causing flash back dreams of someone who I have issues with?

The dreams haven't been of what happened between me and this person but much worse. My take on this is in my dreams it's more about how it made me feel.

I haven't had any contact with this person in more than 4 years.

I'm not understanding what it has to do with our moving and the stress I've been feeling over it.

Anyone have any answers for me ? Is this my ADD or what?

The shortest way I can explain it:

"Emotional memory" is actually stored in tissue cells of your body. So, when those cells release the stress and toxins from the time or the stressing event.....you re-experience it mentally.

I think FightingBoredom is right. I also wanted to say that stress 'weakens' the barriers we construct between our present life and painful experiences in the past. When we suffer a loss or stress we are more likely to reexperience other losses or stressors from our past.

I am sorry you are going thru this. I don't think its exclusive to ADD but the ADD may make it harder to let go of.

Do you have anyone in real life you can talk to about this? Talking it out may help release some of the pent up emotions.

Fasttalkingmom -
Whenever I'm really stressed out this one dream re-occurs. I've been wondering about this too, thanks for posting, I've been meaning to . . . .

Thanks for the replys FightingBoredom and Fly Away. It's nice knowing why it happens.

I would love to hear more about your dream to actually be able to say more about it.

I am no expert about dreams, but i do like to translate them :rolleyes: :p

As this relationship with this person resolve? Did it finish on a clear clean cut?

causing flash back dreams of someone who I have issues with?

The dreams haven't been of what happened between me and this person but much worse. My take on this is in my dreams it's more about how it made me feel.

I haven't had any contact with this person in more than 4 years.

I'm not understanding what it has to do with our moving and the stress I've been feeling over it.

Anyone have any answers for me ? Is this my ADD or what?

you can change the out come of the dream write down the dream b4 you goto bed and put like a happy ending on it then fail to sleep see if it changes.

I can't answer the *why* part of your question, but, can assure you that you're not alone!

When I'm stressed in my present-life, PTSD symptoms, like nightmares, etc. all start to wreak additional havok on my waking and sleeping hours.

Without knowing more about the dream, or the past relationship, I can't really guess what the connection is -- though I'd bet you could or already have made that connection privately.

Current stress triggers past stress, especially if it's unresolved. that's what I've experienced.

Fortunately, (really!) you now get a chance to work through this past issue, now that time has maybe buffered some of the intensity. Maybe working through whatever painful thing you're holding on to will help with the bad dreams -- and possibly even relieve some of the current stress.....

meditation has helped me learn to experience the feelings i'd grown up avoiding. let me know if you want some more info. along those lines. i'd be happy to share what i think i know..... ;)

(((((hugs)))))

wheezie

p.s. -- have you talked to your doctor? are the dreams disrupting your sleep? what medical-type person can you run this by? therapist, maybe? it'd be helpful, i'm sure, to have the support of many.

I too have vivid dreams. When stresssed my dreams flash back to my Junior High years which was a VERY stressful and emotional time for me. The structure of the dream is almost identical everytime I have it. Even if i dont think of this time of my life during my waking hours it comes back to me in my dreams...very strange

I think FightingBoredom is right. I also wanted to say that stress 'weakens' the barriers we construct between our present life and painful experiences in the past. When we suffer a loss or stress we are more likely to reexperience other losses or stressors from our past.

I am sorry you are going thru this. I don't think its exclusive to ADD but the ADD may make it harder to let go of.

Do you have anyone in real life you can talk to about this? Talking it out may help release some of the pent up emotions.

I told my husband a few days after the dream, it was bothering me so much. I asked him what he thought about why I had such a dream. he wasn't sure there.

Thanks for your words

I would love to hear more about your dream to actually be able to say more about it.

I am no expert about dreams, but i do like to translate them :rolleyes: :p

As this relationship with this person resolve? Did it finish on a clear clean cut?

I'll PM you the dream........

p.s. -- have you talked to your doctor? are the dreams disrupting your sleep? what medical-type person can you run this by? therapist, maybe? it'd be helpful, i'm sure, to have the support of many.

It was one night and no it's not bothering my sleep.

It was so out there and I'm into figuring out what my dreams are trying to say. Most of the time I can see what they are saying but not this time.

It was violent but in the end I won !!!! :D

fasttalkingmom.....I am glad that you won!!!

I'd like to say that when I am under stress, my dreams are always more vivid and often more worrisome than normally.

I have always had some issues with my mother in law. But we have never had an argument...maybe a cross word or two....but I have know her for 30 years! I am always respectful of her and hold my tongue.

At night in my dreams, however, I can really let into her! I've never had such intense emotions and anger in real life...everything is louder and more stressful that the true situation. I speak my mind and more....I back her down and let her have it.

It is pretty obvious the reasons for my nightmares, right?

I can usually pinpoint a cause for the vivid dreams that I have.

I love my mom in law dearly. I would rather release the stress caused by the avoidance of disagreements through my dreams any day. But like you, the fact that I had the dream in the first place is distressing.


~gourmet~