08-14-2012, 06:44 PM
Lucid dreaming may help to resolve some of the issues. Mind it doesn't always work and getting to the point where you can dream lucidly (with some minor control) is usually a long difficult trip where having 'bad dreams' isn't going to make it easier.
Some of the things I have done in the past to make sleeping a bit more acceptable has been to focus on positive thoughts prior to falling asleep. I run fantasy stories through my head - pure fiction. Trust me, focusing on zombies and the end of the world results in more 'nightmares' of the past. So focus on happy thoughts, your 'happy place'.
Sleeping with music or positive sounds playing (like the sound of gentle waves on a shore, or rain). While you may not be aware of the sounds while sleeping, they do tend to infect the dreams, thus you are being gently reminded you are not 'back there' thus tend to not dream as often about 'then' and are more in the now.
Undergoing meditation before going to bed where I set my mind to more positive, relaxing things. There is much that can be said about emptying your brain of thoughts...
Unresolved conflict is what you are really dealing with here. These three topics are going to be problematic until you get some resolution. College and medications will be the 'easiest' to resolve, once you get those sorted in real life then dreams about them will diminish or vanish.
Abuse is going to be the difficult one, and I fear that having been abused that most likely the stressors/anxiety you feel over other things (like medication and college) is going to be worse than for 'normal' people - people who haven't had the traumatic experience.
The thing with abuse is difficult. Been there, done that. I have had psychologists tell me I have post traumatic stress disorder due to my abusive childhood. Resolution is difficult, but has been achievable for the most part.
One thing you have going for you is that you are young (20) and are actually doing something to work on the issues. I totally ignored my issues at your age and ended up going down the road of self destructive behaviors.
I didn't really start working on my issues until I was in my early 30's. It took about ten years for me to get a real handle on my issues. Mind I still have the occasional 'night terror' where I wake up screaming... however that is about once a year, not once a week or more.
So it does get better. How fast depends on how hard you work at resolution.
I hope you find a bit in comfort in knowing that it will get better. Just that alone may actually reduce the number of nightmares you have.
Unresolved issues like the ones you describe is from a sense of loss of control. Thus I suggest you do something that puts you in control before you go to bed. Watching is not one of those things.
If you have any hobbies that are constructive - meaning you start with nothing and end up with something to show for the hard work - this may help you regain some of that sense of lost control.
Personally I have found that creating/building things worked for me. Working with my hands and taking raw materials and making something, then being able to sit back and see what my hands have done gave me a sense of power/control in this world and a sense of satisfaction over having done 'something'.
Model building may be up your ally - starting off with bits and pieces and ending up with a ship, a car or something that you can see and touch may give you back some sense of control.
Some of the things I have done in the past to make sleeping a bit more acceptable has been to focus on positive thoughts prior to falling asleep. I run fantasy stories through my head - pure fiction. Trust me, focusing on zombies and the end of the world results in more 'nightmares' of the past. So focus on happy thoughts, your 'happy place'.
Sleeping with music or positive sounds playing (like the sound of gentle waves on a shore, or rain). While you may not be aware of the sounds while sleeping, they do tend to infect the dreams, thus you are being gently reminded you are not 'back there' thus tend to not dream as often about 'then' and are more in the now.
Undergoing meditation before going to bed where I set my mind to more positive, relaxing things. There is much that can be said about emptying your brain of thoughts...
Unresolved conflict is what you are really dealing with here. These three topics are going to be problematic until you get some resolution. College and medications will be the 'easiest' to resolve, once you get those sorted in real life then dreams about them will diminish or vanish.
Abuse is going to be the difficult one, and I fear that having been abused that most likely the stressors/anxiety you feel over other things (like medication and college) is going to be worse than for 'normal' people - people who haven't had the traumatic experience.
The thing with abuse is difficult. Been there, done that. I have had psychologists tell me I have post traumatic stress disorder due to my abusive childhood. Resolution is difficult, but has been achievable for the most part.
One thing you have going for you is that you are young (20) and are actually doing something to work on the issues. I totally ignored my issues at your age and ended up going down the road of self destructive behaviors.
I didn't really start working on my issues until I was in my early 30's. It took about ten years for me to get a real handle on my issues. Mind I still have the occasional 'night terror' where I wake up screaming... however that is about once a year, not once a week or more.
So it does get better. How fast depends on how hard you work at resolution.
I hope you find a bit in comfort in knowing that it will get better. Just that alone may actually reduce the number of nightmares you have.
Unresolved issues like the ones you describe is from a sense of loss of control. Thus I suggest you do something that puts you in control before you go to bed. Watching is not one of those things.
If you have any hobbies that are constructive - meaning you start with nothing and end up with something to show for the hard work - this may help you regain some of that sense of lost control.
Personally I have found that creating/building things worked for me. Working with my hands and taking raw materials and making something, then being able to sit back and see what my hands have done gave me a sense of power/control in this world and a sense of satisfaction over having done 'something'.
Model building may be up your ally - starting off with bits and pieces and ending up with a ship, a car or something that you can see and touch may give you back some sense of control.
![[-]](https://gayspeak.com/images/duende_v3_local/collapse.png)
