Why do I dream about my past trauma?

Find a Therapist for Trauma / PTSD. Hartmann (1998) also states that dreaming is a way for the brain to work through trauma, and the dreams are often based on the main emotion the person experienced during the trauma or experiences when they recall the trauma.

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Thereof, what are trauma nightmares?

Posttraumatic nightmares are generally defined as threatening or frightening dreams that awaken a dreamer and may be marked by any intense negative emotion, such as fear, anger, or even sadness. These nightmares cause significant distress (both during the dream and after awakening) and may occur several times a week. What does it mean when you dream about a traumatic event? Nightmares may also represent a breakdown in the body's ability to process trauma. Fortunately, for most people trauma-related nightmares subside after a few weeks or months. During a frightening event, the body's fight-flight-freeze response is activated in order to protect us from harm.