Nightmares and Coping

You ever wake up in an irrational blind panic? Like heart racing? Head flag but brain shaking like an earthquake? And you can’t remember what nightmare triggered it?

I always have the same nightmares. It could be one of three. If I wanted to take the effort to identify my emotions and process them I’d know which one it was. But I have things to do this morning.

Deeper processes that give more healing are not always available to us. Sometimes it’s only symptom management and that’s ok. 

We don’t always have an easy cure. That’s for sure. Sometimes we have to do work.

Now that work varies and can include lot of therapy, mindfulness, short term medication, long term medication, prophylactics, and rescue meds. Those are the big guns. And financially or time-wise they aren’t always available. Even a lack of providers can cause that.

Some people find other ways. The simple feed it, hydrate it, give it fresh air comes to mind. Or sleep. 

Sometimes coping takes another turn. We get obsessed with fitness. We oversleep. We binge comfort in shows, movies, music, video games, books. We look to other substances that take the edge off.

That’s just life. We’re all in different stages of capability to respond and deal with the struggles we face. Sometimes we ignore. Sometimes we address the symptoms. Sometimes we get to the underlying problems.

All responses are valid.

Sometimes you just roll over and go back to sleep. And that’s ok. You’ll be back to fight another day.