I used to have a recurring nightmare. I would wake up, or so I thought, and begin moving about, only to realize a few minutes later that I wasn't awake - I was still in bed asleep, but was partially conscious and yet could not move. I would struggle and struggle to lift my arm so I'd know I was awake. I finally would, only to once again realize I was still asleep and my arm hadn't moved at all.
This dream kept happening for months - not every night - but often enough that it was really having an impact.
One night, I finally woke up from one of these dreams but was so jarred that I ran to the living room and my then husband followed me. I was sitting in a ball on the couch asking over and over again, "Am I awake? Am I really awake?!"
Now, I'm not one to put too much stock in dreams and yet dreams can often be a gateway to understanding something that we've been missing, connecting to a part of ourselves, and for some, can give insight into things to come.
I was fed up with this dream, and so I decided to try to understand it - what was this dream trying to get me to see? I asked myself this question and others like, "What are the themes of this dream and where do those themes show up in my life right now?"
As I began to connect with this feeling of paralysis that came over me in my dreams, I started to notice how this feeling was also present when it came to my healing. See at this time in my life, I was only just beginning to deal with the fact that I had been abused, that I was currently being abused by my husband, and that I had to do something about it - but I didn't know what to do or where to start - I felt, well, paralyzed.
I won't say that this magically changed everything, but it did help me put into perspective what I was experiencing. And as I began taking steps towards healing, and definitely once I was divorced and out of that abusive relationship, these dreams became a thing of the past.
Today, if you are haunted by your dreams, I hope you'll take some time to consider what they might be trying to tell you!
Wishing you sweet dreams,
Now, I'm not one to put too much stock in dreams and yet dreams can often be a gateway to understanding something that we've been missing, connecting to a part of ourselves, and for some, can give insight into things to come.
I was fed up with this dream, and so I decided to try to understand it - what was this dream trying to get me to see? I asked myself this question and others like, "What are the themes of this dream and where do those themes show up in my life right now?"
As I began to connect with this feeling of paralysis that came over me in my dreams, I started to notice how this feeling was also present when it came to my healing. See at this time in my life, I was only just beginning to deal with the fact that I had been abused, that I was currently being abused by my husband, and that I had to do something about it - but I didn't know what to do or where to start - I felt, well, paralyzed.
I won't say that this magically changed everything, but it did help me put into perspective what I was experiencing. And as I began taking steps towards healing, and definitely once I was divorced and out of that abusive relationship, these dreams became a thing of the past.
Today, if you are haunted by your dreams, I hope you'll take some time to consider what they might be trying to tell you!
Wishing you sweet dreams,
Watch this video to learn more about we can learn from our dreams.
Read this article to learn more about the correlation between sleep disorders and trauma.
What are your dreams trying to tell you?
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Let It Rain: Inspirational Writings
by Rev. Christopher S. Times
Let It Rain: Inspirational Writings Is a book of poetry written by the author, Rev. Christopher S. Times, to encourage and offer a deep reflective searching of the meaning of struggle and resilience.
Chris is also a Comment Moderator in ourHealing from Sexual Abuse Facebook Group!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Bay Area!
I hope you will join me for this FREE live workshop...
"Taking Charge of Your Trauma Brain"
November 17th, 7p-8:30p PT
Oakland, California
I hope you will join me for this FREE live workshop...
"Taking Charge of Your Trauma Brain"
November 17th, 7p-8:30p PT
Oakland, California
- Explore the impact that focus has on our ability to heal from abuse
- Discover the #1 point of focus that is keeping you stuck and frustrated
- Identify the lies you are buying into that keep you feeling broken and unfixable
- Learn key strategies to retrain the brain, heal the nervous system, and put an end to PTSD
Interested in knowing how the experts are parenting their kids? Would you like to learn from them for free? Join me for Preventing The Next Generation’s #MeToo Stories, a FREE interview seriesfeaturing the BEST parenting tools and strategies from leading experts in the parenting and health education fields. I'm so thrilled to be a part of this series and to be joining with others in having powerful conversations about prevention.
October Topic: Moving Forward
As survivors of CSA, most of us are asked at some point, “Why can’t you just move on?” While there is such a thing as moving on, arriving at a sense of resolution only happens with the emotional work and only happens on our own time line.
Learn More & Register Here
As survivors of CSA, most of us are asked at some point, “Why can’t you just move on?” While there is such a thing as moving on, arriving at a sense of resolution only happens with the emotional work and only happens on our own time line.
Learn More & Register Here
Rachel Grant, M.A. Counseling Psychology
Sexual Abuse Recovery Coach
415.484.5682
www.rachelgrantcoaching.com
"What you think, you create"
