Nightmares

Hi All,

Although I consider I’m doing quite well, overall - both physically and emotionally - I wonder if, under the surface, all is not so good, as I’m increasingly plagued by nightmares recently.

Almost all of them have a similar theme of being lost and having no control (Not too hard to relate to real life with MS, that, is it?)

For example, the other night, I dreamt I was stranded at a Danish(?) airport. I do not speak any Danish, but seemingly there was some irregularity with my passport, indicating that I might not be British, and could not return home to Britain.

The Danish people were very nice, and on questioning me, did accept my claim that I was indeed British. But by that time, I had missed the last UK flight. I discovered I had somehow lost all my money and credit cards, so could not go to a hotel for the night. I asked if I could spend the night in the airport lounge, but it was a very small, provincial airport, and they said that regrettably, they closed for the night, and it was a security risk to leave me there. So they made some phone calls on my behalf, and eventually arranged for me to spend the night with complete strangers - friends or neighbours of some of the airport staff. Nobody was unkind to me, but I didn’t know anyone, didn’t speak the language, and had no money.

Then, last night, I dreamt I was visiting an old friend. Not where she lives now, but where she used to live, when we were both children - which, as we were at school together, was not very far from my home town, either.

So we spend some time together, and afterwards, I got on the tube home. When the tube reached what I thought was my stop, I couldn’t see the station sign, as my carriage was not in line with it, but I knew we’d just passed through the last stop before mine, so this one had to be right, didn’t it? I got off the train, which pulled off into the night, to find it was NOT my stop - in fact, no stop I’d ever heard of before. The name was completely different (not that of another stop on the same line), everywhere looked different. There was not a single building or landmark I recognised. I knew I was in some district of London, somewhere, but it wasn’t one I knew at all, and I’d no idea how I came to be there, as it seemed to be miles away from my correct stop, and not even on the same line. I consoled myself with the thought I’m an old hand at the London Underground, that there would be maps everywhere, and I must be able to work my way back. But it still didn’t make up for the fact I’d inexplicably ended up in part of London I’d never heard of, or even knew existed (I can’t remember the name now, otherwise I’d look it up, but pretty sure it doesn’t, in fact, exist).

So like the Danish airport dilemma, there was some comfort - it’s London, it’s my home city, I DO know it - I must be able to navigate home! Nobody was actually being horrible or threatening. It was just the situation itself was threatening. Getting off the train at a familiar stop, but finding nothing about it familiar at all - not even the name!

I know some drugs that I’m on can cause vivid, almost hallucinatory dreams. These are not as graphic as with some drugs I’ve been on - there’s been no violence or bloodshed, or even any overt threat. It’s just an awful sense of unease, of being stranded somewhere unfamiliar, and not knowing how to get back to familiar ground. I’ve had it to a lesser extent in real life, of suddenly not recognizing a familiar route - or one I know ought to be familiar. I think it’s a phenomenon similar to deja vu, except that it’s called “jamais vu” (never seen), where the sufferer suddenly experiences familiar surroundings as completely unfamiliar. For me, the sensation is only brief.

Is anyone else having similar? Either the dreams, or the real life experience?

Tina

x

hi tina

unfortunately i get that feeling in real life.

always getting lost even when near home

i just laught at it now but curse these bl**dy lesions!

carole x

Wow Tina, what dreams and what recollection, it seems like a plot to a psychological thriller!. I have always thought there was little connection to a dream’s content and how you feel afterwards. I used to take bachlofen but stopped over a period so that I knew what was MS rather than a side effect of the tablets, as I had some odd dreams at the time of taking it. Maybe no bad thing as it seems to be sparking a degree of creatvity. MS land is a foreign land to us all and does feel a bit isolated at times.

All the best

Peter

Unfortunately, I think the vivid recall reflects that they were disturbing enough to wake me.

If I sleep right through, I can’t remember anything I dreamt. But if I have a nightmare bad enough to wake me, I can remember exactly what was happening just before I got too upset to stay asleep.

I’m afraid I’m not finding it positive or creative, as I’m not making any of this stuff up. I wake up upset, thinking it really happened. This morning, lying in bed, I had to keep reassuring myself I needn’t worry about finding my way home, as this IS my home, and I’m already there! But even the house felt strange… It’s not a new house; I’ve lived here over twenty years, so plenty of time to be convinced it’s “home”.

It just didn’t feel like home, but as if I was still stranded somewhere I didn’t know. A very eery feeling!

Tina

x

hi tina

who’s to say life is not merely a dream,part of a bigger picture? a dream within a dream-or several? yes-i have seen inception and thought it was fascinating! truth is we have little understanding of how our mind works.

am going to share something at risk of being carted off…several years i ‘dreamt’ that i had been flying,like an eagle soaring. to this day i can recall the feeling inc the air on my belly and the views from up above. theres more to the story i am aware its completely unbelievable so will keep that to myself!

my younger brother has experienced deja vu several times-used to freak him out but now just accepts that theres something going on that he cant explain.

you may have picked up from previous posts of mine,i love to explore the apparently impossible…from a human/mind point of view. the trouble i have with that is now yet another relapse recently thats really turned my emotion and thinking into mush. but given time i hope to be back on track…

ellie x

Some people suffer from restless leg syndrome, which prevents moving into the REM stage of sleep. This may expain why you have a clear memory of the the dream. Just a thought. I saw Ineption Ellie and was no wiser at the end!.

I hope you all have a great Bank holiday.

Peter

I gey a lotof nightmares where I am lost and ccan’t find a way out. They get so bad I actually text my friend during them whilst I’m asleep to try and help me find my way out bac to safety.

Having m.s. is a tremendous mental burden. We live with massive uncertainties about many aspects of the future. We are supposed to ‘come to terms’ with things but my guess is that a lot of us carry a lot of anxiety fear and worry and this gets into our subconscious and as a result we may have strange dreams/nightmares.

Hi, lately I have had very vivid dreams from dropping a new baby neice on her head. The latest one was falling out of an electric wheelchair and it taking off at 100 mph and killing two toddlers in its tracks! I dont even use a wheelchair ! I think that they started to occur after I started on tizanidine for spasticity.

Moyna x