Night Terrors

Thank you for your comment it is appreciated.  No, I've been medication free since 2000.  I am sorry to hear that SSRI anti depressant figured in yours.   Good luck too.   Thank you again.

I have treated trauma victims with night terrors, and found that Thought Field Therapy (TFT) was very effective. Check it out at: http://www.thoughtfieldtherapy.net  or rogercallahan.com.

That's very helpful; thank you so much

I have heard lots of positive about EMDR Therapy for PTSD and flashbacks etc.

Thank you very much

EMDR greatly reduces night terrors. There is alot of research on this therapeutic modality. 

Yes I have had sessions of EMDR but they had to be stopped because of fears of triggering a relapse.  I found the sessions I had were helpful in other areas and I'm aware that this therapy does help NTs but unfortunately I would not risk having any more.  I am trying positive affirmations each night before I go to sleep.

Judith, I experienced this also and found that expressive/therapeutic writing helped me. You begin with mind dumping like mind mapping on a page then look at what you have written and allow your innermost person to have a voice. Do not try to make yourself write it will come. Then when you read what your inner voice wrote take time to process it. I found that when words are put to trauma it gives closure to it.

I did a basic youtube on my experience of this kind of writing and have some of my beginning writing samples on the power point presentation. You can click on the link below. BTW my ACEs score is a nine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB5poSkb4Mw

Jane, I really appreciate your helpful and informative reply.  Thank you.

I've had night terrors for as long as I can remember.

Exacerbated by stress and the inability to fall back asleep later in life I stumbled upon 2 medicines. Intuniv (guanfacine or tenex) 1mg and Minipress (Prazosin) 5 mg. Serious life savers. I take both about an hour before bed. I took 2mg intuniv and 10mg minipress for a couple years and now have titrated down to the lower dose. The both together really helped me.

I can function during the day since I actually slept and stayed asleep. No amount of counseling or wishing for healing was going to fix my sleeping problem. Sleeping pills were not an option. My memory has improved also. A big plus.

I tried EMDR and it worked well for other things but the night terrors were not helped much at all.

(I thought I posted this on your blog Jane but I'm not sure it actually posted.)

Judith, I don't know if the new O'Shay/Paulsen Protocols for EMDR might be an option for you, but if you've already done EMDR, and the therapist wasn't already aware of the EMDR: O'Shay/Paulsen protocols, perhaps they might be now, or at least willing to refer you. When I first did EMDR, my therapist was trained at "Facilitator Level" [the most comprehensive EMDR training level, at that time (1994-95)], but I don't believe the O'Shay/Paulsen Protocols became available until [about] 2014 or 2015, and those might address the night traumas, especially if something tragic/traumatic occurred between conception and ages 3-7 (when we begin to verbally encode our memories). EMDR was quite effective in stopping the flashbacks I put up with for 28 years  (from an incident in my later teen years). Perhaps the Expressive/Theraputic Writing that Janie suggested might be of help, and/or the medications which Ramona noted, or the Thought Field Therapy which Nora noted. I hope you find something that works for you.

I really appreciate your reply Robert; thanks so much for the information.  You've been helpful.

I was mistaken about the correct name of "the EMDR ... Protocols". It's "O'Shay/Paulsen", not O'Hare/Paulsen. I'm going to try to edit my original reply to correct that. Thank You and Mem for the "Like[s]".

Thank you so much

Hi Judith, I have similar issues with night terrors.  A few months ago, my doctor prescribed Prazosin.  I still have nightmares, but the severity of the nigthmares has decreased significantly.  It might be worth looking into. 

This is very interesting; thank you Leisa.  I am glad your doctor has prescribed something that has helped.  I appreciate your reply, thankyou, Judith