|
[ Dreams Archive ] [ Main Archives Page ] [ Glossary/Index ] [ FAQ ] [ Recommended Books ] [ Bulletin Board ] |
Search this site! | |
i was reading up on remembering dreams. Every night i have very terrifying and vivid dreams. People say i should be glad, but i am tired of remembering them. i wake up in a panic and the whole day i am thinking about the dreams i had that night. its getting so bad that i dont want to go to sleep anymore. The other day i fell asleep in the afternoon, i was only asleep for 10 minutes and my dream had begun already. i dont want to remember anymore.
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
Are you under more stress than normal? It seems to me the thing I most recently read about dreams was that they are a way for our bodies to discharge stress. Perhaps some SR (skilled relaxation) like meditation would help you discharge stress in a less frightening way.
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
Hi, Elizabeth: I am having the same thing - since 1999 and every night. It began when I was in a stressful time of my life and went to a counselor. He said that my anxiety caused it. I went to a sleep disorder doctor and had a sleep study done. He said dreaming was normal - yes, but are nightmares normal? A medical physcologist who used biofeedback and my following a routine before sleep helped me overcome the anxiety and panic about this. However, I still have the vivid dreams. But I do feel better when I wake up not so exhausted. I also was on Luvox (anti-anxiety) for one year and that decreased the panic and anxiety. For information on a better night's sleep and the sleep routine, one book is "Desperately Seeking Snoozin'" Sorry, can't think of the author at this moment, but think it is on Amazon. Just a thought. Best wishes. wm
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
According to a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, too much dreaming is not a good thing either. It is a sign that the Kidney energy (not literally kidneys, but the whole system, urethra etc.) is malfunctioning. And if I remember correct, it has to do with fear or anxiety.
If you drink coffee, you might wish to abstain until this has stabilised. (Caffeine is both taxing kidneys and overstimulating your nerve system. Some people are just oversensitive to this.)
If you have been having this problem for a long time, this could indicate an emotional struggle going on, maybe some issues that are trying to surface. But if you feel that everything is just fine in your life, it might be just the stress and overstimulation.
Hope this helps a little...
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by S. [305.130] on January 06, 2004 at 16:16:16:
Hi, S: Although I did not originate the questions, because of my on-going vivid, anxious dreamlife, all responses are interesting and helpful to me also. My vivid dreams are full of location, people and situations that were part of my working life. I retired in 1996. The last three years of my employment were the most stressful and unpleasant moments, hours, days, weeks, years of my life. Because retirement was within reach, I decided to remain in this most distressful situation. I thought it was all behind me. I've gone through counseling, sleep study, meditations, massage therapy, talk therapy, journaling, medication - but the dreams remain. I've worked through some the anxiety, but would enjoy a good night's sleep. This occurs EVERY night -Any holistic, TCM information and insight you can give is of most importance to me also. Thank you. wm
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by Carol D. [634.155] on January 06, 2004 at 11:31:43:
Hi
It may be an overload of stress, like Carol D says.
Meditation can directly help this, although I do notice when I meditate, I dream almost every night. BUT GOOD DREAMS!
If I have nightmares or bad dreams, I normally look back to what I have eaten, and when. If I eat too late at night, and a big meal late,I have bad dreams.
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by Carol D. [634.155] on January 06, 2004 at 11:31:43:
Hi
It may be an overload of stress, like Carol D says.
Meditation can directly help this, although I do notice when I meditate, I dream almost every night. BUT GOOD DREAMS!
If I have nightmares or bad dreams, I normally look back to what I have eaten, and when. If I eat too late at night, and a big meal late,I have bad dreams.
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by wm to S. [348.193] on January 06, 2004 at 16:40:15:
Some have written about some dreams being of a type of "trash can" nature. (Sorry, but I don't remember where all I read this and cannot reference it.) But it is that some of our dreams are nothing more than dumping a trash can of past experiences--they are not necessarily food, or physical or emotional health related--but are more related to our experiences. To have retired and to have retired in a stressful situation means that you did a lot of the same things for a number of years and did not feel great about it all the time. So you already have all those experiences stored in your psyche being jumbled about and they come out in your dreams. Too, you can add the loss of your work-life role which happened when you retired and in your dreams you might just feel like you are going back to your old self. Does any of this fit your situation? It could very well be that what is happening with you is completely normal.
Anita
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by Anita [346.576] on January 06, 2004 at 21:53:28:
Anita: Those are interesting ideas! I AM struggling at present with some decisions on which direction to move forward in my life. In fact, when all this began, I was seeing a counselor about specifically what I wanted to do from that time 1999 on ... and was having difficulty making a specific decision. The part of "being my old self" again has a definite ring of truth in it. Thanks for some more insight. wm
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by Anita [346.576] on January 06, 2004 at 21:53:28:
I agree. In my opinion, the brain is processing our experience and storing it where it needs to. I don't know why but in times of stress or when making big decisions it'is very normal to dream more than usual. A friend has recently embarked on a demanding job and made career moves, and she was having nightmares all the time.
