# Constant flashbacks to dreams... freaking out...



## Teresa

Im getting these ALL THE TIME... cant take it anymore... It feel like im IN the flashbacks more than reality... Its like every 10 minutes sometimes... sometimes I get about an hour of rest... with just "normal" DP and DR... and then it starts again









Im suspecting that my Paxil is worsening the situation, but I need the antidepressant because I got major depression on the side, and my anxiety goes crazy without the pills, and I can barely leave my bed.









But I cant take these flashbacks. all the time... Im totally spaced out when I get them... and I can only sit and wait until they pass. And they make me cry a lot.

I dont know what to do. I feel like its totally hopeless...


----------



## York

I had these for 1 1/2 year before it dawned on me it might be because of the benzodiazepines I'm on. I made a list of what I did last time with DP and what I've done now, as I recovered last time.. The two major things were that last time I got pregnant (not an option now!!) and also I wasn't on medication last time.
I'm like you, I just can't stand these flashbacks 20 times a day, from both dreams and my earlier life, as I can't tell if I'm three years or 30 at times, my identity is so messed up! I also have trouble shaking off the dreams I've had at night, like I'm hypnotized. Smells, colors, everything sets off the flashbacks, and it's not been like this the other times w/dp. 
I've now cut back on meds, and have felt improvement from day one. I'm so sure now that meds can keep your subconscious mind "open", I'm trying my best to stop taking them all together.

If anyone else has a view on this, PLEASE reply!


----------



## PositiveThinking!

Teresa said:


> Im getting these ALL THE TIME... cant take it anymore... It feel like im IN the flashbacks more than reality... Its like every 10 minutes sometimes... sometimes I get about an hour of rest... with just "normal" DP and DR... and then it starts again
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Im suspecting that my Paxil is worsening the situation, but I need the antidepressant because I got major depression on the side, and my anxiety goes crazy without the pills, and I can barely leave my bed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But I cant take these flashbacks. all the time... Im totally spaced out when I get them... and I can only sit and wait until they pass. And they make me cry a lot.
> 
> I dont know what to do. I feel like its totally hopeless...


Flashbacks to dreams? What do you mean like you mix your dreams with reality?


----------



## 938721

Theyre usually from post traumatic stress disorder. I have them as well.


----------



## Teresa

Positivethinking...

Its like u get a flashback into a dream you have had before... u experience something that reminds u of that dream and it just pops up in your head. Like youre dreaming while awake. U feel the feeling of the dream and u get fast pictures before youre eyes... Its dreams that youve allready forgotton... its horrible... I cant stand it. If u think youre spaced out with DP and DR... u should try having these flashback. It last few seconds.. and then the feeling is gone...

I dont have anything to have PTSD from... my diagnosis are depression, stress and anxiety....

York... which meds are u on....? antidepressives?


----------



## 938721

Teresa said:


> Positivethinking...
> 
> Its like u get a flashback into a dream you have had before... u experience something that reminds u of that dream and it just pops up in your head. Like youre dreaming while awake. U feel the feeling of the dream and u get fast pictures before youre eyes... Its dreams that youve allready forgotton... its horrible... I cant stand it. If u think youre spaced out with DP and DR... u should try having these flashback. It last few seconds.. and then the feeling is gone...
> 
> I dont have anything to have PTSD from... my diagnosis are depression, stress and anxiety....
> 
> York... which meds are u on....? antidepressives?


Yea, I thought the same thing. These are doctors words, not mine.


----------



## PositiveThinking!

Teresa said:


> Positivethinking...
> 
> Its like u get a flashback into a dream you have had before... u experience something that reminds u of that dream and it just pops up in your head. Like youre dreaming while awake. U feel the feeling of the dream and u get fast pictures before youre eyes... Its dreams that youve allready forgotton... its horrible... I cant stand it. If u think youre spaced out with DP and DR... u should try having these flashback. It last few seconds.. and then the feeling is gone...
> 
> I dont have anything to have PTSD from... my diagnosis are depression, stress and anxiety....
> 
> York... which meds are u on....? antidepressives?


Yeah I get that too, sometimes I can't tell the difference between dreams and reality because I'm way too confused, but it never gets bad enough to get me to cry or anything


----------



## Teresa

Its terrible.... Why wont it stop.... I hate this... And I feel like its never getting better...


