Flashbacks and nigthmares.

[Alice InWonderland]

I am not sure where this should be posted so please feel free to move to another board if it needs to be.

Recently I have been struggling with flashbacks and nightmares because of a trigger not long ago. I told a psychiatrist for the first time (he was covering for my main psych) and he was genuinely concerned and I got put onto Zopiclone (again) and Risperidone to help me sleep and calm down before bed. Has anyone been on medication for flashbacks and nightmares?

Also, have any of you experienced weight gain with the Risperidone?

[Morpheus]

I have struggled a lot with nightmares and flashbacks due to abuse in the past. I still have nightmares every night but it is not as bad as it used to be where i would wake up screaming many times every night, i would wander around in my flat crying in my sleep until someone would shake me awake etc.

I find that if i am calm when i go to sleep, i am less likely to get nightmares. The more stressed i am, going to bed. The more nightmares. I often use a cup of chamomile tea with honey before bed to calm me or warm milk with honey. Just sitting in my kitchen, preparing myself mentally to go to bed as the fear of nightmares makes me scared to sleep. So just sitting for ten minutes with a cup of tea, preparing myself makes me calm which results in less nightmares.

I get a sleeping tablet called Imozop to help me sleep a couple pf times a week. Am i take them every night because of physical pains making it difficult to sleep but they work better when i dont take them every day ad the body gets used to them. Sometimes i have to take a benzo to calm me before sleep or during the night if i wake up with nightmares as i find it very difficult to calm myself when waking up. If i take benzos and imozop i can sometimes sleep through an entire night without nightmares.

I also use benzos during flashbacks if nothing else helps but i often try a cup of tea and a warm shower first as i try to take as little meds as possible.

Benzos are quite addictive as well so i always try other things before taking them but sometimes its the only thing that can calm me during flashbacks and horrible nightmares.

[Alice InWonderland]

Thank you for your advice, Morpheus. I am sorry that you struggle/struggled with flashbacks too but I am glad that they aren't as frequent anymore. Please feel free to message me if you would like to chat.

x

[Laura2.0]

I take benzos and/or other calming medication when I am having bad flashbacks.
It is helping me a lot, but I only use them when nothing else is helping.
And I also get side effects the next day, because the medcations mess with my bloodpressure and I always feel dizzy the next day. So... yeah, that's why I'm trying to go without medicaton whenever possible.

[Crazy Cat Lady]

I'm sorry you're going through a difficult time; please know that we are here for you.

I suffer with flashbacks and know how frightening they can be. Well done for confiding in someone; that's great and you should be very proud of yourself.

I have a limited number of diazepam and take this when the flashbacks become unbearable. I'm not allowed sleeping tablets so I can't say whether they help or not.

Hang in there; I know how difficult it is but you can get through this.

x