Supportive hugs.

I have worked the theories of changing the ends of nightmares with fellow members of my live support network. My nightmares seldom recur, so it wasn't very effective for me, but. . . I don't have many nightmares any more, so maybe it worked better than I thought. Dreams are an on-going mystery for both scientists and spiritualists.

If I read it right, your nightmares are recurring and about one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. My initial brain fart here is empowerment in the real world. Several of those co-healers I worked the theories with (similar circumstances) found relief in self-defense and/or assertiveness training. Learning better ways to deal with such people in the real world gave them the material they needed to bring about a different ending in their nightmares.

Just brain-farting. . .

Healing hopes to help you past the fatalistic thoughts. Hope you keep trying. Don't let them "win."

I was part of a PTSD sleep study. They had us write our nightmare down. We were asked to read it at bedtime. Then they had us do relaxation exercises....relax on foot, then the other, then one leg and so on up the body. Did this for two weeks then they told us to rewrite the dream so that I was the heroine. I could have super powers, anything goes. I had to read that at bedtime and do the relaxation exercises. After about a week of doing this I stopped having the dream. I was real skeptical but it worked out for me. So I think there is something to be said for changing the end of your dream. They had a 97% success rate among those that used that method. Hope you can overcome those nasty nightmares. They just cause more problems when you're so tired the next day.

I'm prone to PTSD nightmares from domestic violence I survived, surviving repeated sexual assaults as a kid, and surviving close combat. The combination can really serve me up a nightmare cocktail. I really like what Zoe posted as a therapeutic way of coping with nightmares, because after 16 years of being allowed to take PTSD meds for nightmares, they were taken away from me due to kidney failure. So I really had to get over my skeptical view of stuff like Zoe describes, and it got me through 5 years of coping with nightmares without any meds at all.

Then last June after 5 years of being unable to take any PTSD meds due to kidney trouble, a good kidney report on my last checkup gave me a chance to take an anti nightmare medication that was new to me: Prazosin. Since for 5 years I had no medication assist for coping with my nightmares, so I didn't take for granted the chance to have one prescribed to me again.

I just saw my doc this past Monday and he renewed my prescription. It really beats even Seroquel, which I got to take in the old days before 5 years ago and the onset of kidney disease with its PTSD med restrictions. I've only taken it since June, but it's really helped my lifelong PTSD nightmare issue, so I felt I should pass the news along. Now I do what Zoe describes PLUS I have that one med--no more, but for just that one I'm grateful. I wanted you to know. Much support to you.

Thank you for the suggestions i am going to try again to write the nightmares down but on previous occasions when i had to do it i broke down before i even get to the worst part, but going to try again. Seeing my psychiatrist monday and will enquire about the prazosin because i really cant go on like this for much longer. Thank you guys for understanding and listening, as it is so difficult to try and explain to people who have no idea whats it like. O and then all the very "useful" suggestions on their side as they see it.

Hi Angel. I am very sorry you had to see the asshole again and you are going through the nightmares . I have to say, acceptance was the thing my therapist and I worked on day after day in my early therapy. I was gang raped violently before puberty. It is my thoughts acceptance is way better than forgiveness because once we can accept what happened and that it was not our fault we can 'better' move forward. I also did the exercises Zoe did and they helped quite a lot. I was also given coloring books and a lot of fantasy picture books to read and look at before bed. I think it helped engrane better visions before sleep.

I was on Seroquel for a mood disorder but i have been taken WAY down to only 50-100mg per night for sleep and a pain disorder I suffer from. Benadryl helps me too just to throw in some other suggestions.

I am happy to hear you will be seeing your doctor on Monday and you can go through some things that might be helpful. Much support and peace to you.