Nightmares every night?

Question

My friend is 18 but she still has nightmares every night. When she has nightmares, she shivers, chokes in her dreams, she breathes harder, and when she woke up, she is so terrified that she bursts to tears. She often dreams o f dark, empty place, and no one is there, and suddenly she faints in her dream and cannot wake up.
She starts to have the nightmare when we have the first row. So she told me maybe the reason is me. But then we're Ok and her nightmares still continue.
Now she starts to cut herself because she cannot take it anymore. I told her to find a psychologist but she has a phobia since she had a problem with psychologist when she was small.
Now I really don’t know what to do, since things are getting worse.

Answer 1

FREDDIE KRUGER

Answer 2

dreams are what a person thinks about during the day, about their happiness, their sadness, their fears. Perhaps some fear she experienced as a child is in her subconscious. When people cut themselves they definitely need to see a professional. I would suggest that she see a psychologist first and if she needs a referral to a psychiatrist they will refer her to one. If it gets too bad then talk to a psychologist yourself about the situation and ask what to do. Perhaps a psychologist could visit her in her home when you both are there. Why not set up an appointment first then set up a night when you both would be home and for a time when you both would be making a meal together..at the time the psychologist would arrive. Then say you needed the psychologist to discuss the problem you both are having.

Answer 3

Can you take away sharp instruments and take her to a sleep clinic? Maybe a doctor can give her something strong enough for a little while that will let her sleep too deeply to go into REM. Then she can have enough rest to be able to solve some issues. I've also heard that things like coffee, chocolate, and fish late in the day can affect what kind of sleep and dreams we have. I have been able to successfully resolve a recurring nightmare.

Answer 4

Occasional nightmares are commonplace, but recurrent nightmares can interfere with sleep and may cause people to seek medical help. A recently proposed treatment consists of imagery rehearsal. This approach appears to reduce the effects of nightmares and other symptoms in acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

If she doesn't want to seek medical attention here's some advice from...
The Household Cyclopedia (1881) offers the following advice about nightmares:

"Great attention is to be paid to regularity and choice of diet. Intemperance of every kind is hurtful, but nothing is more productive of this disease than drinking bad wine. Of eatables those which are most prejudicial are all fat and greasy meats and pastry... Moderate exercise contributes in a superior degree to promote the digestion of food and prevent flatulence; those, however, who are necessarily confined to a sedentary occupation, should particularly avoid applying themselves to study or bodily labor immediately after eating... Going to bed before the usual hour is a frequent cause of night-mare, as it either occasions the patient to sleep too long or to lie long awake in the night. Passing a whole night or part of a night without rest likewise gives birth to the disease, as it occasions the patient, on the succeeding night, to sleep too soundly. Indulging in sleep too late in the morning, is an almost certain method to bring on the paroxysm, and the more frequently it returns, the greater strength it acquires; the propensity to sleep at this time is almost irresistible."

I suggest you encourage your friend to seek medical attention because her case really needs one, she better do it for you to feel the ease.

Answer 5

Keep a dream book, in which she list each dream and items in that dream. Check around and find a good dream interpretation book. Do this for two weeks, if her dreams are running along the same path then she will know what to do.

Answer 6

all i know is that supposedly having caffeine before going to bed can give you nightmares. I dont know if she has a routine of drinking coffee before bed or with dinner, or if she has chocolate desserts often which could be contributing to this problem. But i feel really sorry for her, i love to sleep and those dreams sound so horrible.

Answer 7

Alright. The lack of B Vitamins and stress brings nightmares that hunt you. The best thing is to see happy things and neglect all the bad news that are around. Let me know how this is going then

Answer 8

She needs some real help especially with the cutting.Seems she has unresolved issues that are manifesting themselves in her dreams.Phobia or not she needs help now before she sinks into a deep depression she can't get out of.Just hang in there with her. You sound like a really good friend.

Answer 9

The cutting herself? Bad news. Your friend needs to talk to a psychiatrist. Hopefully you can persuade her to do so. I shall be hoping you can.......bettyk

Answer 10

sounds like a demon is triing to attack her. pray hard for her and pleed the blood of jesus christ over her. salvation through jesus christ is a great thing to have. i would also take her to a dr to though.

Answer 11

entertain with healthy thoughts and relax mentally and physicallty before going to bed