Could my nightmares be a sign of PTSD?

Advice

Recently I've been getting a lot of nightmares over my abuser. All the nightmares involve the same thing, with me being rapped/sexually assaulted, but the thing is they're never of what actually happened. The only things linking it is sexual assault and the perpetrator, so since it's not a direct replica of what happened I'm hesitant to jump to conclusions.

I think I've been experiencing other symptoms like flashbacks, but I don't know if it really is a flashback. Due to my age and other things, I still live with him and there's no way for me to leave right now, so it could just be due to me being paranoid and anxious all the time.

in ptsdby Polypedatess

100%

14d

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14d

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snarlyj

13d

Quite possible. Ask your doctor about Prazosin. It specifically blocks PTSD nightmares. Totally eliminated them for me. You can't take it if you have low blood pressure though :(

Polypedatess

13d

Thank you, I'll try to ask in a few years :)

aperyu-1

13d

It’s crazy but they have a med specifically for PTSD nightmares

snarlyj

13d

Prazosin! Game changer for me

amaralaya

13d

Yes! I had this every single day throughout the night. It's the same nightmare repeating again and again. Please please please get professional help if you can because otherwise it's going to be very hard and exhausting to get through this yourself.

Polypedatess

13d

I'll try it when I'm older, thank you though, I'll be okay

amaralaya

13d

Ok if you are unable to get it now.. then pls try journaling where you write about the bad incident or post or talk about it anonymously. The more you share it the better because you will be able to process that memory and the nightmares will stop. That's how I did it. I hope you too can sleep well one day. Take care

bloo_balooga

14d

I get this too, nightmares that are more violent/extreme than the assault itself. Once it lasted the entire night, I would wake myself up, walk around, go back to sleep and it would still continue, 3 guys who all looked like my assailant, hunting/chasing/attacking me. It gets really violent, like to the point where I am fighting back with everything in me but can't move at all because they have me completely overpowered. My SA was nothing like that. I mean it was slightly violent and it was a stranger, but nothing like in the nightmares, so it freaked me out at first. My reasoning atm is that it's probably that after the assault, after having a stranger cross that line at all, I'm terrified of what could possibly happen now, and my brain is sorta working through that in my dreams. Maybe it's something similar for you. After what happened, your brain is probably processing all the "what ifs" and it's coming through in your dreams. But like I'm not a therapist haha, this is just my own reasoning. Take care and I'm sorry you're having to go through all this. It must be very scary having to live with him still <3

Codeseven58

14d

PTSD usually prevents the brain from processing certain experiences/emotions/memories so theres the possibility. I'd say see an EMDR therapist for at least 10 sessions and you should get a good answer from it.

brel1654

14d

yes. i have had SA nightmares of events that didn't even happen

throwaway329394

14d

If you look at the ICD diagnostic manual it says nightmares are thematically related. The key thing about re-experiencing an event with PTSD is it's not just remembered but is experienced as occuring in the here and now. It's very terrible, I'm sorry you're going through it. In addition to having flashbacks or nightmares, we also might get overwhelmed/immersed in the same intense emotions that were experienced during the event in response to reminders.

https://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#2070699808

redpanda6969

14d

Yes nightmares and flashbacks can be symptoms of ptsd. I have struggled with nightmares for over a decade.

snarlyj

13d

Ask your doc about Prazosin?

StockGap4785

13d

I’ve been taking this for a month now, if anything they’ve been more intense. Have you heard of other things?

snarlyj

13d

Oh yeah it completely eliminated my PTSD nightmares. Tough to say if it's had any impact on day-to-day functioning, but the night terrors are gone

Polypedatess

14d

I'm sorry to hear that :((