The medication is just a crutch until I can stand on my own.

Your family doctor, pychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, councilor are all consultants to help you along your way. Because it is you that are making the trip. Don't ever hesitate to see them and tap into their expertise.

Take care,
Bill
 
mine stoped when I was about 18 or 19.

I don't really remeber why they stoped, maybe cause i got used to having them and stoped focusing on them (i know this sounds wierd), and started focusing on other stuff in my life.

Its as if they hit a zenith and then slowly began to decline in freqency and did not posess the same power over me.

I'm not really sure if i had started the original decline in the pattern, but at that point in my life I began to have more (alot more) control over my life in general. Decisions imfluencing me, my freinds, what i would choose to do for life, my occupation, and stuff like that. And, at times it seemed daunting and very scary, but i was still heavly invollved or invested in the prosses and later began to gain some mastery over it.

my only advise is to try to gain so mastery in yur own lives, where you all ready have some control; focus on the day time in places where you have a sense of control. Also, try n ot to think about it chronicly (I know, easier said than done). And when you do think about it or have an invassive thought, try hard to reasure yourselves.

What i do is tell my self that 'its in the past' and 'he can't hurt me now' or 'the only person that has and can control this (thought) is you, you didn't have control then but you do now.' Mostly try to think of something else, something that brought you pride or something beatiful or whatever, just try to gain control over your own thought process. And, the more you can reasure youself the easy it will be and more effective it will be and the more control over your selve you will feel and gain.

i Know this sounds weird, and it may not work for everyone, but i think its like a self destuctive cycle, one in which you have to break out of.

so when you wake up, say to your self, "its just a memory, nomatter how bad it feels right now and so it can not hurt me."
good luck-hope this helps and feel free to PM me

Logan
 
I do not remember my dreams much, although I know I occasionally still have bad ones. For me, it is more the terror to go to sleep, or to be asleep, not really dreams.

I have heard of specific medications that can help with sleep and decreasing dreams, until the therapy and mental techniques can become more effective. You may wish to ask your doctor or therapist about them.

Leosha
 
Thanks guys for your suggestions and replies. At this point I am willing try anything, and so is my wife! I am not an easy person to sleep with :)

Mark
 
Good luck Mark.

I had night terrors too, would scream out loud for pretty much the whole night as a I slept, pretty much everynight. I would stand up and run from the bed while asleep (sleep running?) occasionally. I woke up a lot of times on the ground after running into a bunch of things (scars all over from it) However I have no recollection of what I actually was dreaming about, and I didn't seem to phased by it during the day. It seems to be gone, at least for now. Meditation helped me quite a bit
 
I struggle with them alot too. Everyonce in a while I wake my mom up and she just yells at me to shut up.......that didn't help did it?

Sorry

When I walk down the halls I carry this little stuffed animal with me, it helps. I don't know if it would help you or not. I've had it since I was a baby.
 
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