Night time anxiety and ongoing jaw clenching

[Moose]

Hi guys,

I haven't posted in a while on here, in large part because I started my new degree course and I've just been insanely busy, working on that full time plus working to pay the rent part time! Some of you know a bit about me - I had 'RSI' hand and arm pain, which I've successfully treated with the TMS SEP, but I've suffered symptom transferrence to my jaw, which has been tight and achey for the last few months.

Predictably, the jaw pain has gotten worse since I started my course, which didn't surprise me because it's a new thing and a new way of life and I want to do well so feel pressure etc etc you know the story.

I clench my jaw relentlessly at night. Tied in to this though, is that I have real anxiety-inducing dreams (I have some trouble getting to sleep too, but when I do sleep, it's hardly a rest). Last night I had a dream about being chased by a man, who then calmly and chillingly told me how he was going to kill me. I rang the police but they wouldn't come. It was horrible. I've had dreams where someone is trying to break in to my flat and I couldn't call for help and I've also had dreams about my Mum or my boyfriend dying, and I've been really surprised by the intensity of feeling that these dreams created in me. I mean, of course I love my Mum and my boyfriend, but I was totally lost, devastated and bewildered, which surprised me because a) my Mum is chronically ill and I've been coming to terms with losing her for years and b) I've always kept a bit of distance between me and my boyfriend and I didn't think I felt *that* strongly about him.

I know what you're going to say - my subconscious is finding ways to vent the feelings I have and am repressing. But this doesn't feel healthy. It's downright disturbing. And I've always been an anxious person, but these dreams where people want to hurt me and I've been unable to get help I haven't had since I was a child. I haven't got anywhere with journalling this stuff - it's been a frustrating dead-end. I'm not sure why it's happening now (I don't think it's because of my new course, I think it's been building for longer than that), or why my subconscious is so convinced I'm in such danger.

I just wanted to talk really, to know I'm not alone. But if anyone has gone through anything similar and would like to share, please do!

 

[Eric "Herbie" Watson]

I've had many disturbing dreams Moose. I always white them out.

1)- When you awake think again of the dream
2)- Then see the picture that disturbs you ok
3)- I know this isn't easy but for just a second hold this picture
4)-then see a grey dot that expands and fills the picture , turning it all to a big picture of gray
5) Then imagine seeing a yellow dot in the middle of the gray picture and see the yellow dot expand and fill
your mental screen with nothing but bright , glossy yellow ok.
6)- Then see a white dot in the middle of the yellow glossy wall painting-
expand this white dot to fill the wall picture or mental picture of the yellow wall.
7)- then after you gaze at the pretty white wall for a second , imagine you have a rock in your hand
and throw the rock hard at the white mental picture and see it break like white glass.
8)- then open your eyes and imagine the white glass falling through a hole in the floor

Do all this in sequence and just a few seconds on each color change ok
The first change from the negative picture to the color gray will be first
and a little difficult at first but you can do it, its you mind; you control your images.

Go over this a few times so you can do it without reading the instructions
it should help take the negative out of the dreams scenes ok

Let me know
Thank

 

[Moose]

Hi Herbie, thanks for the tip - I'll give it a go next time. I was also thinking about getting a book about reducing anxiety, I wonder if anyone has any suggestions?