Dealing with PTSD Nightmares

Many of you who have been reading my blog frequently will notice I have been posting a lot about PTSD, how it's affected me and various coping mechanisms for it.
 In this post, I'm going to be going through a symptom I think is over-looked and something people need to know more about. Nightmares and flashbacks.

Nightmares are associated with something a child has during the early stages of their brain development and when they tend to go to bed upset or emotional. But the reality is anyone can get one. Many people who go through traumatic events and times have frequent nightmares and flashbacks and they are sometimes one of the hardest symptoms of PTSD to cope with, as they are a constant reminder of the event.

Flashbacks

• Flashbacks are sub-concious, intense memories where you feel you can see, feel, smell and feel everything that happened. A simple word or phrase that reminds you of the event, driving past the location where the event took place, childbirth, birthdays or anniversaries and television shows are all examples of potential triggers. Identifying your own personal triggers can help you learn mechanisms to avoid having flashbacks.
• 'Grounding' is a mechanism used to stay in the here and now, rather than slipping into horrifying memories. It can be done by keeping an object to hold tightly, staying with someone and squeezing their hand or feeling objects around you like park benches, living room cushions etc. My mum very kindly bought me a little anxiety voodoo doll which I take everywhere with me and hold it when I feel like I'm about to slip into a flashback or have a panic attack. 
• It's always important to tell someone if you've been having flashbacks. Maybe friends you regularly see, family members or a partner. That way, if you're at the point where you're still learning to control them, you can have someone there to tell you that you're safe and you're not really re-living anything, no matter how bad or intense it feels. 
• After the flashback is over, talk to someone about it whether it be a friend or counsellor.
• Record any patterns. Rate each flashback from 0 to 10. Ten being very bad, zero being very mild. Write down when the flashbacks occurred and where you were then show them to either a counsellor or your GP so you can work out what may be triggering them and devise personal coping mechanisms together. 

Nightmares 

• Like flashbacks, nightmares can be vivid visualizations of what happened or perhaps even completely unrelated. There are also many ways of dealing with nightmares as well...
• Writing the dream down, changing the ending may give you a more peaceful content next time you have a dream. Do this straight after having a nightmare then read it the next night before you go to sleep again (a few times) so you can visualize what you really want to happen. This may completely change the content of your next dream and give it a positive outcome.
• Creative visualization often helps. Picture yourself sleeping with a barrier around your bed space and door. That way, you can go to bed feeling safe. 
• Watch a happy film or program before you go to bed rather than something depressing or a horror film. Then you will go to sleep with happy, peaceful thoughts.
• Talk about your dreams to a medical professional i.e. your GP or a counsellor. If the nightmares get more intense or are stopping you from getting any rest, they can result in further health issues. 

Managing a healthy sleeping pattern...

• Managing and maintaining a healthy sleeping pattern is important for any mental health problem. It can also help control and limit the amount of nightmares and flashbacks you get. 
• Reduce the amount of caffeine you consume! This applies to me too, as I constantly have Mum and Tom on my back for drinking energy drinks. More than one cup of coffee a day can make a massive impact on how much sleep you get at night. A can of Relentless also equates to 3 cups of coffee because of the amount of caffeine that's been packed into it. 
• Don't use the computer or TV while you are in bed. The lights in computers, TV's and phones can reduce the production rate of sleeping hormone, melatonin, in your body if you are on them for too long. 
• No matter how exhausted you are, try not to sleep or take naps during the day as you are trying to reprogram your body to sleep throughout the night. 
• Try to establish a bed time routine. For example, put on your pajamas and read for 30 minutes before you decide to sleep. 
• There are many products on the market to help you sleep. One that I used, along with my prescribed medication, is Sleep Therapy by Avon. It is a range of products produced with an essence of lavender oil to relax the body. You can get it in balm form (to massage into your forehead before you sleep), shower gel and bath oil form or as a pillow spray. 
• If you like to drink tea, chamomile and green tea are very relaxing, too. Perhaps have a mug of this during the 30 minutes before you decide to sleep.
• Listen to some relaxing music. Piano music is always nice and relaxing!

I hope this has helped you get a grasp of some potential coping mechanisms with nightmares and flashbacks. I'm not perfect myself when it comes to these things and I'm not very good at telling people when they happen, but I still never forget that I'm not alone and there's always someone there to talk to when I need them. These are the coping mechanisms that I've been using for the past year now.  They've taken their time to work but it just takes patience. I hope they eventually work for you too, if you need them! 

Stay safe

Grace xo