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What kinds of memories or dreams do people have? It is very common for patients to have strange memories, dreams or hallucinations. They can seem very real...so real, that no matter how strange they are, patients are often unsure whether they happened or not. They can often be remembered in detail for some time afterwards. The dreams that people have can sometimes be very frightening, but sometimes pleasant or funny. Here are some examples of other people's dreams.We hope they...
What are flashbacks? Flashbacks are vivid and frightening memories.They can be intrusive, which means that they pop into your mind completely out of nowhere (or are sometimes brought about by something that reminds you of a particular event, even if it was really a dream or hallucination) and can make you feel like you're reliving a particular experience. You may feel like you have little or no control over them. Is it common to have flashbacks? Patients often...
The dreams that patients have (no matter how “crazy”) can seem so real, can be remembered in such detail or can be recurring, that some patients feel compelled to try to make sense of them. “You’re thinking, there’s no way that I’ve been on a sailing boat, on a whaler or stuck down a drain. So then you start thinking, “Well, okay then. That’s fine!” …but for all that you discount it, you still get it coming back into your...
From what other people have told us, it seems that these memories, dreams and nightmares either gradually fade with time or that they were more able to ignore them with the passing of time. If they continue to trouble you, however e.g. if you continue to have upsetting flashbacks, anxiety attacks or problems sleeping, you should talk to your GP about the possibility of Post-Traumatic Stress. Your GP may ask you to fill in a questionnaire about how these memories, dreams or nightmares are...
This link will take you to the NHS Choices website and their pages on the assessment and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress.
Is it common to have strange dreams after going to the ward? Yes, it is very common to continue to have strange dreams after being transferred to the wards. In fact, some patients only "come to" on the wards and often don't remember very much about their time in Intensive Care (or how they ended up there) and have very strange dreams or memories.
This is a short video in which Professor Tim Walsh (a Consultant in Intensive Care) explains the reasons why many patients have strange dreams during and after their time in Intensive Care.
It’s very common for patients to have strange memories, dreams or hallucinations which can seem incredibly real and can be remembered in sometimes great detail for some time afterwards. We’re not entirely sure why this happens, but medical reasons include a combination of things like the sedative drugs used to keep you sleepy and comfortable, the severity of illness, any infection you may have had and disturbances in sleep pattern. Patients themselves often have their own...