----------



## York

Teresa said:


> Positivethinking...
> 
> Its like u get a flashback into a dream you have had before... u experience something that reminds u of that dream and it just pops up in your head. Like youre dreaming while awake. U feel the feeling of the dream and u get fast pictures before youre eyes... Its dreams that youve allready forgotton... its horrible... I cant stand it. If u think youre spaced out with DP and DR... u should try having these flashback. It last few seconds.. and then the feeling is gone...
> 
> I dont have anything to have PTSD from... my diagnosis are depression, stress and anxiety....
> 
> York... which meds are u on....? antidepressives?


 I have the exact same thing.. It's just horrible. A lot of times it's the feeling of the dream that suddenly is on top of reality, or it lingers for an hour after I wake up. It's not any dream in particular, and I don't understand why my dreams sickens me so much. I just hate that feeling I get. I also never get flashbacks from any scary situation, even though I've been in a few, so that is weird too. Obviously flashbacks are related to dp as well, not only to PSTD.
I'm considering hypnosis to deal with it, I'm so lost within myself. I'm actually scared of smells now as it always seem to trigger memories. I had to switch shampoo as the smell sucked me back into some memory of my childhood.. Crazy...!!


----------



## Teresa

York... Its the same for me... I also try to avoid the smells which give me the flashbacks, or things on the TV... It terrible... And yes... Ive had the same thing in the morning, when the dream merge with the reality. Some day it was very bad...

Yesterday, I went for a woalk down the street and I passed a coffeshop. They had a fire going inside, and the smell/smoke from the chimney gave me a strong flashback to my vacationhouse... Its not like its a bad memory, but its comes in the form of a very surreal dream... If the only were the comforting feeling of being at my vacationhouse... but its not... its scary... And I DO think my antidepressant are making it worse..

Sometimes I get the flashback very brief, and its gone as quickly as it came. But I just get SO many of them every day... sometimes they comes like pearls on a string. And just hit me again and again....


----------



## York

Teresa said:


> York... Its the same for me... I also try to avoid the smells which give me the flashbacks, or things on the TV... It terrible... And yes... Ive had the same thing in the morning, when the dream merge with the reality. Some day it was very bad...
> 
> Yesterday, I went for a woalk down the street and I passed a coffeshop. They had a fire going inside, and the smell/smoke from the chimney gave me a strong flashback to my vacationhouse... Its not like its a bad memory, but its comes in the form of a very surreal dream... If the only were the comforting feeling of being at my vacationhouse... but its not... its scary... And I DO think my antidepressant are making it worse..
> 
> Sometimes I get the flashback very brief, and its gone as quickly as it came. But I just get SO many of them every day... sometimes they comes like pearls on a string. And just hit me again and again....


I think it's my first time ever hearing about this symptom from someone else, I'm relieved I'm not alone (at the same time wishing you didn't have to go through this obviously). It gives me chills to read just how similar our experiences are. It's truly horrible, and it's difficult not to give in to the ocd-ish behavior you get when you find yourself avoiding all sorts of things from fear of flash-backs. I want to feel free to do what I want, not be a slave to this crap.
I'm wondering why on earth dreams feel so scary, it's a David Lynch feeling sort of.

I'm on a benzo called Sobril b.t.w.


----------



## Teresa

Yes... I havent talk to anybody either who had it the same way... My biggest problem is that every time it happends a sense off anxiety rolls over me and I get very scared... Like im scared of my surroundings... well its hard to explain... Not like scared of people... but a very unsafe feeling... sometimes it lingers on at few minutes... Its the worst... And I dont really know why im scared... it just overwelmed me...

I really dont know what to do... I feel like Im a hopeless case and I will never get well... I dont want to go around feeling that the world is a very usafe and scary place severeal times a day... Its allmost a paranoid feeling... whitout me knowing exactly what im paranoid off... And the constant DP and DR do not make it any better...


