5 Reasons You Suffer from Scary Nightmares After Narcissistic Abuse

Let’s look more closely at five reasons you suffer from nightmares after narcissistic abuse.

Nightmares can come and go during your healing journey. They can be part of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, remnants of a long-term abusive relationship, caused by psychological abuse and traumatic events, and are a way the brain works through trauma memories.

There is hope that nightmares will lessen or go away as you heal from narcissistic abuse.

Table of Contents

· Do You Suffer From Nightmares After Narcissistic Abuse? · Vivid Dreams Are a Sign Your Brain Is Healing · 1. You May Be Suffering From Complex Trauma · 2. You Are Probably a Survivor of Psychological Abuse · 3. You Were in a Long-Term Abusive Relationship · 4. You Are Processing a Traumatic Event · 5. You Are Working Through Trauma Memories · How Do You Heal? · Sometimes You Need Professional Help

Do You Suffer From Nightmares After Narcissistic Abuse?

After years of experiencing physical abuse, psychological trauma, or emotional abuse you may be suffering from nightmares about those who abused you even if you are now free.

Have you ever wondered if you could be free of horrible dreams?

The first step in taking action is questioning whether you have to live with the effects of narcissistic abuse. Another question to answer is what your dreams are telling you about where you are in your healing.

Now that you have acknowledged and accepted the situation you can take action.

Vivid Dreams Are a Sign Your Brain Is Healing

When you wake up from a horrible nightmare the last thing you experience is gratitude for continued healing.

Realizing that your difficult emotions about an abusive relationship are showing up as nightmares lets you know your mind is working through trauma memories. It can take a long time to heal from the type of emotional abuse someone with narcissistic personality disorder puts you through.

Your mind is working through your complex trauma while you rest and your nightmares should diminish over time.

1. You May Be Suffering From Complex Trauma

Did you know nightmares are one of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and Complex PTSD? This is a sad but true reality for many survivors of narcissistic abuse.

I believe nightmares are one way our brains work through intrusive thoughts and flashbacks. I also think as you become better at using healthy coping strategies during the day your nightmares will occur less often.

2. You Are Probably a Survivor of Psychological Abuse

There are many long-term effects of psychological abuse and nightmares may be one of them. When you have survived years of this type of abuse it changes your brain and the way you think.

You may find the abuser’s words running on repeat through your mind. The sting of verbal abuse can last for a lifetime. Survivors have to work hard to become free in body, mind, and spirit.

3. You Were in a Long-Term Abusive Relationship

The longer the abusive relationship the more likely you will develop C-PTSD and the side effects this condition brings with it.

This could have been a relationship with a parent or family member, romantic partner, friend(foe), or another person who played a significant part in your life. Many survivors of narcissistic abuse as adults also suffered during childhood.

Survivors may find themselves in abusive relationship after abusive relationship and feel like a magnet for those who display the traits of narcissistic personality disorder. Awareness of patterns begins to change the way you live and who you allow close to you and ultimately leads to freedom and peace.

4. You Are Processing a Traumatic Event

Our brains can heal. One way of healing is processing the past. Nightmares help our brains work through what has happened to us and what we are still working through in our daily lives.

You may notice an uptick in nightmares after coming into contact with someone who has caused you trauma in the past. We know intuitively that some people are not good for our mental health. It’s important to take note of the symptoms we have after being around the people we interact with in our lives.

5. You Are Working Through Trauma Memories

You process trauma memories in your nightmares. These memories can be triggered by being in contact with someone who caused you trauma. Even if you no longer see this person as part of your daily life a phone call, text, or email from them can make you feel unsafe and cause intrusive thoughts and memories to return.

You wake up from a nightmare in which you are still living with your parent or ex-partner and have to reassure yourself that you are free after all. You wonder when your mind will heal enough to be free of this person’s influence in every way.

How Do You Heal?

As you seek healing for yourself you should see your nightmares decline until they become a rare occurrence. Below I share some techniques you can use to help you through more intense periods of nightmares.

Practice stress-relieving activities such as exercise. Enjoying walks in nature is very healing to your body and mind. Even walking outside in your neighborhood can be healing. You see the sky and hear the birds chirping which helps you reconnect with the world around you.

Journal your worries. Journaling about your worries brings them out of hiding and helps to set you free from them.

Talking to someone you are in a close and healthy relationship with can help you gain perspective which may help to ease your mind and nightmares. Building healthy relationships with others breaks the isolation you experience which will help you heal.

Imagery rehearsal therapy is a useful tool to decrease nightmares. Write down the dream then rewrite it so that it ends positively. Think about your nightmares and what is happening during the dreams. Change the ending to one that makes you feel empowered. You can imagine speaking up for yourself, leaving, or a helper arriving to set you free.

Take good care of your mental health. When you have a nightmare it’s even more important to include self-care in your day.

Using essential oils can help you relax which may help you sleep better. Lavender essential oil is known to be good for sleep and relaxation.

Having a healthy sleep routine can help you sleep better. This includes taking time at the end of the day to relax, going to bed at the same time every night, and avoiding large meals and caffeine later in the day.

From my own experience, I know that the further along I am in my healing journey the less I have nightmares about the people who played a part in my trauma. I also know that nightmares are more likely to occur after being in communication with any of these people, even if only hearing about them from others. That is one reason to cut out not only the narcissist but also the flying monkeys sent by the narcissist.

Sometimes You Need Professional Help

If you aren’t able to work through the nightmares on your own there is help available through counseling, therapy, and medications.

I think it’s important to know there is help available and that we aren’t stuck with our nightmares after narcissistic abuse for the rest of our lives.

We are living in freedom and we should have freedom in our dreams as well.

If nightmares are routinely keeping you from getting enough sleep and causing you mental health distress it may be best to talk to your doctor about ways to help you sleep better and stay safe until your sleep returns to normal.

Sometimes we need extra help as we return to mental and emotional health. Trauma is so complex in how it affects the brain and body that it can take a long time for your system to recover and be able to function more healthily. Trauma survivors must have the help and support they need to give them the best chance of living well.

Remember you deserve to live in freedom and peace even in your sleep.

❤ Julia

***Originally published on learningtoliveinpeace.com.