Childhood Nightmares....

[sstohru]

It just won't stop. Every night of my life has been flashbacks of my mother and the way she treated me. I've been seeing a counselor but this week Ive just been slipping. I've already tried to commit suicide once so that the nightmares will stop. I don't want to experience that pain again. Prayer's not helping,and it feels like God is just so distant.

I guess the only good thing is that I'm in college now, which means I'm away from my mother, but at the same time it feels like she's still here. I'm not asking for help or anything like that, I just need some prayer. I'm still hanging in there.

[Tsukuyomi]

You have my prayers ^^

Just remember that they're just dreams, and that whatever happened was in the past ^ ^

Easier said then done, but it is possible It just takes time

[Shilohan ninja]

Remember, dear sister, that in prayer, we should pray in faith that He will give us what we need and not nessecarily what we want. I'm not saying it's God's will, I'm not saying it isn't. What I am saying is that you just need to trust in Christ when you pray and He will help you through the rest. I will pray for you, as well. May His peace surround you tonight. Amen.
-SN-

[Kunoichi]

Hey sis,

well 1. *hugs i know what it is like to go thru painful experiences and to have them haunt you in your dreams (I was abused for many years and even now it still flashbacks from time to time)

I applaud you for seeing a counselor *smile i also want to let you know if you want to PM me or anything to vent or whatever i'm here.

God is with you dear sister, Satan will use nightmares to get us to give up. After all, we survived the abuse (Satan is the father of it all even tho other ppl have culpability) ...so he tries his best to destroy us in our dreams with it.

Stay strong sis. God is never distant we just can't always feel him. May the Lord give you peace of mind. Amen

Kelly

[Prince Asbel]

You are in my prayers, sstohru. I have a suggestion for your nightmares. I've never been abused in any way before, but I had frequent nightmares as a very young child. I used to stick a Bible under my pillow before I went to sleep at night, and I didn't have nightmares then. I know it was pyschological, and that the Bible isn't a weapon against nightmares, but you might want to try it. Maybe a little New Testament if you don't want something too large.

I hope that helps. I'll be praying for you.

[Lengai]

If I may quote John Eldredge, "..Nightmares. I think really horrible nightmares are demonic. I think they come from the enemy. I don't know how they get into our sleep but I do know it to be true, because you shall know them by their fruit. And because if a Christian will pray against it, the nightmares will go away."

I believe that Satan, his demons, are assaulting you with these bad memories and nightmares. He's always seeking a way to kill and steal and destroy us, and what better way than to prey upon this terror of yours? Pray not only for God to release you from this vice - for this is not from God - but I suggest addressing the demons that may be preying upon you verbally. "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, stay away from me and my dreams." You have authority as a believer against the dark forces with Christ living within and through you. I've had needlessly frightening nightmares, the kind that wake you up in the middle of the night with your heart pounding and a great, fearful dread in my heart. Those are not products of our mind and memories alone.

If you like to read, I suggest Ted Dekker's Adam. It deals with child abuse, demons, and nightmares. It could be of help, even being a fictional thriller. Don't give up, babe. God is on your side. Trust him to help you. We'll being praying for you, dear.

[Prince Asbel]

If I may quote John Eldredge, "..Nightmares. I think really horrible nightmares are demonic. I think they come from the enemy. I don't know how they get into our sleep but I do know it to be true, because you shall know them by their fruit. And because if a Christian will pray against it, the nightmares will go away."

I believe that Satan, his demons, are assaulting you with these bad memories and nightmares. He's always seeking a way to kill and steal and destroy us, and what better way than to prey upon this terror of yours? Pray not only for God to release you from this vice - for this is not from God - but I suggest addressing the demons that may be preying upon you verbally. "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, stay away from me and my dreams." You have authority as a believer against the dark forces with Christ living within and through you. I've had needlessly frightening nightmares, the kind that wake you up in the middle of the night with your heart pounding and a great, fearful dread in my heart. Those are not products of our mind and memories alone.

I'm afraid Mr. John Eldredge's reasoning is rather faulty. At least, as far as the paragraph you're quoting. 1. Praying does not always ward off nightmares. 2. By their fruit is a reference in the Bible to people, not dreams. 3. Satan cannot 'scare' anyone from going to heaven. 4. Frightening things do not solely come from Satan. Any person reading the Bible is aware of that.

I don't say this to make anyone angry. I say this because I am sure that the problem is psychological, not spiritual, and I want the real problem to be addressed. I strongly suggest looking into seeing if you can, perhaps, get medication if all else has failed. Keep seeing your counselor, and even ask him/her about medication.

And remember this. Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'll be praying for you, sstohru.

[Kunoichi]

[quote="Prince Asbel (post: 1263255)"]I'm afraid Mr. John Eldredge's reasoning is rather faulty. At least, as far as the paragraph you're quoting. 1. Praying does not always ward off nightmares. 2. By their fruit is a reference in the Bible to people, not dreams. 3. Satan cannot 'scare' anyone from going to heaven. 4. Frightening things do not solely come from Satan. Any person reading the Bible is aware of that.

