Currently getting a lot of nightmares, about my parents. I moved out ten years ago when I was 18. The typical scenario is that I'm back in their house screaming/yelling at them because they won't listen to me. I wake up feeling scared and angry. They never were able to stop thinking about themselves for long enough to listen to what I have to say, and they wonder why I can't stand them.

Anyone else out there struggling with nightmares?

Oops I sound a bit angry there but I can't figure out how to edit my post. I think it's because it's 3 am and I'm wide awake now having had nightmares. I'm feeling a bit calmer now, will go back to bed soon :)

Bob, can you remind me about your parents please? They abused you?

bob,
yes, I have also been having nightmares, but I don't know what to do to deal with them. Do you? I just wanted to let you know that if you need to write about your nightmares, I'm here to listen and give feedback (if I am able to help)...

Josh

I have nightmares about my parents all the time. Several times a week I dream about being back in my old house in MA... or somewhere that looks alot like it. I can't tell you have many times I wake up screaming, cursing, feeling scared and or hateful. You are not alone.....

Yes I was abused. It was not necessarily physical or sexual abuse (although this did happen), but emotional abuse, you know like undermining my self esteem at every opportunity, things like being called a "waste of space" and not being allowed to make any noise whilst eating. Also not being allowed to express myself, I couldn't say anything to my parents without having it rammed back down my throat.

I have nightmares about my parents almost every night. It's horrible and I wish it would stop.

As a side note, Anthony, why do you edit the title of every thread? This is not normal forum behaviour and I find it disconcerting. It doesn't exactly make me want to post here.

Sorry, you are feeling like that. Some of the titles are edited to make it more clear what is within the post itself. Quicker, easier reference, or there would be 30 posts that simply say nightmare(s), panic attacks, anxiety, anger... It helps you also get support faster from people who do not have time to go over the whole forum, as it is huge, and when something that relates to them pops out they are more likely to read it. While all may have nightmares, not all involve the parents. No way meant to be offensive. Just helps things move smoothly and get support to you faster.

Hey Bob,

Veiled hit it on the head. It helps users find what is relevant to them faster, more accurately, than stuffing about having to look at every post. Editors look at every post, not other members... though editors do not reply to every post, just checking them for correctness. Members make up the bulk of communication, so helping them to find relevant conversations faster, is in eveyone's best interest. Any quality forum with quality editorial guidelines, editors and so forth, edit thread titles, threads, posts, etc etc... I have been in the game a long time to know.

Bob, how long did this occur too you? Was this your entire growing up? Who diagnosed you with PTSD as a result of this? I ask this, because I am wondering whether it is more anxiety than full PTSD, as significant trauma outside of normal life trauma must occur for the mind to chemically imbalance. Basically, the mind must be so terrified, it breaks and neurologically imbalances the right and left hemispheres.

This isn't scaling down your abuse, if anything to me, hopefully you can be healed fully, cured as such, if your issues have stemmed more self esteem, anxiety and depression issues, rather than actual physical abuse to the extent beyond normal growing up smacks and so forth, or sexual abuse would certainly do it.

If you had sexual abuse, which I am not sure if you meant that above or not, then your sexual abuse would actually be what has given you PTSD, not emotional abuse as such. Emotional abuse though, if significant enough, will certainly give you more issues over the sexual abuse, or possibly even hiding the underlying factors of sexual abuse.

I have been diagnosed with complex PTSD. This can come about solely from mistreatment from caregivers, including emotional abuse. I was also bullied and beaten a lot at school as I mentioned in previous thread, but my nightmares are mostly about my home life. There was some violence at home as well, but no sexual abuse as I recall. There may also be some things that I can't remember, I recalled part of something the other day that was really horrific, but I can't remember what it was now.

I had a nightmare last night. I had my sister in a headlock and I was smashing her head against a wall until she was unconscious. She used to bully me at home. She was the favourite and used that to her advantage, my parents would always believe her over me. I have a recurring nightmare where I am trapped with my parents in their house, screaming and shouting at them.

You're not a doctor and you don't have teh whole story so don't try to diagnose me.