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Nightmares, Temporary Psychosis or Insanity

I have Vascular Dementia and was diansed 4 years ago. I would say my Dementia is mild to middlin. I have nightmares every night. Sometimes I wake up and feel as if I have lost my mind, or have temporary psychosis ( insanity). I am confused beyond anything I experience while awake. I cannot function at all. I feel as if lightning bolts are going off in my head. I usually try to put on calming Christian music on my phone. It takes anywhere from an hour to 4 hours to gradually bring back sanity. Sometimes pieces of the feeling stay with me throughout the day. I have started counseling with an experienced elder, Dementia, trauma counselor. I always feel as if one day I will wake up and I will stay like that forever. Very frightening. I don't know if others experience this, but would like to hear others experience. Thanks.

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  • David1946
    David1946 Member Posts: 851
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    I have Louy body dementia I have what my wife calls "night terrors" some times I wake up screaming not knowing where I am and not recognizing my wife other times I feel like the walls are closing in on me. So far I have only wandered once. Since then my wife has installed alarms around the house to try to keep me from wandering. I also get confused as to where I am what I am md doing; I am so lucky to have a wife that loves me so much and she knows how to calm me down when I am acting out.

  • mkoscik
    mkoscik Member Posts: 11
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    Thank you that is very helpful. I also wake up screaming as well. My wife is also my caregiver and makes all the difference in being able to go through this illness!

  • David1946
    David1946 Member Posts: 851
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    It must feel better to know that you are you are not alone.

  • Iris L.
    Iris L. Member Posts: 4,478
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    Welcome mkoscik. Ask your doctor if you could have dementia with Lewy Bodies. Also, it may help you to avoid watching disturbing television shows, such as the news and crime dramas. Those images can remain in your mind.

    Iris

  • mkoscik
    mkoscik Member Posts: 11
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    Iris, thank you. I will ask the doctor, great suggestion as I have thought from time to time about Lewys Body Dementia and the similarity in my symptoms. Also, stopping watching the disturbing television shows is a great idea! It is very comforting to know others have experienced what I have and are willing to share.

  • David1946
    David1946 Member Posts: 851
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    It will be hard not to watch some of my favorite shows but my wife also suggests that I give them up or watch them in the morning. She thinks maybe the shows are causing my nightmares if I watch them before going to bed.

  • lost1
    lost1 Member Posts: 8
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    wow - my exotics similar though rather then lightning bolts it feels like electricity running through my brain. I commiserate with you

  • mkoscik
    mkoscik Member Posts: 11
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    Yes, electricity is a very good description, thanks.

  • Iris L.
    Iris L. Member Posts: 4,478
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    David, perhaps a different sort of show will be just as entertaining?

    Iris

  • Iris L.
    Iris L. Member Posts: 4,478
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    I had a vivid dream early this morning. I dreamed about trees catching on fire and burning a big house that had young people jumping out of it. Last night, I was talking with a friend from another state who mentioned fires in California. I think that brief mention was what made me have that dream. For this reason, I usually avoid all images and talk about anything that might be disturbing to me. Usually this means children or animals in peril. I usually don't have a problem with dreaming of fires until this morning. Now I have to reverse this with pleasant images.

    Iris

  • David1946
    David1946 Member Posts: 851
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    It sounds like that we are a lot alike.

    Right now my favorite show is Elsbeth (I call her a female Colombo) it's a detective /comedy.

  • Iris L.
    Iris L. Member Posts: 4,478
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    I saw the ads for Elsbeth but I have not seen it. I only watch three comedies on TV, otherwise no TV

    Iris.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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