Agoraphobic dealing with PTSD Support Group

Nightmares:

1) recognize that they can't actually hurt you in real life.....you will wake up eventually.

2) Journal: i'm serious here, how I got somewhat control over my nightmare that terrorized me for months was journaling about my nightmare, and then at the end of the entry, state that you have the power, that you are a survivor.

How to do that: start with your worst nightmare, what I refer to as the "big bertha" Write it down in your journal in detail, every detail you can think of/remember. Then at the end of the entry, write that you will not have a nightmare, that you are a survivor, that you have the power. After you get control of the "big bertha" the rest of the nightmares should be easier to get control of. *******important: do this EVERY day, consistently**********

3) Stop worrying about them: it seems impossible, but worrying about having a nightmare/the nightmare you had just puts more stress on your fractured brain, and makes it more likely that it WILL repeat.

4) Reach out: here, to a trusted friend, just get off your chest what's bothering you....your less likely to have a nightmare if you don't have everything bottled up.

Flashbacks:

1) always keep in your mind that flashbacks are in the past.....they can't hurt you the way they did in the present.

2) Know your triggers: what upsets you, what makes you feel like that little boy/girl.......and eiether try to limit your exposure to them, or devise "safety plans" when you have to deal with them. (which we can help you with)

3) Ground yourself: when you are around a trigger, keep yourself present by noticing anything that's different.....turn on loud music, touch a piece of ice....

4)Pay attention to the early signs: When your around a trigger, how do you feel? what do you do? Those are the questions that will lead you to the early signs of a flashback, and help you devise a plan when you feel them.

Post edited by: Irishangel88, at: 04/05/2012 11:46 AM

These are good tips.

I journal my nightmares in 2 ways. I draw in one journal and then I write it down in another.

hey those are awesome tips!thank ya

Thanks for the tips!

Last night I had a real doozy of a nightmare. I tried some of the tips along with the 'sleep tips' that I normally use and I feel helpless in controlling them. Grrr. It's hard to admit feeling anything much less feeling helpless.

It's a process, it took me about a month to get control over my nightmares. It's retraining your brain, and making a coping mechanism while you sleep........that takes AWHILE to do, but you can do it.

In a way I think that 'feeling' in a nightmare in itself is a problem because I have such a difficult time connecting to my 'feelings' when I am awake.

well starting next week we'll have a scale of feelings for both Agor and PTSD in the pop in thread to help you with that

Thank you Irish for the tips.

I really hate the way I feel when something triggers my flashbacks/nightmares. I know what happened in the past can't hurt me now and I don't need to be scared anymore. I just wish my mind and body would cooperate with eachother.

Oh, one more nightmare tip: have a relaxing outlet (like painting, running, cleaning) and use it daily in your routine. Having a stress reliever like an outlet, even punching a pillow (but not a wall, those punch back.....I know from experience) will help the stress not build up in your head, the more stress you have the more prone you are to nightmares.