I don't say this to make anyone angry. I say this because I am sure that the problem is psychological, not spiritual, and I want the real problem to be addressed. I strongly suggest looking into seeing if you can, perhaps, get medication if all else has failed. Keep seeing your counselor, and even ask him/her about medication.

And remember this. Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'll be praying for you, sstohru. ]

Not to start a debate..but Prince, nightmares can certaintly be spiritual. I have had dreams of demons attacking me and praying as actually helped me as well. All psychological things have spiritual attachments, I am in psychology so i understand both view points. If you look at a problem without looking at the spiritual part you could miss something.

If you have PTSD, like I do, it is easy to have nightmares, flash backs, panic attacks. and Satan can be a REAL cause to the problem just as the psyche is also an issue.

I do not wish to debate and i'm merely stating my opinion but I do not want very real spiritual matters to be missed either.

but in the same breathe...not ALL dreams can be demonic related or demonically involved. So going after both angles is always good in my opinion ^_^

[Lengai]

[quote="Prince Asbel (post: 1263255)"]I'm afraid Mr. John Eldredge's reasoning is rather faulty. At least, as far as the paragraph you're quoting. 1. Praying does not always ward off nightmares. 2. By their fruit is a reference in the Bible to people, not dreams. 3. Satan cannot 'scare' anyone from going to heaven. 4. Frightening things do not solely come from Satan. Any person reading the Bible is aware of that.

I don't say this to make anyone angry. I say this because I am sure that the problem is psychological, not spiritual, and I want the real problem to be addressed. I strongly suggest looking into seeing if you can, perhaps, get medication if all else has failed. Keep seeing your counselor, and even ask him/her about medication.

And remember this. Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I'll be praying for you, sstohru. ]

Praying WILL ward off nightmares if they are demonically influenced. A person with Christ in their heart has no reason to be driven to this terrible state if they aren't anything more than nightmares. Denying or ruling out demonic activity is dangerous. You'd be surprised what Satan can do. No, he cannot take away your salvation or scare you from heaven. (Which Mr. Eldredge didn't imply anyway..) But he can hurt your relationship and trust in God and he will do whatever if takes to bring us down. If that means trying to drive Christians to contemplating suicide, he'll do it. He hates us, and we know it.

I recently dealt with a situation that was pulling me to a very dark, very unhealthy place. I just thank God He answered my prayers and pulled me from it. I was becoming someone I didn't know and had no desire to be, someone ruled by anger, jealousy, sadness, and fear. And I'm sure the whole time demons were whispering in my ear, encouraging my despair. Of course not all frightening things come from Satan or demons. That's why the description 'really horrible' is used. These are nightmares that make you wake up screaming, that absolutely terrify you. Not all nightmares come form demons. But some do. And if it doesn't, demons will try to manipulate it for their own aims.

If you rule out the possibility of demonic activity, in any situation like this, it's horribly, I say again, dangerous. I'm not saying that I'm sure that it is, but nor can you be sure it isn't. I'm not saying not to get outside help or do whatever it takes on a medical or psychological level. But don't try to say that there is not spiritual warfare going on here. I'm not angry, either. Demons and Satan are always seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. To be living in pain, and constantly reminded of it through nightmares and flashbacks, is not a road to healing. And that's exactly what the devil wants.

Praying for you, sstohru.

[12praiseGOD]

Definetly praying! Please keep strong God will never let you go through a problem that you can't get through with His help.

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptaiton will also make a way to excape, that you may be able to bear it. " 1 Corinthians 10:13

[sstohru]

Thank you for your prayers. This may very well be an attack by Satan, a psychological thing, or both. I don't know, and it happens during the day as well. It takes some will power for me to realize I'm not in that place anymore. It's like living in a nightmare, and I can't wake up.

Counselor helps a little, but I get the most rest going to church. Perhaps this may be more of a spiritual thing after all. I don't know, but I hate fighting these nightmares, and sometimes I can't tell if I'm awake or not. Gotta keep trying.

[chibiphonebooth]

i find the best thing for me, when dealing with nightmares, is proclaiming Jesus over it.
I have a hard time with nightmares soemtimes, cause God speaks to me in dreams- so the devil tries to attack it.

The best thing is to speak out and say, "You have no authority over me! Jesus is my savior and it says in the bible that i have authority over YOU. You cannot touch me, you cannot harm me, I'm God's child." etc. Proclaim God's authority over your dreams and over your mind.

usually after that, the bad dreams go away and that creepy feeling leaves.

[Prince Asbel]

Thank you for your prayers. This may very well be an attack by Satan, a psychological thing, or both. I don't know, and it happens during the day as well. It takes some will power for me to realize I'm not in that place anymore. It's like living in a nightmare, and I can't wake up.

Counselor helps a little, but I get the most rest going to church. Perhaps this may be more of a spiritual thing after all. I don't know, but I hate fighting these nightmares, and sometimes I can't tell if I'm awake or not. Gotta keep trying.

I'll keep praying for you, okay? Let us know if anything happens.

Not to start a debate..but Prince, nightmares can certaintly be spiritual. I have had dreams of demons attacking me and praying as actually helped me as well. All psychological things have spiritual attachments, I am in psychology so i understand both view points. If you look at a problem without looking at the spiritual part you could miss something.

