Nightmares

[Summer9173]

Just woken up from a really triggering nightmare where I’ve also overheated. I’ve really been struggling with dreams recently  at first I thought it would be something i obviously get used to but there just so violent and triggering I hate it - I think to myself how on earth does my brain even come up with these storylines?? 
 

Sorry guys, usually I can sit with the anxiety and go back to sleep, but this one was just to much  I’m going to try and go back to sleep now as I’m half asleep writing this! It’s also not ideal when your home alone too either xx

[northpaul]

4 hours ago, Summer9173 said:

I’ve really been struggling with dreams recently  at first I thought it would be something i obviously get used to but there just so violent and triggering I hate it -

Hello Summer, on this one I think that you really need to be speaking to your Doctor.

[DRS1]

4 hours ago, Summer9173 said:

Just woken up from a really triggering nightmare where I’ve also overheated. I’ve really been struggling with dreams recently  at first I thought it would be something i obviously get used to but there just so violent and triggering I hate it - I think to myself how on earth does my brain even come up with these storylines?? 
 

Sorry guys, usually I can sit with the anxiety and go back to sleep, but this one was just to much  I’m going to try and go back to sleep now as I’m half asleep writing this! It’s also not ideal when your home alone too either xx

Well in a really simple (and probably not medically accurate) example, essentially your brain puts a bunch of things together and then essentially goes "that's good enough" and that's the dream/nightmare. Dreams/nightmares are really interesting from a comparison point of view to intrusive thoughts and images since in both things you didn't ask for the things, they can often feel very real and can be scary especially for those with OCD when we haven't learned how to react differently. As someone that has had and sometimes still has what I'd describe as OCD nightmares, they do suck. Conveniently its always thematic on the main "themes" of my OCD. Might not be the way everyone should handle it but I find if I wake up from one of those nightmares during the night, the best thing I can do is ERP to that nightmare. It's big and scary until you realise you can just accept it like every other intrusive thought or image. That usually makes me comfortable enough to go back to sleep. I was also getting more intense nightmares from being at a higher dose of propranolol which I reduced down over time as I don't need it as much as I once did and the nightmares from that lessened a bit in frequency but that was just my personal experience.

 

I do agree with @northpaul that its definitely worth seeing a doctor about it since it is affecting your sleep.

[Kcbell92]

7 hours ago, Summer9173 said:

Just woken up from a really triggering nightmare where I’ve also overheated. I’ve really been struggling with dreams recently  at first I thought it would be something i obviously get used to but there just so violent and triggering I hate it - I think to myself how on earth does my brain even come up with these storylines?? 
 

Sorry guys, usually I can sit with the anxiety and go back to sleep, but this one was just to much  I’m going to try and go back to sleep now as I’m half asleep writing this! It’s also not ideal when your home alone too either xx

yes you should see your doctor, i spoke to mine back when i had triggering thoughts, and/or bad dreams and i would immediatly compare it with the biggest worry and/or situation going on. It could be a medication issue or just something CBT would help with or both. Talk to someone, it'll help!!

[taurean]

It's also worth looking at reading and watching material.

Our brain collects up information from that data. So if you have been watching a rather upsetting item before going to bed, or the late night news,there is more opportunity to form a nightmare.

This is one reason why classicfm is news free during its late evening smooth classics show.

Try reading something soothing, with soft music, for an hour before lights out.

Edited October 1, 2022 by taurean

[Summer9173]

10 hours ago, DRS1 said:

I was also getting more intense nightmares from being at a higher dose of propranolol which I reduced down over time

I relate to this so much, I am on 80mg of propranalol extended release and I just get really awful nightmares all of the time  they’ve stopped recently and came back as it’s nearly Halloween and I’m seeing all these scary trailers on TV/YouTube as an AD or TikTok, hopefully when Halloweens over it’ll pass? 

[Summer9173]

7 hours ago, Kcbell92 said:

It could be a medication issue or just something CBT

It’s a lot worse when I’m quite stressed out, sometimes I’ll have the dream and forget about it (which is alot nicer ) then some like yesterday evening, I wake up in such a panic? Halloween upcoming has triggered my OCD harm themes so much  

[Summer9173]

6 hours ago, taurean said:

This is one reason why classicfm is news free during its late evening smooth classics show.

Try reading something soothing, with soft music, for an hour before lights out.

Thank you so much  I’m definitely going to look into this, as I’ll be scrolling through social media right before bedtime and unintentionally see a load of things that are extremely triggering for me OCD wise? I’m going to start picking up a good self-help book now, if anybody recommends a nice self help book I’d be up for reading one  

[taurean]

Well you might enjoy to take time out from the emphasis on OCD itself, and  learn some other beneficial skills.

Meditation and mindfulness are great aids to open up pleasing pathways in our mind and helping calm unwanted arousal. 

There are plenty of simple guides to these that you can find online.

Or you might wish to combine mindfulness and CBT for OCD. 

The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Book by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy

Is a great way to do this, a good read and a good way to do exercises alongside the therapy. 

[taurean]

Harm OCD is a tough one, and I regret having it as a theme myself.

But, nevertheless, the upsets and triggers work in the same format - the OCD attacking our core values of care and love by flipping to suggest the opposite.

When we understand that that is how it works, that is what it's game is, we can start to detach and not connect with the intrusions  however sickening they might feel. And stop carrying out compulsions.

I found that I could ease down on  some of the subject matter on which my  OCD thrives, and that would weaken its power over me, plus choosing benign and really enjoyable material too opened up new nicer neural pathways of beneficial thinking and distraction.

But we can't run away from the world , we have to expose ourselves to such material or rules get made that will restrict our lives.

And we need to have worked ERP for triggers that the world is likely to throw at us.

I try to find a balance between these things, and that is helpful. 

By the way  I don't find a lot of the Facebook news feeds they think I want to see helpful from a trigger point of view - I didnt choose them, and don't like them and  I don’t need them, so I don’t watch many of them. 

And I have learned not to watch too much news, as that can be overpowering with triggers. I find it better to check in occasionally and just keep up to date. As you have found out, with this theme we can easily get overwhelmed.

But if we keep up necessary exposure and response prevention, and keep the load sensible, we can do much better.

[Summer9173]

1 hour ago, taurean said:

The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Book by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy

Thank you @taurean for the recommendation  i’m going to have a look into this one.

I feel like finding something that’s non-OCD related will probably help me too. I feel like I’m always focusing on my OCD / how to overcome it, when maybe a healthy distraction of something that’s not OCD based might help too? I’m not to sure but it’s always worth a try, I’m just looking at self-help books that are based on other things like self-love/self-confidence etc, as I think this may help me too  

[Summer9173]

1 hour ago, taurean said:

I found that I could ease down on  some of the subject matter on which my  OCD thrives,

Most definitely I agree, same here I used to be absolutely terrified with anything to do with harm, but I’ve managed to habituate myself to plastic knives, then normal cutlery knives, I just have the sharper ones to go which is more at the top of my hierarchy chart.

I’m very lucky I can afford a private therapist for myself from working at my age, still have a long way to go with the IAPT treatment unfortunately