Mental Health Horrific nightmares and physical reactions.

Black Rabbit of Inle

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Over the last few days I have been having some of the worst nightmares I've ever experienced. I don't normally remember my dreams, though when I do they're so vivid I wake up with physical symptoms of what I experienced.

The most recent nightmare put me in a school with 10 others that I had never met before. Time passed and I witness one of the people commit suicide in a very gruesome way that caused me to vomit. The nightmare ended with someone that I had grown to think of as a partner/crush planting a bomb in the school with every intention of killing themselves. I said goodbye to them and walked off crying. When I woke up I realized that I had in fact been crying and that I had vomited. I also felt like my heart had been broken.

These physical manifestations of my nightmares have gotten me afraid of sleeping and I don't sleep very often as it is.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
 
I had the most intense dreams of my life in my twenties. I also started sleepwalking. It was scary to even go to sleep! I've never figured out what that was all about but I can relate to how much this freaks you out. In my sleepwalking I was always thinking that I had woken up from one of the nightmares and that I was in danger of falling back asleep and therefore back into the nightmare--but in actuality, I was still asleep.

Try deep breathing or meditation before you go to sleep? Good luck and I hope it doesn't last long--sounds horrific.<3
 
I went through a period of about 2 weeks where I would have nightmares every night and even get sleep paralysis so I wouldn't be able to wake from them. I didn't really do anything to make them go away, they sort of just stopped on their own as suddenly as they appeared.

Like herby said, I would certainly try some deep breathing and relaxation techniques like meditation and perhaps even some light yoga before bed. I also enjoy soothing drinks about 1 hour before bed such as chamomile tea, just anything to help your mind/body relax may be beneficial.
 
Man maybe you should look at sleep meds. Some can make it worse, but many drugs out there would help, even weed makes my nightmares almost non existent

I feel you though, been tapering my Suboxone and whenever in opiate withdrawal I get dreams like that, wake up in a puddle pf sweat with tears streaming down my face and heart going a mile a minute, sheets twisted all around me. Then you spend the hour or two after waking up in total dysphoria. It's no fun man, if there are any issues in your personal life etc maybe think about that. Other than that my only suggestion unfortunately is go see the doc for some drugs. Exercise can help, but only if you're lucky. Worth trying.
 
Ive been having nightmares ever since I began taking methadone....Ive noticed it happens more if I eat b4 bedtime.....Try concentrating on something very pleasant when you lie down,it has helped me a little......think happy thoughts....Your dreams normally come from something ur thinkin about all the time and obcessing over
 
I've experienced periods of vivid nightmares and sleep paralysis for many years. Sometimes I realize some of the nightmares are related to past life events but usually they make no sense at all. Usually I wake up w/ feelings of wicked dread, churning stomach, and a pounding headache which hang on until I sleep again. Sleep paralysis seriously disturbed me until I learned how to kinda step away from the panic and focus on moving my foot or making some kind of sound in an effort to break the paralysis.
Sleep is a big source of anxiety for me. I'd love to lie down and just sleep, no dreams, no terrors, just restorative deep sleep. Oh well, not this time 'round...
-izzy
 
Ive suffered from panic attacks and night terrors since I was 14. They seemed to go away after a while. Except for when I take meth. Its the scariest thing ever having one in the middle of night I auctually feel like Im going to die. :(
 
Is there anything going on in your life right now, or over the last few months that you have similar feelings of fear and loss over?
It could be that your mind, while sleeping is taking it to the next level.
Are you taking any recreational drugs?
Herby suggested meditation and chamomile tea- which are very good options.
Do you take any medications?
Some medications have interactions with herbs like Kava or Valerian , but both of those herbs are very good for sleep as well.
You may also consider visualization when you lay down for sleep- imagine positive things....breathe in positivity, breathe out the negative.

I have horrible nightmares, and have for a while now- I know the source of my nightmares but they are similar to yours and I wake up in a panic sometimes. On occasion visualization before bed works....especially to get me to sleep as I have anxiety trying to fall asleep.
I hope things improve for you soon....it's only been a few days so it may be something that is occurring in your life right now that you're not facing in waking life....something to think about <3
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have been writing some of them down (just so I can remember them) and will be talking to my doctor soon. Sleep aids have never worked for me. I've been through them all trying to sort out an insomnia issue I've always had.

Is there anything going on in your life right now, or over the last few months that you have similar feelings of fear and loss over?
It could be that your mind, while sleeping is taking it to the next level.

Nothing major is really going on in my life right now. It is coming up on the first anniversary of my Grandfathers death and a week after that it is my 25th birthday. Other than that my life is pretty stable with no worries.

Are you taking any recreational drugs?

I do on occasion have cannabis and I also have been taking DXM and Dimenhydrinate (never together and always at least 2 weeks in between doses). No other drug use. The nightmares have only been in the last fortnight and I was sober when they started, I have smoked and drank to try to sleep without any incident which hasn't worked.

Do you take any medications?

The only medications I am on atm are antibiotics and Meloxicam (for chronic pain). I couldn't find much information on the Meloxicam regarding side effects.

Some medications have interactions with herbs like Kava or Valerian , but both of those herbs are very good for sleep as well.

Both of these produce no effect for me regardless of dosage.

I have not slept since posting this as the last nightmare was excruciating. The memory and feelings of it are still vivid in my mind and I do not want a repeat experience.
 
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I can relate. For the past few months I've been having the same nightmare almost every night, where I'm trapped in a room with my family and we either all die due to some random event, or my father kills us. It's very disturbing and I also find myself terrified to go to sleep. Example - it's 3am here, I've gotta be up at 6 but I'd rather be up all of tomorrow then risk having that nightmare again tonight.

If you smoke cannabis regularly as you said, that might contribute. I would try to maybe cut down on that a bit.

I think analyzing your dreams and getting to the root cause of them is a big help - understanding why subconsciously, suicide, or loss, unfair loss maybe, is so present right now. Once you identify the reasons and patterns it becomes much less intimidating and much easier to deal with.
You might also want to consider sleeping aids for a little while - I'm not talking heavy duty sleeping pills, but things such as melatonin. I find when I'm in a deeper and more relaxed sleep I have way less nightmares.
Finally, being depressed/anxious is one of the main reasons for recurring nightmares. People who are in good states of mind rarely have them and recurring ones really are a sign of depression or intense stress, I think. Maybe the 'anniversary' of your grandfather's death has something to do with this? You might not really be aware of how much it's actually affecting you subconsciously and it could be triggering all those feelings of loss and hopelessness as you watch others leave you and can't do anything about it.
I think if you try addressing all of those issues, whether it be in therapy, or simply by thinking about them yourself or writing them down (I'd recommend the latter, or therapy), it'll really help. I hope things will get better.
 
This may sound silly but if you're getting nightmares consistently you could try to practice lucid dreaming, and face your nightmares. It really can help ime and there is alot of info on how to do it on the internets, takes practice though.
 
This may sound silly but if you're getting nightmares consistently you could try to practice lucid dreaming, and face your nightmares. It really can help ime and there is alot of info on how to do it on the internets, takes practice though.


You wouldn't think so but that can really backfire.

I sort of fell in to lucid dreaming without really trying, now I have dreams where I know I'm dreaming but have no ability to escape. I try to wake myself up but just wake up back into another dream.

I get the whole night terror thing, I've never slept very well, nightmares, destroying the bed in my sleep, waking up covered in sweat, etc, etc, the usual.

I can say that drug withdrawal takes it to a whole new level though, not with weed though, quite the opposite.
 
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