Nightmares

[Danevans01]

I must say when I look back over these last seven months I can definitely see an improvement in how well I deal with my health anxiety. And I noticed a major improvement in how I felt recently though, on New Year’s Eve I decided to go out and have a few drinks with friends and I did end up drunk. That night I had a nightmare which was pretty odd as it is and then by 8 am I was awake and could not get back to sleep. The nightmare however, is completely based around what my anxiety consists of.... heart attacks!. It began with my friends and family and just other people I know whispering about me and then all of them surrounding me and telling me how fat and ugly I am and then in the end of my dream I had a heart attack and died. I know it’s just a dream and probably sounds pretty silly but I was still shook when I woke up and I haven’t stopped thinking about it and my bad thoughts, chest and lung pains haven’t stopped since ? So my question is, can anxiety really be made worse by dreams/nightmares ?

[HearYou]

You actually died in your nightmare? I have not heard of that happening: usually heard and taught the opposite. Anxiety and nightmares go hand in hand; a bit o the question of which came first...the chicken or the egg? If you are seeing a therapist and a MD, discuss this with them. There is a medication used by the VA to help diminish the effect of nightmares or decrease the number of nightmares in PTSD veterans. It may be of some help to you.

[Danevans01 in reply to HearYou]

Yes I actually died but not in first person, I was watching it all happen to me if that makes any sense ? Thanks for the advise

[HearYou in reply to Danevans01]

No problem; hope it helps.