How to Treat Nightmare Disorder
See your doctor and a mental health professional., Consider how the nightmares make you feel., Explain how long the nightmares have been occurring., Specify the frequency of your nightmares.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: See your doctor and a mental health professional.
If you are suffering from ongoing nightmares that are affecting you during the day, then seeking help from a mental health professional is a good first step.You can start by seeing your doctor to discuss your nightmares and determine if the nightmares may be the result of medications or a physical condition.
To receive a diagnosis of nightmare disorder, your nightmares cannot be explained by drug or alcohol use, medications, or another physical or mental health condition.If you have any of these factors, then see your doctor to find a way to correct the problem.
For example, if you are taking a prescription drug that lists nightmares as a potential side effect, then your doctor may need to switch you to a different medication.
If you have an existing mental health problem, then seeking treatment for that condition may help to alleviate your nightmares. -
Step 2: Consider how the nightmares make you feel.
One of the criteria for nightmare disorder is that the dreams must be bad enough to cause you to wake up.
The dreams may seem to threaten your life, safety, and self-esteem.
For example, you might dream that you are being attacked by a person or a wild animal, or that you are being ridiculed by a group of your peers.
After you wake up, you will feel alert and aware of your surroundings.You may feel quite distressed upon waking as well.
This feeling may last all day and interfere with your ability to engage with work, friends, family, and/or hobbies., The length of time that you have been suffering from nightmares will affect how the clinician evaluating your condition will rate your disorder.
The categories include:
Acute.
Nightmares have been ongoing for one month or less.
Subacute.
Nightmares have been ongoing for one to six months.
Persistent.
Nightmares have been ongoing for six months or longer. , Your doctor or mental health practitioner will also assign a specifier to indicate the frequency of your nightmares.
These specifiers include:
Mild.
This means that you have no more than one nightmare per week.
Moderate.
This means that you have more than one nightmare per week, but that you do not have a nightmare every night.
Severe.
This means that you have nightmares every night. -
Step 3: Explain how long the nightmares have been occurring.
-
Step 4: Specify the frequency of your nightmares.
Detailed Guide
If you are suffering from ongoing nightmares that are affecting you during the day, then seeking help from a mental health professional is a good first step.You can start by seeing your doctor to discuss your nightmares and determine if the nightmares may be the result of medications or a physical condition.
To receive a diagnosis of nightmare disorder, your nightmares cannot be explained by drug or alcohol use, medications, or another physical or mental health condition.If you have any of these factors, then see your doctor to find a way to correct the problem.
For example, if you are taking a prescription drug that lists nightmares as a potential side effect, then your doctor may need to switch you to a different medication.
If you have an existing mental health problem, then seeking treatment for that condition may help to alleviate your nightmares.
One of the criteria for nightmare disorder is that the dreams must be bad enough to cause you to wake up.
The dreams may seem to threaten your life, safety, and self-esteem.
For example, you might dream that you are being attacked by a person or a wild animal, or that you are being ridiculed by a group of your peers.
After you wake up, you will feel alert and aware of your surroundings.You may feel quite distressed upon waking as well.
This feeling may last all day and interfere with your ability to engage with work, friends, family, and/or hobbies., The length of time that you have been suffering from nightmares will affect how the clinician evaluating your condition will rate your disorder.
The categories include:
Acute.
Nightmares have been ongoing for one month or less.
Subacute.
Nightmares have been ongoing for one to six months.
Persistent.
Nightmares have been ongoing for six months or longer. , Your doctor or mental health practitioner will also assign a specifier to indicate the frequency of your nightmares.
These specifiers include:
Mild.
This means that you have no more than one nightmare per week.
Moderate.
This means that you have more than one nightmare per week, but that you do not have a nightmare every night.
Severe.
This means that you have nightmares every night.
About the Author
Anna Johnson
Anna Johnson is an experienced writer with over 5 years of expertise in museums libraries. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Anna creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: