redneckemt
Member
Could be worse could be memories... Some nights I'd gladly take nightmares over some of the memories that suddenly pop into my head. Curse of the job I guess
Recurring Dreams or Nightmares?
- Thread starter RonJ
- Start date
I inherited a really lousy sleep pattern from my Mother. Takes me forever to get to sleep, and I used to wake up and then not be able to go back to sleep. Several years ago a guy told me to try Melatonin. I doesn't help you go to sleep, but it helps you stay asleep. Works pretty good, but it has one very interesting side effect. The dreams you have, at least when you first start taking it are AWESOME!
It's like going to an action movie every night. I told a friend about it, a middle aged Woman, and warned her about this. Next time I saw her she said it freaked her out so bad she almost called me and hollered at me the next morning.
I kinda enjoyed the freaky dreams, had some doozys.
Jim
It's like going to an action movie every night. I told a friend about it, a middle aged Woman, and warned her about this. Next time I saw her she said it freaked her out so bad she almost called me and hollered at me the next morning.I kinda enjoyed the freaky dreams, had some doozys.
Jim
I know I must dream, but I almost never remember them. There was the one about Raquel Welch when I was 12, uh... never mind.
One I do remember from childhood was a dream where I was trapped in a burning car. I have no idea what brought them on - maybe some movie I don't remember. But I had that dream on a once in a while basis. I always dreamed in the third person - I was looking at myself experiencing things. The burning car one was the one I remember.
When I was 16, mom got a Pinto.
One I do remember from childhood was a dream where I was trapped in a burning car. I have no idea what brought them on - maybe some movie I don't remember. But I had that dream on a once in a while basis. I always dreamed in the third person - I was looking at myself experiencing things. The burning car one was the one I remember.
When I was 16, mom got a Pinto.
My recurring nightmare has been ruining my sleep on and off for over 20 years. I am permanently trapped in my senior year of high school, even though I am my present age and I graduate every year, I am still in school. Also, I can never remember what class I'm supposed to be in or what room its in. Much like Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day, nothing I do gets me out of the SSDD (same stuff different day) pattern.
As you can guess, I hated high school even though my grades were very good to excellent and I graduated in the top ten percent of my class. The dream is always HS, never any education I've had since.
As you can guess, I hated high school even though my grades were very good to excellent and I graduated in the top ten percent of my class. The dream is always HS, never any education I've had since.
Arik
Member
How's this for odd. I live and work in Pa but very close NJ. I also carry a gun. However in NJ its illegal so I always have to make sure I know ahead of time where Im going so I can plan accordingly. lso because of this I dont carry extra mags or ammo in my car nor a trunk gun.
Well at least once a month I'll have a dream that somehow I managed to accidentally get into NJ with my handgun and I cant seem to get out, im nervous and there seems to be a cop or some law form of law enforcement just about everywhere. The more I try to look normal to more nervous I seem. It never ends!
Well at least once a month I'll have a dream that somehow I managed to accidentally get into NJ with my handgun and I cant seem to get out, im nervous and there seems to be a cop or some law form of law enforcement just about everywhere. The more I try to look normal to more nervous I seem. It never ends!
Brian41
Member
I too have dreams about being in the service again and that was 40 years ago. I'm my current age in them and try and keep up with the youngers guys. Usually I'm in basic or tech school again or at one of my assignments except it's present day and everything's different.
I also have dreams about being attacked and going to get a gun. The guns in the drawers are not mine or have wrong or defective bullets for them. Sometimes I get a peice of junk gun loaded and sometimes I never find the right bullets. Funny because I only keep quality loaded guns with speedloaders or mags for home defense.
I also have dreams about being attacked and going to get a gun. The guns in the drawers are not mine or have wrong or defective bullets for them. Sometimes I get a peice of junk gun loaded and sometimes I never find the right bullets. Funny because I only keep quality loaded guns with speedloaders or mags for home defense.
amazingflapjack
US Veteran
GKC- Redneck-Brian41
GKC-A very good and typical example of what we are discussing here, and obviously, your service is more than honorable. We go where we are sent, and do what we're told.
