A Brief Guide to Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Nightmare Disorders for Clinicians and Patients

In 2010, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine published the first summary guidelines on how to effectively treat nightmare disorder (Aurora et al., 2010). Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, the two top interventions were psychological and pharmacological. They are Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) and venlafaxine or Prazosin. The data show the two interventions as comparable in efficacy and, therefore, a trial of the psychological intervention — before medications — is usually recommended. The context and nature of the nightmares, of course, are central to how best to use this approach and, thus, an equally important recommendation, is that you the client or patient seek the assistance of a clinical provider trained and qualified to deliver this treatment. The Four Steps of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) 1. WRITE DOWN the narrative or the central elements of the bad dream. To facilitate recall, it is best to use a lighted pen and paper at your bedside to record the content. Do not use your phone or tablet because of excessive light stimulation. You may also use a dedicated micro-recorder to orally record content upon awakening. Later, spend some time turning the notes into a more detailed paragraph or two describing what happened in the dream and to whom. What is most important is to capture the most frightening elements of the dream on paper: the actual injury or death, horrific images or sounds, and what led up to the dramatic ending. Please n...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Creativity Dreams Health-related PTSD Research Sleep Trauma Treatment blue light Dreaming Imagery Rehearsal Therapy lucid dreaming Night Terrors nightmare disorder Nightmares Sleep Disorder Source Type: blogs