I'm having nightmares again about my robbery.

[liberalhistorian]

I don't know where they're coming from, for the past six weeks or so I seem to have fully recovered psychologically. I haven't been bothered by any nightmares or even any robbery-related dreams, I've been able to go places by myself again, including taking walks by myself; I've also been able to go to my work parking lot by myself again instead of having someone walk me down, even in broad daylight (course, the robbery happened in the parking lot in broad daylight). Things really seemed to be back to normal.

But then these past several nights I've started having the nightmares again. One in particular seems to recur, someone is after me with a gun or a knife, I don't know why but I know I have to run and hide and I run through all kinds of strange places and mazes, with the person following me the whole time. Sometimes I wake up then, and sometimes I dream I have to jump down holes or hide in other strange places. They're so real, too, which makes them all the more frightening.

It's been three months now. I was doing so well for awhile. Why do I suddenly find all this happening again? How can I get them to stop without spending a fortune on shrinks?

[Renew Deal]

1. I have gun, chase dreams all the time.

Or at least I used to. I have been shot at in my dreams plenty of times. I somehow never get hit. I have never been robbed thankfully. They are interesting and I don't knwo what they mean.

[soleft]

2. It might not necessarily have to do with the robbery

It may be that for a while anytime you're having stress or anxiety about anything you will dream about it in the form of the robbery.

I used to have tornado dreams all the time whenever there was something weighing on my psyche. Whatever inner turmoil was going.

After 9/11 the tornado dreams stopped and I had recurring dreams about airplanes crashing. Over this past two years I probably had two dozen or more dreams about watching planes fall from the sky.

Couple of weeks ago I had a tornado dream and I was like - YES! No more airplanes.

So don't worry about being overly traumatized about the robbery. That's the symbolic material your subconsious is using for the moment.

[Valerie5555]

3. Can't believe how lucky I am for so far

I don't have any "asshole on bike" nightmares after what happened to me back in August, by now I figured I may as well forget about that asshole who snatched my bag for if I think about him too much, he had won.

[liberalhistorian]

5. That's true, and that's why I was glad that

I was finally getting back to normal and the creep who got his jollies off of shoving a gun in my ribs and then my neck when he wanted my PIN# and who could have shot me and left me lifeless and my son motherless, to be raised by his grandparents, as easily as he looked at me, was not going to win by turning me into a fearful, paranoid, neurotic who was afraid to do anything.

I sure hope this is just an aberration.

[Valerie5555]

8. Think the cops may have nailed the asshole in my case

wondered if the robbing asshole in your case was ever caught.

[liberalhistorian]

9. No, not only has he not

been apprehended, I haven't even been able to get ahold of the officer in charge of my case since it happened and they don't seem to give a shit at all. Maybe that's one of the problems, the psycho is still out there and I have no idea where, he could be a block down from me for all I know.

[Valerie5555]

10. Holy guacamole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonder what you

would have to do???????????????????? Join the FBI Witness Protection Program or something to get away from that asshole?????????????????

[Valerie5555]

4. Bet the ears of certain former Iranian hostages still ring with

"MARG BAR AMERICA" or "DEATH TO AMERICA" even nearly 25 years after the fact, though some may deny it.

[liberalhistorian]

6. That's probably true, although

their ordeal was so much worse than mine that there really is no comparison at all. But I guess the psychological dynamics are still the same.

[Valerie5555]

7. Remembered reading how one of them claimed he had full blown

PTSD and that article was about something in conjunction with some lawsuit they had initiated against Iran. If those "Oct Surprise" allegations were for real, maybe they should have sued the heck out of George Bush 1 while they were at it.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. As Soleft mentioned...

it may not be directly related to your episode, but may be a new personal symbol for what I call "stress dreams".

I can always tell when I am unconciously feeling stressed -- I have dreams about being a passenger in a car being driven recklessly up and down hills.

You may be incorporating your recent experience to create a new dream vocabulary, I would take a look at what is going on in your life that may be making you feel endangered or stressed.

If you are unable to make a connection, and experience further PTSD episodes, I would seriously look into EMDR therapy.

[shepard]

12. Dream Message

Your dreams are your spirits way of dealing with the situation.When you dream of being chased with a gun or a knife it is your way of showing the anxiety that you felt over what happened to you.The second part of you dream is really quite good.You are running through all sorts of strange places and hiding,but it shows that you are taking control of the situation and figuring out a way to save yourself.Don't worry so much about it,you will gain strength and knowledge from them.Ahe'ee Nehemah

[boilerbabe]

13. It is a natural reaction to stress!

I don't blame you for feeling that way, and it does seem like it would imprint on your dreams. A lot of elemements from our daily lives transfer over to our dreams. And since you have been through a traumatic experience like that, it will take a long time for it to work its way out of your subconscious. I do hope you and Shrubhater (what a cool kid!!!) are doing ok! Remember there are those who love you and hope for the best XXXXXXX0000000

Your pal, the Boilerbabe!