Redneck-these are called "intrusive thoughts" and are a common symptom of stress. Typically, we that experience them, are having a lot more than we are aware of. There is an exercise where an individual actually attempts to keep a count on the number he/she has, and usually the number is many times what the person estimated that it would be before the exercise. There is definitely some simple measures to alleviate this situation. These thoughts can color our life experience more than we think; we get used to them, but they still affect us, and can be the catalyst for serious "re-experiencing" events that are not good.
Brian41-reoccurring dreams where the theme is typically being out numbered, out gunned, and armed with defective guns that self destruct, or whatever when they are fired are a common stress symptom. I used to have a recurring theme dream that ended that way. When I was finally cornered, right at the point of being killed by a well armed superior force (6 or so guys) I would turn and attempt to fire the junk I had, (always a hand gun) with some kind of defective results. One scenario had the gun actually fire, but the "bullets" just kind of ran out of it like a stream of peas!
GKC-A very good and typical example of what we are discussing here, and obviously, your service is more than honorable. We go where we are sent, and do what we're told.
Redneck-these are called "intrusive thoughts" and are a common symptom of stress. Typically, we that experience them, are having a lot more than we are aware of. There is an exercise where an individual actually attempts to keep a count on the number he/she has, and usually the number is many times what the person estimated that it would be before the exercise. There is definitely some simple measures to alleviate this situation. These thoughts can color our life experience more than we think; we get used to them, but they still affect us, and can be the catalyst for serious "re-experiencing" events that are not good.
Brian41-reoccurring dreams where the theme is typically being out numbered, out gunned, and armed with defective guns that self destruct, or whatever when they are fired are a common stress symptom. I used to have a recurring theme dream that ended that way. When I was finally cornered, right at the point of being killed by a well armed superior force (6 or so guys) I would turn and attempt to fire the junk I had, (always a hand gun) with some kind of defective results. One scenario had the gun actually fire, but the "bullets" just kind of ran out of it like a stream of peas!
BearBio
Member
Just that I am back in boot camp!
Brian41
Member
Flapjack, that makes sense as I'm under quite a bit of stress at work and it keeps getting worse. I've noticed the dreams have been less so as I've been off work due to back surgery but expect they'll return once I get back to work again.
Another dream I've had is trying to get from point A to B on foot and winding up in bad neighborhoods and always being unarmed although I have a permit and do carry most times. Sometimes I'm okay but other times get challenged by lowlifes and usually get robbed or shot.
I usually wake up before I get killed but not always.
Another dream I've had is trying to get from point A to B on foot and winding up in bad neighborhoods and always being unarmed although I have a permit and do carry most times. Sometimes I'm okay but other times get challenged by lowlifes and usually get robbed or shot.
I usually wake up before I get killed but not always.
captorquewrench
Member
phs3194
Member
The dreams I had weren't really recurring, but were similar in nature. I was always in danger. if there weren't people trying to kill me there were animals chasing me. Someone choking me was the most common. It turned out they were being caused by sleep apnea. Not being able to breath while sleeping can really mess up your dreams. Since getting my CPAP machine nights are a lot better.
straightshooter1
US Veteran
flapjack:
I don't disagree with you at all about the current state of the law.
Here's my problem. Laws get changed or repealed. An gun-unfriendly congress can change (or try to change) any federal law from what it is now to something totally opposite.
BUT, if there is a problem that is keeping someone from living a normal. productive life, then, yes, get assistance. It makes no sense to have to live with something that is causing pain or serious problems when medical intervention may make it all go away.
The gun dreams-I used to have them about once a month, 30 years or so ago. Needed to shoot my Model 36 to defend my life, but the trigger wouldn't budge. Pull as hard as I could, but it just wouldn't fire. Wouldn't move a bit to the rear.
Not sure what that really meant (premonition?), but I traded the 36 for a 37 and, no kidding, have never had that dream since.
