Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T04:51:41.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Dream Anxiety Disorders (Nightmares): A Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 June 2009

Tomas Blanes
Affiliation:
Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals, London
Mary Burgess
Affiliation:
Bethlem Royal Hospital, London
Isaac M. Marks
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
Michael Gill
Affiliation:
Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals, London

Extract

Knowledge of the aetiology, epidemiology and treatment of nightmares has improved with more accurate definition of the problem. This review summarizes what is known about nightmares and their relationship with other medical and psychiatric disorders. Treatment methods are discussed, with particular reference to behavioural methods, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. Further research is suggested in order to determine the most efficient method of treating distressing nightmares.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahsen, A. (1968). Basic Concepts in Eidetic Imagery. New York: Brandon House.Google Scholar
Alexander, E. D. (1971). In-the-body travel – a growth experience with fantasy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 4, 319324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Assagioli, R. (1965). Psychosyntesis. New York: Hobbs Dorman.Google Scholar
Astrom, C., Lunde, J., Ortmann, J., Boysen, G. and Trojaborg, W. (1989). Sleep disturbances in torture survivors. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 79, 150154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barrois, C. (1984). Dreams and nightmares of war: a clinical and etiopathogenetic approach to traumatic neuroses. Annals of Medical Psychology 142, 222229.Google Scholar
Belicki, K. and Belicki, D. (1986). Predisposition for nightmares: a study of hypnotic ability, vividness of imagery, and absorption. Journal of Clinical Psychology 42, 714718.3.0.CO;2-K>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Besterman, E. (1983). How disturbing are side effects of beta-blockers. European Heart Journal 4, 143145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bettelheim, B. (1976). The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. London: Penguin Books.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bishay, N. (1985). Therapeutic manipulation of nightmares and the management of neuroses. British Journal of Psychiatry 147, 6770.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cellucci, A. and Lawrence, P. (1978). The efficacy of systematic desentization in reducing nightmares. Journal of Behaviour, Therapeutics and Experimental Psychology 9, 109114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cernovsky, Z. (1984). Content of waking life events and of nightmare themes. Perceptual Motor Skills 58, 899902.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cernovsky, Z. (1985). MMPI and nightmares in male alcoholics. Perceptual Motor Skills 61, 841842.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cernovsky, Z. (1986). MMPI and nightmare reports in women addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Perceptual Motor Skills 62, 717718.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Third edition revised, (1987). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Eccles, A., Wilde, A. and Marshall, W. (1988). In vivo desensitization in the treatment of recurrent nightmares. Journal of Behaviour, Therapeutics and Experimental Psychology 19, 285288.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, D. J. A. (1989). Cognitive restructuring through guided imagery. Lessons from Gestalt therapy. In Freeman, A., Simon, K., Arkowitz, H. and Bentler, L. (Eds). Comprehensive Handbook of Cognitive Therapy. New York: Plenum.Google Scholar
Erman, H. (1987). Dream anxiety attacks (nightmares). Psychiatric Clinics of North America 10, 667674.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fabre, N. (1985). Le reve-eveille serait-il un conte? Etudes Psychotherapiques 16, 8994.Google Scholar
Fenwick, P., Schatzman, M., Worsley, A., Adams, J., Stone, S. and Baker, A. (1984). Lucid dreaming: correspondence between dreamed and actual events in one subject during REM sleep. Biological Psychiatry 18, 243252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gorton, G. (1988). Life-long nightmares: an eclectic treatment approach. American Journal of Psychotherapy 42, 610618.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harsch, H. (1986). Cyproheptadine for recurrent nightmares. American Journal of Psychiatry 143, 14911492.Google ScholarPubMed
Hartmann, E. (1984). The Nightmare. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Hartmann, E., Russ, D., Oldfield, M., Sivan, I. and Cooper, S. (1987). Who has nightmares? The personality of the lifelong nightmare sufferer. Archives of General Psychiatry 44, 4956.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hartmann, E., Russ, D., Van Der Kolk, B., Falke, R. and Oldfield, M. (1981). A preliminary study of the personality of the nightmare sufferer: relationship to schizophrenia and creativity? American Journal of Psychiatry 138, 794797.Google ScholarPubMed
Hartmann, E., Skoff, B., Russ, D. and Oldfield, M. (1978). The biochemistry of the nightmare: possible involvement of dopamine. Sleep Research 7, 186.Google Scholar
Jones, E. (1931). On the Nightmare. London: Hogarth Press.Google Scholar
Joyce, P. and Walshe, J. (1983). Nightmares during phenelzine withdrawal. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology 3, 121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kales, A., Soldatos, C., Caldwell, A., Charney, D., Kales, J., Markel, D. and Cadieux, R. (1980). Nightmares: clinical characteristics and personality patterns. American Journal of Psychiatry 137, 11971201.Google ScholarPubMed
Klawans, H., Moskovitz, C., Lupton, M. and Sharf, B. (1978). Induction of dreams by levodopa. Harefuah 45, 5759.Google Scholar
Klink, M. and Quan, S. (1987). Prevalence of reported sleep disturbances in a general adult population and their relationship to obstructive airways diseases. Chest 91, 540546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuhne, A., Nohner, W. and Baraga, E. (1986). Efficacy of chemical dependency treatment as a function of combat in Vietnam. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 3, 191194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leuner, H. (1984). Guided Affective Imagery: Mental Imagery in Short Term Psychotherapy. New York: Thieme-Stratton.Google Scholar
Mack, J. E. (1970). Nightmares and Human Conflict. Boston: Little Brown and Company.Google Scholar
Manfredi, R. and Kales, A. (1987). Clinical neuropharmacology of sleep disorders. Seminars in Neurology 7, 286295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marks, I. (1987). Nightmares. Integrated Psychiatry 5, 7181.Google Scholar
Mental disorders: Glossary and Guide to their Classification in Accordance with the Ninth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (1978). Geneva: World Health Organization.Google Scholar
Miller, W. and DiPilato, M. (1983). Treatment of nightmares via relaxation and desensitization: a controlled evaluation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 51, 870877.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pagel, J. (1989) Nightmares. American Family Physician 39, 145148.Google ScholarPubMed
Parkes, J. (1985). Sleep and its Disorders. Eastbourne: WB Saunders and Co.Google Scholar
Petersen, H. and Jacobsen, P. (1985). Psychical and physical symptoms after torture. A prospective controlled study. Forensic Science International 29, 179189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ross, R., Ball, W., Sullivan, K. and Caroff, S. (1989). Sleep disturbance as the hallmark of post traumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry 146, 697707.Google Scholar
Rycroft, C. (1968). Anxiety and Neuroses, London: Penguin.Google Scholar
Shorr, J. E. (1972). Psychoimagination Therapy. New York: Stratton Intercontinental.Google Scholar
Solomon, K. (1983). Thiothixine and bizarre nightmares: an association? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 44, 7778.Google Scholar
Strunz, F. (1987). Etiology and therapy of nightmares. Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie 55, 306321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Der Kolk, B., Blitz, R., Burr, W., Sherry, S. and Hartmann, E. (1984). Nightmares and trauma: a comparison of nightmares after combat with lifelong nightmares in veterans. American Journal of Psychiatry 141, 187190.Google ScholarPubMed
Wolberg, L. R. (1964). Hypnoanalysis. New York: Grune & Stratton.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.