Nightmares - I hate them and have them frequently. A lot of the time I think they are triggered from some unconscious connection I may have made through something I did during the day or week. Other times if I have asthma or have gone to the dentist the nightmares or flashbacks are sure to hit.

I often get deeply disturbed and depressed as a result of the nightmares. It is like living through it all over again emotionally and sometimes physically. It always takes me several hours to break out of it - it's like a dooms day fog clinging to my skin.

The first step is to reinforce that it is a nightmare and not real!

The second step is try to figure out what triggered it? I find if I can pin it to an event or situation I feel better that I can blame the cause and not me.

Third step is distraction from the thoughts - do whatever but stay busy with mindless activity until the time passes and the distance to the intrusive thoughts has grown.

If you don't get busy and keep moving I have always spiralled down and began obsessing on the drama in the nightmare or having a great pitty party all for me.

A great idea I received from a counselor once while in the hospital was to create a "comfort box" and leave right next to my bed for when I wake from a nightmare. In this box are soothing things for me and my interests and personal stimulus that can ground me. I will list my comfort box stuff for you to give you some ideas. It does work. For me the box is a small tupperware container with a handle.

The contents are: (tactile comfort) squeeshie ball - stress balls
a baggie of sand
silly putty
small smooth round stones and sea shells
a purple feather boa from craft store
(smell) Lavender (in a baggie)
small scented candles with matches
small pine scented sachet (in a baggie)
thick goopy hand cream (lavender)
(snacks) dried cereal, granola bar, grape gatorade
(distractors) crossword puzzle book, suduko book
solotaire game, dice, dominoes, crayons,
coloring book, slinky. a rubber band
family photos, rubber ducky, pet photos, personal
affirmations written on index cards. Also cards with
questions - what is todays date, look at the size of
your hand, reminders of today!
calming pictures of landscapes or area's I enjoy from
magazines for visualization.

All this equals = ESCAPE and RE-DIRECTION from disturbing thoughts.

It really works for me.