Jazz asks :
Hi Lucy,
I've been having terrible nightmares ever since my step-dad molested me. I can't sleep coz I'm so scared even though he's in jail. How do I stop this?
Our Reply
Hi Jazz, thanks for getting in touch.
It is worth making an appointment with a counsellor. If you pay a visit to your doctor then they will be able to refer you to a counsellor with a minimum of six sessions to discuss your dreams and your thoughts on what happened. Your dreams are usually a reflection of worries you have during the day or long term, so it would seem that keeping them inside is making you channel them unconsciously too.
There are several charities who work specifically to help children who have suffered abuse; verbal, mental and physical. I would suggest getting in touch with one of them to talk to a professional, who specialise in this area. Each have a confidential hotline you can call to talk to someone. They are open over a period of unsociable hours too so you can call them after school/ work.
It might be time to express how the whole experience made you feel then and how it has affected you now. Talking and off-loading has benefitted many people who have experienced abuse like yours. Keeping it locked up and having it playing on your thoughts is affecting not only your daily life but also your sleeping patterns. Both of which act as a distraction to other pursuits and make you drained of energy.
As you have not given your age, I have provded the links to websites for both children and adults to see which one suits best.
Good luck and if you need any more information, please get back in touch.
tagged in doctor yin and yang counselling agony aunt
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