Nightmares – The Source of Suicide Reattempts for Veterans
August 08, 2022
It’s no secret that military personnel face post-traumatic events daily. It is no surprise that in a recent study, veterans’ nightmares were linked to specific trauma-laden events associated with suicide reattempts.
This particular study sorted through data obtained from over 3,200 veterans with a history of attempting to commit suicide. The second criteria evaluated was the presence of three kinds of nightmares: complex nightmares that typically manifested in the fact of PTSD and a breathing disorder while sleeping; idiopathic nightmares (of unknown origin); or trauma-related nightmares with a diagnosis of PTSD. The study identified that all three categories of nightmares were linked with suicide attempts.
Researchers faced difficulty explaining the connections and attempting to determine a trigger. One explanation for trauma-related nightmares was that the dream’s content was similar to the original trauma experienced. However, complex nightmares could have varied content and may not always be related to the initial trauma.
The scientists also discovered that trauma-related and complex nightmares often occurred in veterans seeking mental health care. The fact that the two types of nightmares were different is significant, as previously, all nightmares were lumped into one category and treated as the same. They are not. Because they are not signal the need for different interventions.
The difference in treating the category of nightmare veterans experience could involve determining if complex nightmares are closely related to sleep-disordered breathing and not PTSD, then, a treatment approach would be targeted differently.
Currently, nightmares resulting from PTSD are treated with rescripting psychotherapies and Prazosin. Prazosin is also used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (noncancerous prostate enlargement), congestive heart failure, sleep problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.
Rescripting psychotherapies, also called Imagery Rescripting (ImRs), aim to reduce the distress associated with negative memories of aversive experiences. It prompts patients to rescript the troubling memory to script another outcome.
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