It’s amazing how having one nightmare can literally ruin my whole week. I keep thinking about the nightmare that I had constantly and fearing that it might come true. What causes nightmares and why are they so damn terrifying?
(I don’t want to describe it, because then I’ll get more anxious about it)
Try to not think about it I know how scary those can be
Yes, I understand. It’s because our bodies have their own “feeling” memory. When a traumatic event occurs we feel it’s really happening when triggered.Tell ur self, out loud- this is only a thought, I am safe now... then visualize putting that thought in a container & closing the lid. Wash ur hands of it & if need be just keep repeating out loud I am safe now, I am safe...
I wish you well...
Journaling is a good tool as well. Write it down & then close the book.
I hope I’ve helped just a little. Baby steps...
I know.
The art of trying not to think about something, hmmm....
If I am given the task of trying not to think about pink sharks, the one thing you can be sure I'll be thinking about is pink sharks. But human minds don't work in the negative, which is to say, deliberately avoiding a thought or topic. They can't create mental voids because they can't focus on nothing. They work in the positive, which is to say, to focus on this or that. Like the rest of nature, your mind doesn't like vacuums. Something needs to fill it.
One thing I use to deal with my generalized anxiety disorder, especially if I am having sleep problems, is to think of pleasant memories or other pleasant things and let my mind free-associate off of them. If I try to think about drifting off to sleep, I'll be awake all night.
You could also distract your mind and play a trick on it by 'trying to not think about' something else, something like fall foliage (one of my favorites), or some other pleasant thing: Whatever you do, don't think about baby lop-eared bunnies hopping around tonight! Then you'll be focused on lop-eared bunnies and the nightmare focus will be displaced by this new thing you're trying to not think about. Your mind may not be able to handle a vacuum but it also can't focus on two things at once.
These things don't work every time and also it will take time to develop this coping skill. But you'll get better as time goes on and the percentage of success will steadily rise. So don't give up if it fails on the first try, or if it works this time but not that time.
Aside from all that, and at least as important, you need to find out what's causing the nightmare. It could be anything from a phobia to a scary childhood memory to a reaction to medication, or even an illness. Once you figure out what's causing it, that alone will make it less scary.
You have much better advice than me 😄 so thank you
My nightmares are my realities
Repetitive Nightmares... is anyone having them?
Please help. This is a nightmare 
Horrible disabling anxiety 
