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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 9:31:13
My name is on here more than anyone's lately. I must be a lonely kat.
Question - how does everyone handle bad dreams? Are you able to just put them aside the next day? Do you write them down and take in to next pdoc/therapy session?
Mine are really terrible and taboo - they just keep getting worse! I'm trying so hard to just let them go but I can't seem to. But I don't really believe in "repressed thoughts" or such.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks.
- KK
Posted by paxvox on November 1, 2001, at 9:46:16
In reply to O.K., do I Have a life?, posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 9:31:13
ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!! Kat, don't make us get Freudian on you! A million things can generate bad dreams. Most are your subconscious' attempt to sift through all the input it has received to discern what needs storing, and what needs to be sent to the "recycle bin" in our brain. Are you having any physical symptoms (i.e. tachycardia, sweating and the like)? Have you changed meds recently?
I tried journaling dreams, and that CAN help one to figure out at least WHAT we were dreaming, and sometimes later to tie in the WHY. Should you dash off to the Pdoc? I doubt he/she would care.
The taboo issue. Not as unusual as you might suspect. If you wanted to explore hypnotherapy, that might POSSIBLY allay your concerns to some extent. I could tell you some of my weird dreams, but I think Dr. B would XXX them out (LOL).
Bottom line. You are not alone in this issue. If you think you need to see someone, by all means do so. Don't let yourself obsess on the negativity of it. It could turn out to be a simple and correctlable problem.
Hope that helps a little.
PAX
sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
Posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 10:10:40
In reply to Re: O.K., do I Have a life? » Krazy Kat , posted by paxvox on November 1, 2001, at 9:46:16
Yes, that helps. I have always felt So guilty about my dreams - I mean, they are Truly Awful. I do awful things, awful things happen to me (usually the latter). I do wish I had someone to "confess" them to - I told my hubby about one once, and he asked me never to share them again.
It helps to know others have trouble with them, too. I just don't know where these images and obvious concerns come from. Frightening.
I've always had bad dreams - they subsided with Topamax, came back with Prozac. You're right - doesn't seem to concern pdoc much.
I'll pass on Freud, thank you, and have some Nietsche instead. :)
- KK.
Posted by susan C on November 1, 2001, at 10:52:05
In reply to Re: O.K., do I Have a life? » paxvox, posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 10:10:40
Posted by Greg A. on November 1, 2001, at 10:58:40
In reply to O.K., do I Have a life?, posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 9:31:13
K – since your name appears so often and since most of your posts trigger some activity in my brain, I will offer a selection of random thoughts.
What got me through last night was reading your post. I have been having a bad week and the voice urging me to drink was fairly insistent. (Sounds like Darth Vader – THE FORCE IS STRONG WITHIN THIS ONE) After reading that you were abstaining for the night, I put aside my weakness. Thanks.
Dreams. I have really vivid and unpleasant dreams on Remeron. They happen in a semi-wakened state early in the morning and if I get up early, it’s okay. But if I stay in bed, I feel lousy when I get up. Usually for a good part of the day. It’s worse than being hungover! It’s not that the subjects of the dreams are unpleasant. They just keep circling in my head for what seems like hours. They do not seem related in any way to events in my life. I don’t relate my dreams to anyone. I guess if I thought they were significant, I would try it.
And thanks for the encouragement regarding my position as role model. Part of my problem this week is my eldest daughter who is 15 going on 21. Seems she and a friend snuck out of our house last Thurs. night and spent the night at a party with 4 boys. I got a very graphic description of the events from her diary. I know, I shouldn’t be reading it but it was open on the floor and the reading was unintentional until I glanced at the first line. I managed to get myself under control and talked with her about the incident. I told her I just want to make sure that the mistakes she makes as she grows up are not too damaging and also that she knows she can talk to me. About anything. It seemed to go well at first, but now I’m not sure if any lesson has been learned. Anyway, it’s wearing on me.
Thanks for the chance to ramble.Greg A.
Posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 11:22:09
In reply to Re: O.K., do I Have a life?, posted by Greg A. on November 1, 2001, at 10:58:40
> Gee, thanks for the nice post. :)
Boy, being a father... would it help if we women thought about how we would have liked our fathers to be (assuming most weren't perfect ;)).
Open communication - that's wonderful to me, but I also remember just not being very appreciative at that age, so maybe it would have been lost on me then.
Hmmm, will have to think about it.
Yes, bad dreams can leave a bad feeling in your heart, in your stomach. Bothers me that I don't have control over it.b
- K
Posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 11:25:10
In reply to Re: O.K., do I Have a life? A Fish Called WAnda (nm) » Krazy Kat , posted by susan C on November 1, 2001, at 10:52:05
Posted by kazoo on November 1, 2001, at 12:58:47
In reply to O.K., do I Have a life?, posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 9:31:13
> Question - how does everyone handle bad dreams?
Answer: control them.
Do what I did (and still do once in a while): while in bed, say to yourself "I will control my dreams. I will be able to stop them if I don't like them." Keep saying this over and over again, then conk out. This may not work right away, but convince yourself that you are the master of your own unconscious.
I did this for about a week and, by golly, it works. I can control whether I want to stay in a dream or not. I realized this when during a particularly bad nightmare I was having, I said (in my dream): "Okay, Kazoo, wake up! TIME TO WAKE UP! GET UP NOW! GET OUT OF HERE!" And it works! I can't tell you how many dreams I've manipulated by simply realizing (while dreaming) that I *was* dreaming and it was time to terminate it.
If this doesn't work right away, KEEP TRYING. Eventually, you will be able to control not dream "content" but whether or not you want it to continue.
This has been a God-send for me, and, yes, you can do it. Anybody can do this. It's the simplest and best way to control that bad dream. And I'll tell you something else: when you first realize while having the dream that you *CAN* stop it, my God, what a rush you get from the realization that it's "only a dream." Ahhh, reality: you can't beat that!
Also, I hope you realize that you're not the only one who gets the occasional nasty nightmare.
kazoo
Posted by Krazy Kat on November 1, 2001, at 14:50:16
In reply to Re:O.K.,doIHave a life?BUT WHAT DOES YOUR CAT SAY? » Krazy Kat , posted by kazoo on November 1, 2001, at 12:58:47
Thanks, though, seriously.
My cat generally purrs through the night.
This is the end of the thread.
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