If you have PTSD, like I do, it is easy to have nightmares, flash backs, panic attacks. and Satan can be a REAL cause to the problem just as the psyche is also an issue.

I do not wish to debate and i'm merely stating my opinion but I do not want very real spiritual matters to be missed either.

but in the same breathe...not ALL dreams can be demonic related or demonically involved. So going after both angles is always good in my opinion ^_^

Right, nightmares can be spiritual. My thing is though, is that I see problems like this as being a medical problem rather than a spiritual one, and it gets maddening when I hear of people who thought it was spiritual and put their friend through horrible experiences (I.E. Excorcism) when the problem was purely a medical matter. That, in turn, leads to the problem being worsened. So yes, both need to be considered, but when you have quotes posted that were taken from people like John Elderidge saying it is purely spiritual, then a strong statement about medical issues should be made in response.

Praying WILL ward off nightmares if they are demonically influenced. A person with Christ in their heart has no reason to be driven to this terrible state if they aren't anything more than nightmares. Denying or ruling out demonic activity is dangerous. You'd be surprised what Satan can do. No, he cannot take away your salvation or scare you from heaven. (Which Mr. Eldredge didn't imply anyway..) But he can hurt your relationship and trust in God and he will do whatever if takes to bring us down. If that means trying to drive Christians to contemplating suicide, he'll do it. He hates us, and we know it.

I'd just like to point our for the record that I said prayer does not always ward off nightmares. So I agree that it can, I just said it does not always. And I got the whole thing about being scared out of heaven more from what YOU said, not Elderedge. Given what you said here, I got a wrong impression.

I recently dealt with a situation that was pulling me to a very dark, very unhealthy place. I just thank God He answered my prayers and pulled me from it. I was becoming someone I didn't know and had no desire to be, someone ruled by anger, jealousy, sadness, and fear. And I'm sure the whole time demons were whispering in my ear, encouraging my despair. Of course not all frightening things come from Satan or demons. That's why the description 'really horrible' is used. These are nightmares that make you wake up screaming, that absolutely terrify you. Not all nightmares come form demons. But some do. And if it doesn't, demons will try to manipulate it for their own aims.

I agree, but on the other hand, it can also be a medical matter. So, like Kunoichi says, you must consider both. If, spiritually, you are not overcoming such terrifying nightmares, you must consider medical attention.

If you rule out the possibility of demonic activity, in any situation like this, it's horribly, I say again, dangerous. I'm not saying that I'm sure that it is, but nor can you be sure it isn't. I'm not saying not to get outside help or do whatever it takes on a medical or psychological level. But don't try to say that there is not spiritual warfare going on here. I'm not angry, either. Demons and Satan are always seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. To be living in pain, and constantly reminded of it through nightmares and flashbacks, is not a road to healing. And that's exactly what the devil wants.

Praying for you, sstohru.

You're right. Oh, I recommend you read what I said to Kunoichi about denying absolutely the spiritual possibilities here so you know why I spoke the way I did in my second post.

[sstohru]

Even with prayer, they seem to increase. Maybe instead of trying to get rid of them, I should stand up and face them. I don't know. It's really making me angry! I haven't had a good sleep in who knows how long!

What am I doing wrong? I've been praying, I have a counselor, nothing's worked. I want to give up, but I'm too much of a stubborn fighter to quit just yet. I don't know how much longer I can deal with this, but I can't stop fighting. I can't let my mother win. I don't know why God's letting these nightmare continue, or why it doesn't feel like He's there. I know He is, I just can't feel it. I hope that makes sense.

Thanks for your prayers, though. I feel like people actually care about me. It gave me some encouragement, like I'm not alone. Who knows, maybe I'll pull out of this in one piece.

[Kunoichi]

sstohru,

tho i pray about these nightmares...i too seem them increase. Often it is when i'm getting closer to the Lord, or when i'm making a breakthrough wiht my abuse...and yes, I think you gotta keep fighting.

These dreams can't hurt you...so yes, maybe God is allowing you to battle. I don't know but I know you should keep fighting. Trust in the Lord and he will be with you *hugs

[sstohru]

Update: Strange... but for whatever reason, they've stopped!

I don't know why, but for three days straight, I've haven't had any childhood nightmares. (why is it always three days anyway? Seriously what's with the number three?) I've had daydreams that I fought off, but that's about it! No doubt, in some point in life they'll come back, but the past three days gave me plenty of time to recover and gain some more strength (spiritually speaking).
Thanks for your prayers, everyone who prayed. I really appreciate it. I hope that one day I will be able to repay you for this great kindness *bows in respect*. Since this topic started on a sad note, and ended happily, I thought I'd end it with this to lighten the mood! ^_^:

HALLELUJAH!!!



For some reason the bananas aren't dancing for joy...oh well. -_-

[Prince Asbel]

I'm happy to hear that! I hope (And pray, of course) that they've stopped altogether.

[agasfas]

Hey sstohru, I will continue to pray for you- and that the Lord gives you both strength and peace of mind.
I am not sure if you have already tried this, but I find that reading my Bible before going to sleep really helps give me peace of mind.