“Are nightmares a sign of stress?”

Who created this dream/nightmare? YOU! So you are all the parts of this dream. You could say that some part of you that you are unaware of (‘do not know’) is chasing you. Translation: some part of you is making you run! Any thoughts about your ambitions pushing you?



Peace,

Marian Shapiro

Licensed Psychologist

Stress can trigger more dream states. The mind is actually more active at night and is processing information acquired. It also tries to integrate that info. Dreams or nightmares may reflect the mind's attempt to resolve some inner conflict or issues.

Nightmares are one of the diagnostic signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is an anxiety disorder often referred to as stress. If you have a trauma history, talk to your doctor about a referral for therapy or a medication for nightmares.

Dr. Scott T. Alvord

Nightmares are a source of wisdom. In my opinion, dreams and nightmares are your higher self talking to your lower self (the self in denial). They are telling you to wake up and deal. You have been repressing something that needs your attention. If you don't face what your nightmares are protesting, you can expect more of the same.

Now, not every nightmare can be easily interpreted. For example, I had a five year old client brought to my office because his parents thought he was developing schizophrenia. He said, "I see dark men." He saw them in dreams, and sometimes he hallucinated a dark man. I read in his paperwork that he was adopted by his grandparents, because his father beat him as an infant. He doesn't remember. The next time I see him we will talk about what happened to him as an infant. I can observe that he is Caucasian with blond hair, so I believe the "dark" is a reference to something frightening. Even though he doesn't remember, he may cry, because it touches truth in him. If he cries, we can have self-awareness, empathy and perhaps, he can heal some or all of this injury.

In another case, I had a grown client who hallucinated about the Ice Lady. She was white and cold. It turned out that she too, was taken from her mother, because her mother left her in the crib for days without feeding or changing her, even though she was in the room. This woman was white. Her father was black. No reference to color.

Jeffrey Dahmer, the Cannibal of Milwaukee, craved skin contact, because his mother refused to touch him. When he was old enough to climb out of his crib, he would try to get to her, and she would push him away and yell furiously at him if he cried. As an adult, he dreamed that he was in a hotel where all the beautiful people lived. Everyone was gathered in the lobby. All the beautiful people were wearing leather jackets, kneeling on the floor pounding and screaming. His dream was telling him that he craved skin, or rather, touch. (We all need to be touched, and if we aren't, we don't know physically that we fully exist. Touch is essential for the brain to map the parameters of our bodies.) His wise subconscious mind was telling him that beautiful (healthy) people get to have their feelings, too. So, as you can see, I believe all of us have this internal guidance system, without exception.

Unless your nightmares have been all your life, you don't have that same obstacle or early childhood trauma. You can remember, but you are probably not taking seriously an event that you have dismissed. The nightmares will have clues to the event. After you realize what it is, feel sorry for yourself for long enough to process, whether you journal, cry, rage privately or tell someone. Then, do something to prove to yourself that you are on duty, taking care of business. That should eliminate your nightmares.

Dr. Faye

This link is revealing as to your question:

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/anxiety-nightmares

Yes and no. Insecurities are another reason, problems at home or work, etc