Recurring Nightmares?

I apologize deeply if this is not the right place to really discuss this. It felt like the most appropriate place, but if it's more of a serious discussion thing, or just a random thing, I'll try to relocate it somehow.

Recently, I've been short on sleep because of dreams of being struck by a car. The scenario is different each time, and somewhat vague sometimes, so I'm unsure if that's really considered 'recurring', but regardless, the end result is always the same, and it's happened every night for the past three or four nights.

I'm always somewhat scared when I drive, but I haven't witnessed or been involved in any accidents lately. I talked about it a bit with my friend, and he suspects that old memories may be resurfacing. I have seen a fatal crash before, and have been involved in an accident as a child that resulted in a high school boy becoming hospitalized.

Is my friend right, perhaps? Could this perhaps be some other psychological effect? How should I interpret this? I've had nightmares before, and have felt some effects on my sleep due to anxiety or stress before, but I don't recall ever having recurring nightmares.


EDIT: I only realized after I posted this that there was already a similar thread. Should I have just posted there instead?

I think this is fine where you put the post and the other thread was about dreams in general recurring so this should be fine as well.

It could possibly be a combination of past trauma/fear combined with stress and since you're at an age where you can drive that can add to the fears.

I know I have recurring nightmares from time to time, but you have to realize that your dreams are not real. My recurring dream is being horribly mutilated or killed by bugs. This can range from wasps to bees to roaches to spiders to mosquitos, etc etc. I'll dream of them crawling all over me, attacking me and causing me pain which I feel in my dreams and slightly after I wake up. I'm somewhat shaken for a little after these dreams, but once I start my day I put it out of my head. Use to cause me panic attacks and whatnot, but to have a fear of something that hasn't happened nor could never happen is wasted energy.

If you have any form of trauma from your past you should talk to people you are close with about it so you can deal with it better. If it causes you too much distress seek a therapist or someone in the psych field to talk with. Keep safe when you drive by keeping your car maintained (changing oil, taking it to a shop every now and then, wear a seat belt when you drive). Know that you can only do your best when you drive and just keep as safe as you can.

Other then that as I have said dreams are just dreams. It sucks to have bad ones, but when you do you eventually wake up from them so they don't last forever and they cannot hurt you, only shake you up a little. Look at them as going to see a scary movie or game that scares you, once it's over it's over. The more you fear sleep the worse it will get so just say fuck it and go to sleep and bring on whatever dreams may come.

It doesn't make me fear sleeping, since it's something I'll need to do every night, but it made me a lot more nervous around cars lately. I'm not sure if the dreams may be causing a phobia or if I'm just being more wary though.

Probably more weary. A phobia brings you to the point of paralyzing fesr and a panic attack, you are so afraid of something you cannot control how your mind and body reacts to it you either freak out or shut down.