Then, six months ago, my buddy-FFL had a nearly new, box, papers and all, Model 37 from the 60s. I worked out a price subject to firing it, and went in the back room to shoot it. You know what happened, the trigger wouldn't budge.
He had it repaired, but I didn't buy it (premonition?).
Bob
I don't disagree with you at all about the current state of the law.
Here's my problem. Laws get changed or repealed. An gun-unfriendly congress can change (or try to change) any federal law from what it is now to something totally opposite.
BUT, if there is a problem that is keeping someone from living a normal. productive life, then, yes, get assistance. It makes no sense to have to live with something that is causing pain or serious problems when medical intervention may make it all go away.
The gun dreams-I used to have them about once a month, 30 years or so ago. Needed to shoot my Model 36 to defend my life, but the trigger wouldn't budge. Pull as hard as I could, but it just wouldn't fire. Wouldn't move a bit to the rear.
Not sure what that really meant (premonition?), but I traded the 36 for a 37 and, no kidding, have never had that dream since.
Then, six months ago, my buddy-FFL had a nearly new, box, papers and all, Model 37 from the 60s. I worked out a price subject to firing it, and went in the back room to shoot it. You know what happened, the trigger wouldn't budge.
He had it repaired, but I didn't buy it (premonition?).
Bob
Vulcan Bob
Member
Wierd huh? I have two recurring dreams that I keep haveing and have for a long time. One is that my weapon will not work when I really need it to with bad results and the other is that I will park my car in Johnstown Pa and then I cannot find it and wander up and down streets to find it, never do. Now I never have been in a shooting or combat and never have had a car stolen or lost so why the dreams?
Mine usually involve a storm and the house I grew up in Missouri, which is odd since I have not lived there since 1993. The other is I am riding a motorcycle and the front wheel washes out to the right. Again, haven't had a bike since 1992.
charlie sherrill
Member
I once dreamed I ate a giant marshmellow and when I woke up my pillow was gone.
Insert rim shot here.......
I sometimes have dreams I'm a cop again......and that the rest of my life was a dream!
carpriver
US Veteran
When I was working and under a lot of work related stress I would have reoccurring dream of my time in south east Asia. With the stress came anxiety and anger. I was told when I went for my VA physical after discharge from the Air Force I had PTSD. Anyway I was working as a Counselor in a mental health clinic and the doc I worked with suggested I take an anti- depressant to help with the anxiety. It helped a lot I also attended a PTSD group to cope with my symptoms (dream, flash backs and anger) Best thing I could have done, I also started a PTSD group at the clinic. It does not go away it just gets easer to cope. Life gets good again. The federal law asks if you have been adjudicated mentally ill by a court.
Last edited:
Early in my LE Career I was involved in a deadly force incident in which I survived. Always carried my model 36 as my backup and off duty arm and stil do today as a private citizen. For several years during the '70s and '80s I frequently had a recurring dream that I was somewhere on a dark street in off duty status and was attacked by a man with a knife who was stabbing me in the stomach over and over and I was firing my revolver into his body repeatedly with the barrel pressed into his gut with no effect. This would continue until I would suddenly wake up shaking but relieved that it was only a dream.
Fortunately the dream finally stopped occuring at some point. Strange thing is that after no further recurrence for at least 20 years, the dream happened again several weeks ago with no warning. It didn't, however, disturb me nearly as much as in the past and has not repeated. I have no clue as to why this happened as I have been away from the job for over 3 years now and my life is free of any major stress. The mind can do some strange things to us at times.
Fortunately the dream finally stopped occuring at some point. Strange thing is that after no further recurrence for at least 20 years, the dream happened again several weeks ago with no warning. It didn't, however, disturb me nearly as much as in the past and has not repeated. I have no clue as to why this happened as I have been away from the job for over 3 years now and my life is free of any major stress. The mind can do some strange things to us at times.
BCDWYO
Member
My wife passed in 2001. I started dating again a couple years later and remarried in 07... For years I have had recurring troubling dreams that I now find out my first wife has actually been alive all this time and now she wants to come back like nothing ever happened. As you can imagine, in the dream this causes me significant stress and confusion.
