Nightmares as an Abnormal Behavior
This is an excerpt from the paper...
This paper will discuss nightmares as an abnormal behavior, using the guidelines provided in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders, third edition, revised (DSM-III-R). According to the classifications in DSM-III-R, there are three categories of "parasomnias," or abnormal behaviors during sleep. These are sleepwalking, sleep terror, and dream anxiety disorder (recurring nightmares). In dream anxiety disorder, the patient has frequent nightmares which generally present "threats to survival, security, or self-esteem" (APA, 1987, p. 308). These nightmares usually occur toward the end of the sleep cycle, when the patient is engaged in rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep (APA, 1987, p. 308). An important feature of dream anxiety disorder is the fact that the patient usually becomes quickly oriented upon awakening and has a vivid memory of the nightmare which has just taken place (APA, 1987, p. 308). The DSM-III-R notes that nightmare disorder is more common among women than men. Studies conducted by independent researchers have supported this fact. For example, Evans (1983) has noted that approximately 9 percent of women experience nightmares often and 13 percent of women experience them never, whereas approximately 4 percent of men experience nightmares often and 22 percent of men experience them never (p. 178). It is indicated in the DSM-III-R that dream anxiety disorder is more common in younger people than it is in old
. . .
1987, pp. 670-671). However, the DSM-III-R points out that most cases of dream anxiety disorder can be related to "a major stressful life event" (p. 309). In this regard, Hartmann (1984) has indicated that nightmares tend to become more frequent and severe during periods in which a person is experiencing stress or trauma, or "psychotic or close-to-psychotic episodes" (pp. 62-63).
The relationship between traumatic events and nightmares was studied by Hefez, Metz, and Lavie (1987). These researchers analyzed the sleep and dream patterns of eleven patients who had survived traumatic events ranging from combat to terrorism to sea disasters. All of these traumatized individuals experienced nightmare disorder to one degree or another. However, the researchers noted that nightmares were more likely to occur among the patients who had experienced their traumas more recently in the past (Hefez, Metz, & Lavie, 1987, pp. 346-347). Thus, it can be seen that a clear link exists between the occurrence of traumatic events and the onset of frequent, intense nightmares. Another study has shown a direct link between dream anxiety disorder and trauma in the case of sexually abused teenage girls. This study, by Garfield (1987), found that
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Soldatos Julius, DSM-III-R According, Metz Lavie, Shear Kundrat, dream anxiety, dream anxiety disorder, anxiety disorder, Contemporary Psychotherapy, University Ottawa, , North America, Statistical Manual, Viking Garfield, sleep terror, apa 1987, julius 1987, soldatos julius, soldatos julius 1987, vela-bueno soldatos julius, vela-bueno soldatos, traumatic events, nightmare disorder, erman 1987, shear kundrat 1987, hefez metz lavie,
Approximate Word count = 1595
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
More Essays on Nightmares as an Abnormal Behavior
|
Customer Service
to Over
32,000 Professionally Written Papers!!!