----------



## York

I've heard over and over that medication messes with your dreams and memories. Intrusive memories is common if you withdraw from meds, and surreal dreams is a side-effect of almost all common anxiety/depression drugs. As I said, I never had this when I wasn't on medication, even with all kinds of other freaky symptoms. 
I'm coming off the benzo's, but it's going to take at least six months. I'll keep everyone posted So far, I feel less dp'd, but more depressed about my life..


----------



## Teresa

Ooooh.. God... I really cant take this anymore... Im more in a dreamworld than in my "normal" DP-world...

The dreams just "hang" over my mind constantly...


----------



## aloof

i get the same thing...flashbacks or brief random memories that just pop into my head at any time. and it feels uncomfortable even if its not a bad memory. just the fact that it happens and its like why am i thinking of that. as far as sleeping/dreaming, i have a hard time waking up...like i feel out of it and tired even after sleeping for 8 hours or more. i have been taking klonopin for 18 months at a low dose(usually 0.5 mg per day) and i also take trileptal. not sure which med or if its both causing it but i was really bad off before taking the meds so i struggle with trying to come off or stay on. my motivation is low- have to push myself to do things, another side effect of the medication i think. blah it sucks.


----------



## Teresa

aloof...

How many of theese "flashbacks" do u get a day?

Min is terrible right now and I cnt take it while having anxiety AND major depression to...


----------



## aloof

Teresa said:


> aloof...
> 
> How many of theese "flashbacks" do u get a day?
> 
> Min is terrible right now and I cnt take it while having anxiety AND major depression to...


mine vary....and are random. they occur for no reason at all apparently and i cant attribute it to any particular dosage as i constantly go up and down with my meds- try to take as little as possible. What has helped me the most over the last year was being with a person i was in love with....my meds seemed to work better and my DP was wayyyyy less when i was with this person. Unfortunately its ended so now i fear i am getting worse again. i just dont like being by myself because of the emptiness. this is when i can get the flashbacks, although they can happen at work when I am around people as well. Its tolerable to me just uncomfortable and weird.


----------



## kristikristi65

This is one of my worst symptoms. I'm just wondering if anyone has an answer on how to solve this or lessen it. I feel the exact same way and this helped me finally describe it. Someone please say they have an answer


----------



## Healthanxiety92

kristikristi65 said:


> This is one of my worst symptoms. I'm just wondering if anyone has an answer on how to solve this or lessen it. I feel the exact same way and this helped me finally describe it. Someone please say they have an answer


hi Kristi, did you ever get to the bottom of this? I know this post is old but this is exactly how I feel!


----------



## Ren715

Healthanxiety92 said:


> hi Kristi, did you ever get to the bottom of this? I know this post is old but this is exactly how I feel!


Hey there! I am also going through this after a few months of intense health anxiety. I haven't found a concrete answer but I've met many others online who experience this. 

Best I can tell, DPDR alters the function of some parts of the brain, causing overactive alpha wave production. This is important, because alpha waves are produced when we dream! So, essentially, DPDR causes our brains to produce some mild dreamlike feelings while we are awake. This could be triggered by any random thing we see and will pull out these eerily nostalgic feelings, same as what happens we we dream. 

Hope this helps!


----------



## JessO866

Ren715 said:


> Hey there! I am also going through this after a few months of intense health anxiety. I haven't found a concrete answer but I've met many others online who experience this.
> 
> Best I can tell, DPDR alters the function of some parts of the brain, causing overactive alpha wave production. This is important, because alpha waves are produced when we dream! So, essentially, DPDR causes our brains to produce some mild dreamlike feelings while we are awake. This could be triggered by any random thing we see and will pull out these eerily nostalgic feelings, same as what happens we we dream.
> 
> Hope this helps!


Hi! I get this too! Feel free to message me any time


----------



## JessO866

Ren715 said:


> Hey there! I am also going through this after a few months of intense health anxiety. I haven't found a concrete answer but I've met many others online who experience this.
> 
> Best I can tell, DPDR alters the function of some parts of the brain, causing overactive alpha wave production. This is important, because alpha waves are produced when we dream! So, essentially, DPDR causes our brains to produce some mild dreamlike feelings while we are awake. This could be triggered by any random thing we see and will pull out these eerily nostalgic feelings, same as what happens we we dream.
> 
> Hope this helps!


I get this too! Always here to talk if you need


----------

