When Trauma Invades Sleep

Imagine waking each night not to rest, but to relive the horrors you escaped. For survivors of torture and trauma, this isn’t just a nightmare – it’s a constant battle. Nightmares fueled by the deepest fears and most brutal experiences can steal their sleep, their hope, and their sense of safety.

Nightmares are one of the most common re-experiencing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) among refugee survivors of torture and trauma. These nightmares are intrusive, involuntary, and have a significant impact on the well-being of survivors, affecting their quality of life and daily functioning. Negative effects include sleep avoidance, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue.

In the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3), nightmares are defined as “repeated occurrences of extended, extremely dysphoric, and well-remembered dreams that usually involve threats to survival, security, or physical integrity.”

However, thanks to experts such as Professor Andrea Phelps and Katherine Theodor who are dedicated to helping survivors break free from these terrifying dreams there is there is light in the darkness.

Professor Phelps, Deputy Director of Phoenix Australia and an expert on traumatic nightmares, conducted research that shares the clinical implications and current treatments for post-traumatic nightmares, including psychological and pharmacological treatments.

Additionally, her research details the importance of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy, which is the first-line psychological treatment for post-traumatic nightmares.

Building on this concept, Katherine, an experienced psychologist at STARTTS, will present a summary of her ongoing therapeutic intervention with a 45-year-old male client with cumulative and compounded traumatic experiences, resulting in persistent intrusive symptoms, including nightmares.

This case study highlights the use of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in conjunction with other techniques to treat a man with severe PTSD symptoms. The man’s complex trauma history, including physical assaults and persecution, led to nightmares, chronic pain, and feelings of helplessness.

Katherine highlights the necessary adaptations to standard EMDR treatment, as clients with this level of severity may present numerous challenges for prototypic EMDR.

With this particular client, it included incorporating somatic techniques to access deeper trauma memories and breaking them down into manageable pieces to avoid overwhelming him. Additionally, Katherine used the client’s spirituality as a resource to promote feelings of safety and reduce the distressing intrusive imagery in his nightmares.

Over a twelve-month period of treatment, not only did the intrusive symptoms (including nightmares) reduce, but the client was also able to gain more adaptive beliefs about themselves, for example, “I can endure some pain”; “I am capable to protect myself” and, “I am capable to sleep”.

Over the years, STARTTS has been characterised by providing a holistic approach to achieve positive therapeutic outcomes, focusing on the development of training to extend their reach to those addressing themes related to rehabilitation treatments for cases of torture and trauma.

Join us as we explore the fight against nightmares and discover how we can help survivors reclaim their peace. Don’t miss our free webinar on 20 November where you can learn more about these groundbreaking treatments and gain valuable insights from the experts themselves.

To register and get more information, visit the following link: https://www.startts.org.au/training/live-webinars/treating-traumatic-nightmares-webinar/