DEAR Dr. Fritz,
I hope you are fine. But, I am not. I have been getting these bad nightmares for some time now. They are so scary that I don’t want to go back to bed anymore after waking up in the middle of the night. What causes them? What can I do?
Please help. God bless.
Anxious Julie
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Dear Anxious Julie,
I understand your situation and am sorry for you. Nightmares are pretty upsetting and scary. They happen during rapid eye movement sleep or when your brain is working hard, like when you are awake. But, they are normal and may happen from time to time.
So, what causes them? It’s still actually a mystery why they happen. But, there are a lot of reasons why they can happen more likely. Let’s name them.
Anxiety or Stress
You might be anxious. After all, you have named yourself right into it. Daily life stresses can bring them on. Worries about school, work and bigger events and life changes, like losing a loved one can make you get them.
Trauma and PTSD
It’s quite common to get them after some traumatic experience, like physical or sexual abuse or an accident. I was getting them too, after experiencing some robbery before in Makati.
But, for those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these are quite common and are often intense. The bad thing is, these nightmares can make PTSD worse.
Mental Health Conditions
It will also get to you more if you have some mental health issues like bipolar disorder, depression, general anxiety disorder, or schizophrenia. So, you better free yourself from stress. Be sure to get some stress-easing techniques. Yoga and meditation are some that can help.
Well, we’re out of page right now. Let’s continue this next time. Until then!
Dr. Fritz
(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15 year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.”. For your questions, you may e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)