Your question: Nightmares
“I keep having the most horrendous nightmares, I wake up sweating and my heart is pounding. Often the content is quite graphic. Can you help?”
Lack of sleep, medication, changes in diet and stress can all cause “bad” dreams and many people feel upset or anxious about what they’ve dreamt when they wake up. Sometimes a room being too hot is enough to cause a nightmare (hence waking up sweating).
Many dreams are symbolic messages to draw your attention to a situation that, in order for you to live a healthy, balanced life, you may need to address.
There may be unresolved issues surrounding your current circumstances or the impact of an event from the past you may need to acknowledge (e.g. through personal counselling); your nightmares can be a manifestation of that.
Sometimes the reason the content is so graphic or unsettling is simply to get our attention – which often nightmares do. This makes sure you take steps to acknowledge the ‘problem’; it’s a bit like the volume going up until you realise the music is so loud you have to do something about it.
Seeking an interpretation can help deciphering the message and this, in itself, may be enough to stop the recurring dreams. It’s important to remember that the people and places in your nightmares are not ‘real’ (even if they look like people you know) but images created in a dream to represent a message to get your attention; none of this content means your dreams are going to come true or what you’re ‘really’ thinking.
However, if you are worried, it’s worth seeking the advice of someone who can offer you that therapeutic help, confidentially to put your mind at rest.
Old Hag Syndrome is a common nightmare (the feeling of a presence in the room). You can read more about this on the nightmares page.
It is up to you, the client, to decide upon the suitability of each service and whether this suits your needs. The information provided on this page and through a consultation is open to individual interpretation and is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare team. Please speak to your doctor before deciding upon any form of action which may affect your health or if you have any concerns about your health and wellbeing.
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