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by wm to S. [348.193] on January 06, 2004 at 16:40:15:
As I said to Anita, vivid reams in times of stress are quite normal, but over a year is a bit too long. I wonder, if your staying in that unacceptable situation still traumatised you, even though you knew retirement was near?
You sound as if you accumulated more stress than you were capable of discharging. You might have been traumatised (emotionally hurt) by that situation. One way out of this could be to write your dreams, and see if you can understand what they are about. It is specially important to recall the feeling you had. It seems that your dreams are related to a theme, and thinking about them in awake state might help you resolve the underlying issues. I guess that while you were at work those last three years, you probably just braced yourself to get through, and then the reaction came. It is understandable, but you now need to move on from that situation. Start thinking about the future and making decisions. Staying too long in an undecisive state is actually bad for our health (it can wear out adrenal glands). Gosh, I sound like a councellor, but I'm not one. Hope you get something out of this!
On a more mundane note, there are brain stimulants (you haven't said anything about coffee), like coffee or even TV (!) that will disturb sleep. If you are dehydrated you might have a bad sleep. Be watchful of anything that might affect the brain. Take care!
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by wm [348.193] on January 06, 2004 at 22:15:59:
I agree with you that struggling with your decision since 99 is a long time to let your management skills lie unused. You have successfully lived your life, have retired and now have the wherewithall to make a change. While exploring your emotions and thoughts is good at times, actual action can be just as therapeutic. One way to take action is to begin to volunteer your skills to a (or more than one) charity. The "people" section of most major newspapers list organizations looking for volunteers. You can try one or as many as you wish to get the right fit for you. In my city, our crisis hotline is known as being the very best source for referral information. If I were looking for somewhere to volunteer my time, I would call the hotline during business hours, and tell them I was interested in volunteering somewhere, review with them my major skills and ask if they know of any place that could use such skills. (If your city has a crisis hotline, it can be found in the yellow pages under CRISIS.)
I am going in this direction because sometimes people can get bogged down in feelings, especially when their explorations are relatively directionless. There is a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in volunteerism that people who don't do it cannot comprehend AND that type of satisfaction may just be what you need to feel better. And volunteering will help you to get a taste of different things you can do and different sites you can use your skills in. I am still working but also am also a volunteer for three different organizations. Through my volunteerism, I have developed the skills to be a successful event planner and fund raiser and have even put these skills to work in my regular employment.
Sometimes retirement can strip us of the definition we have of ourselves, so building/creating a new definition is important. While exploring the emotional nature of the situation is important, it should not be done to the exclusion of getting out there and enjoying the rest of your life.
Anita
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
Could possibly be a physical component to this.
Sometimes I am awakened in the middle of the night with a disturbing dream and then find myself in the bathroom taking a large dump. Then I go back to bed and sleep like a baby.
The gut is said to be a "second brain". Could you need to take care of your gut health in some way? (leaky gut, etc.) Just suggesting possibilities.
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by Jan S. [791.81] on January 07, 2004 at 09:00:02:
Hi Jan S:
How right you are. The connection between the gut (second brain) and disturbing dreams is nothing new. Reading your post reminded me of the words spoken by Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" as he was greeted by the ghost of Jacob Marley late one night.
Scrooge, naturaly doubted his senses and attributed the vision to his unsettled stomach as he said "You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"
I've always found that line amusing:-)
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
When I have vivid dreams or nightmares it is usually because of stress or I have taken high does Vit B complex.
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
I had very disturbing dreams after a many faceted injurt and
the only thing that stoped them was sleeping with the TV on.
It must have kept my mind from going where it did.
In Reply to: Re: Vivid Dreams posted by PhillyLady [1494.338] on January 07, 2004 at 09:17:32:
No, this is nothing new! Only the science of it is new. So new, that the theory of "the second brain" is quite over my head in its details - just the experience of "gut-brain connection" impinges itself on my awareness at times. As it did to Scrooge.:) (And I like having a name for it!)
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
I think it might be worth trying an elimination diet, to see if the dreams are related to diet. Suggest you make brown rice your only grain , add meat and vegetables, and then, only add one of the common allergens at a time to see if that food affects you- like soy, dairy, peanuts, ground nuts,tomatoes, and, at the very end, other grains,- wheat, corn, rye, barley, one at a time.
In Reply to: Vivid Dreams posted by Elizabeth [439.4] on January 06, 2004 at 11:22:43:
Before this disappears - there was an archiving request - Bill? Thanks in advance.
|
[ Dreams Archive ] [ Main Archives Page ] [ Glossary/Index ] [ FAQ ] [ Recommended Books ] [ Bulletin Board ] |
Search this site! | |