Being afraid to go to sleep for fear you will fall victim to a nightmare is very hard. Your bed, a place where you are supposed to be able to turn your  brain off, suddenly becomes an agonizing source of pain, fear, and frustration. Nightmares impact your sleep, and not sleeping well impacts your mood and your ability to function. Negative moods can increase the frequency of nightmares and the cycle therefore persists.

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ERRT is a specialized evidence-based type of cognitive behavioral therapy that targets trauma-based nightmares specifically.  Nightmares are one symptom of PTSD that is notorious for getting "stuck". This means that the presence of trauma-based nightmares can live on well beyond resolution of other PTSD symptoms.  ERRT is not an all-inclusive therapy for PTSD. However, ERRT can help reduce symptoms of PTSD including the frequency and severity of nightmares.

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ERRT for nightmares has also been shown to positively impact:

- symptoms of depression

- symptoms on anxiety

- sleep quantity and quality

- suicidal ideation

 

If you feel ready to put an end to this pattern, Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy may be right for you. 

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Accessed from: https://artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/errt/empirical-research-on-errt/

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You may be a candidate for ERRT if you:

• have at least 1 or more nightmares a week

• have trouble sleeping

• are fearful of or are avoiding sleep

 

What to Expect in Therapy

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ERRT is a structured program typically taking between 5 - 8 weeks to complete. Across sessions, our time will include psychoeducation around both trauma as well as sleep, relaxation training, addressing of sleep-related thoughts and behaviors that may be contributing to your nightmares, and finally, re-telling then re-envisioning/"rescripting" your nightmares. Once we rescript, we expect your nightmare to cease allowing you the peace of mind heading in to each night that you deserve.

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