Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD Dreams Anyone Have Them?

Deya

SF UIP
Location
USA West
I have suffered them for 20 years, ever since retiring as a UPS package delivery driver. It started about a year after retiring and was really bad, almost nightly until about 5 years ago when the dreams became less frequent.

The dreams always have me in my night sleep shorts, nothing on top, just like I sleep. I am looking in my UPS truck that is packed full of packages. It is late, dark, and I am in a panic trying to figure out how to get them delivered. I quickly look at a few and they are ones I already delivered. Somehow they are getting back in my truck. I know I am going to be written a warning letter and have supervisors riding with me and harassing me. Supervisors that were never delivery drivers except staged for their training. Usually my hubs wakes me up, shaking me, because I am in a panic and yelling. I am always in a cold sweat and have trouble breathing.

A few years ago, I joined an online group for retired UPS drivers with PTSD. All had very similar dreams of being in the dark, late at night, in their underwear, with a truck load of packages scheduled to be delivered that day. I joined another PTSD group which was mainly war vets, since I have had PTSD (happens mainly while awake) since a teenager due to witnessing horrible human death. Both groups helped some, I realized I am not alone or crazy (my husband says the jury is still out on crazy), but how to rid myself of these dreams is unanswered.

I have tried all kinds of therapy and I have realized that stress dreams, over past events, are very common and not much can be done. I had my husband use his AI program to recreate my UPS dreams. I read where using AI to recreate dreams so we can see them awake, can help the subconscious mind to reprogram. Probably total BS, but worth a try.
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I suffer from PTSD. It never visits in my dreams, but in real life there are triggers I know of that I do my best to avoid. However, other triggers that I have no idea are triggers till they assault me, keep popping up and I deal with them the best I can.
 

I suffer from complex PTSD and it gets to me in my dreams all the time. It’s one reason why I can’t take melatonin. I dream far too much. Leaving me scared to fall asleep. PTSD is a horrible illness. It attacks our precious waking hours but given the chance, will mess with our sleeping consciousness also.
 
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This is one of those problems that can be occasional…or frequent enough to interfere with functionality in real life. In my dreams I occasionally go to work and either take care of patients and never chart…or do not deliver medications. In my dreams I have been on shift with no active nursing license…left my flight drug box somewhere ect ect. But this is an occasional problem. And a dream. So I get up and thank my lucky stars it is a dream.
 
Of course... I often have recurring nightmares of the abuse I suffered as a child... all sort of scenarios.. running down a black tunnel trying to escape, only to find when I got the end there was a big boulder blocking my exit.. and my abusers are just about to grab me , when I wake up... heart pounding, shaking... covered in sweat.. and there are many similar dreams about that...in different surroundings

..and now I'm in the situation due to my recent car crash of having nightmares about that.. flashbacks... terror, panic, dreaming that I was the one who crashed into someone, and not the other way around.. and that I'd killed a child... it's just terrible..
 
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Although I have tried to downplay the effects, I still have PTSD. Thankfully after almost three years it is fading a little.

In 2021 and 2022 I spent 2 years in Albuquerque completing 10,000 DoorDash and UberEats deliveries. I mostly wanted to prove to myself that I could go it alone with no help.

It was quite the adventure, I feel lucky that I came out in one piece. 6 times I had to defend myself, either by fight or flight. Twice with wannabe gang members that really wanted to end me.

Sometimes little triggers set me off and cause anxiety and paranoia...

That's what I get for being an older guy with something to prove. In retrospect I realize it wasn't the safest choice...
 
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I know that one does not have to be a military veteran to have PTSD, but reading the accounts of our members here who have it makes me wonder what were the initial causes of the ailment. I imagine being the victim of a brutal assault or other crime would cause it. If anyone cares to share what initially caused theirs, I'd be further enlightened. And to those of you who suffer from it....I'm so very sorry you go through this!
 
I was finally diagnosed with PTSD in 2018, not surprising after an abusive childhood, abusive relationships, and shortly before the diagnosis having my life savings stolen and then having someone try to take over my house.
 
Anybody who had unpleasant/stressful/painful experience before can have PTSD afterwards. I guess many if not most of us have or will have PTSD.
 
Yes - many of them. All hospital and death related after my traumatic experience back in early 2020. They were getting less before I spent my Mum's last three weeks in the Hospice with her watching her slowly dying, and the general environment there. Now the dreams are back :(
 


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