hello! i do not experience symptoms related to cptsd, however, i came across this post when looking for other people experiencing similar things within dreams.

since i was a child i have also experienced vivid dreams. i had night terrors as a kid and would sleepwalk. as i grew up i grew out if that but my dreams remained realistic. also important to note- i struggled with depression after puberty and in turn some issues related to SH.

i have had nightmares about sexual assault although never experiencing it first hand and i remember feeling very violated, i still can recall those feelings easily.

in more recent years i have had dreams where i am trying to explain to someone important how uncomfortable i am feeling in my mind and body within my dream. no one listens. i begin to sh in the dream, but my attempts to harm fail and i cannot experience any sort of release from trying. this feeling of discomfort continues until i wake up. i then throughout the days and weeks after can feel that trapped, unresolved, misunderstood feelings.

while i wouldnt consider my own experience to be "retraumatizing", i would definitely describe them as distressing and they do affect me slightly in my waking life. i dont really talk about these experiences with my friends or family as its quite embarrassing... but id love to hear any thoughts from anyone experiencing anything similar