so, I've been waking up every night with the worst panic attacks. i've never had issues with falling asleep or sleeping in general but this has been driving me nuts. what to do, what to do...
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so, I've been waking up every night with the worst panic attacks. i've never had issues with falling asleep or sleeping in general but this has been driving me nuts. what to do, what to do...
Is there some sort of major event in your life right now...work, family, money stuff? Maybe something that doesn't seem like a big deal when you are awake and busy during the day is manifesting itself at night.
Not a bad idea to check in with your doctor. There's got to be something that can help.
this is kinda the issue, i am not willing to go on any medications. and i function pretty normal IRL. however.....i have been diagnosed with OCD and ADHD.Quote:
Originally Posted by QueenofCorona [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
Do you get any feelings like that during the day?
By panic attack to you mean your actually having a panic attack or your just waking up in a panic? Like you've had a bad dream and you violently wake up?
during the day i am totally fine (unless something out of this world happens) and during the night i wake up in panic usually after a scary dream and then almost jump in my bed. my dreams usually involve seeing dead people, not sure if that changes anything.
I feel you Indig, I get these most times just before the exams. The physical symptoms I feel are tightness in the chest and some discomfort in breathing at night. These trigger a kind of an anxiety response, I get all these alarming thoughts, heart rate speeds up and triggers the classic "fight or flight" where you feel the need to escape, get out of the place outside. This ussually lasts somewhere between 5 minutes to an hour, but no more.
The worst thing is I spoke to the doctor he ran some tests and said my heart is fine and overall I'm healthy, he reckons it's psychological, like an anxiety attack before a stressful event (i.e. exam). What to do? It's hard to say. I just tell myself that because it's a psychological attack, it needs a psychological response. I just try to calm myself down, focus on my breathing, take long deep breaths. This works in two ways, first the slow breathing helps to slow down the heart beat and second it helps the mind focus on the breathing itself and no other alarming thoughts (it's a Yoga technique).
i also was thinking that i had problems at first, went to get a cardiogram and when everything came back normal was referred for a psych evaluation. i have issues with wearing a lot of clothing and even in the winter try to stick to tshirts, however when i wake up at night i feel like i am strangled by my clothingQuote:
Originally Posted by Mishanya [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
I'm no medical expert though, I wonder what Vash will say about this
i've noticed that since i started school it's only gotten worse. the amount of responsibilites have increased. free time is very limited. it's all taking a toll on my mental system.
You need to better cope with stress.Quote:
Originally Posted by Indignant [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
i wonder if my night time tea with chocolate could also affect it my sleep...
Tea does contain caffeine, and chocolate, while very moderately, also does contain caffeine.
Try to adjust the time of your ritual, maybe a little earlier if you can't bring yourself to quit it entirely.
When was the last time you had sex, or a massage?
I'd cut out the caffeine all together, if I were you.
The medications they would use to treat panic attacks are the same kinds they use to treat OCD. If you go to a physician, they will likely prescribe something like an SSRI, or in tough cases, a benzodiazepine (I don't suggest you go down that road if it can be helped). If you don't want to be medicated (I wouldn't blame you), you should see a cognitive-behavioral therapist, or engage in deep breathing techniques as Mish suggested. It is true that a body can't be in both the sympathetic and parasympathetic modes at the same time, and so learning to relax your way through a panic attack is helpful in making it end as quickly as possible.
I'm not sure yours sound like an actual panic attack, though, indig. Panic attacks aren't generally brought on by a bad dream.
You should see your physician for expert opinions, though.
Thanks Vash. I mentioned the worst thing and doctor in the same sentence before because there seems to be some stigma attached to this condition. When the doctor looked at my stats he gave me that "You know, I could be helping somebody with a real problem right now" type of a look, which made me feel a bit embarrased. I wish there was some kind of catch all technique or at least a place to go to which deals specifically with these types of things. Because, these anxiety attacks when they happen can be pretty scary especially for someone who doesn't know what's going on. I read that a lot of people with panic attack outbreaks end up in the emergency room because they think they're having a heart attack only to be sent home embarrased with a bill.
deep breathing techniques do help when i am awake, however when i sleep and then suddenly wake up it takes a long while for the body to calm down.Quote:
Originally Posted by vashti [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
i am not sure what to call those attacks though. it's like my whole body starts shaking and then i wake up almost jumping up.
physicians...as you know i have unlimited access to those, are all willing to prescribe something. it's a trend down here for everyone to be drugged up. true, our line of work is pretty stressful, but i see my coworkers on drugs and i would not allow myself to be in that state.
here's an example. i come to work, open my mail box and see an office wide e-mail from one of them asking: isn't it amuzing how the blue water turns green when you pee?
and those e-mails go to EVERYONE in the company, bosses, attorneys, managers. i'd really hate to have my brain turn into shite like that.
this is just one example. it happens over and over from those who are medicated or use drugs.
i'll try doing that this week and hopefully it will help, controlling my intake of caffeine i mean. does smoking affect sleep as well?Quote:
Originally Posted by Frasbee [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
sex - last year most likely, massage last week.
Yeah, that was the biggest shock I've had since being licensed. I had absolutely NO idea how many people are medicated.
that's exactly what i felt from my doctor. he said that someone my age shouldn't be so paranoid. i guess he is right.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mishanya [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
i've always believed that i'd rather suffer than lose all sense of reality.Quote:
Originally Posted by vashti [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
So, how many of those are our actual health professionals?Quote:
Originally Posted by vashti [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
(serious question, btw)
I couldn't really say... I've only had a few of those as patients (one doctor and a couple of nurses). They have not been addicts.Quote:
Originally Posted by IndiReloaded [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
Of course, there are those that are. Once in a while, I hear about someone who has been busted for stealing drugs....
On the whole, though, I don't see many doctors or nurses being willing to go down that road. We see on a routine basis how ugly it gets.
busted from stealing drugs from the hospital? that is so nurse jackie :)
I'm worried about you now!
Are these dead people you're seeing just random corpses or people you knew?
people i knew :( and it's really horrifying. i see them in all conditions.
Oh, that is really disturbing. I think you need some trauma counseling. Something in your unconscious mind is clearly wanting some attention.
but i am not a fan counseling at all. i am a do it myself girl. i guess i need to read up on it a little.
Indig, i feel for you. I have had panic attacks in my sleep on and off for the last 18 months, they arent nice. They only started to lessen when i started to deal with the root cause of them.
I know you say you arent a fan of counselling, but neither was I- it took me a while to get the nerve to go to sessions and see them through. They have helped me to an extent, so maybe they can help you?
could you please comment on how they have helped you?
They have helped in a few ways. They helped me outwardly acknowledge what had happened (the reason i needed the counselling in the first place) and start to be accepting of my emotions i felt towards this.
My panic attacks were/are of a trigger event, and they always are of this one thing that is related to death. Just talking and expressing my feelings to someone who is really actually listening without judging was the biggest factor for me, because in talking openly about these things, it was like opening myself up to allow myself to heal...until i started my sessions I was kidding myself thinking that I was ok, it wasnt until i started them properly that i realised i really wasnt.
I know everybodies reasons/circumstances are different, and counselling helps in different ways for different people, but just thought it might be of some help as yours seem to focus around death?
but i can't really say that i was traumatized by death
No, but i was just saying how it helped me- regardless of circumstance, if you have deeper rooted issues (regardless of what they are) then counselling may be an idea. I'm just saying dont rule it out straight away.
Neither was I, but I see what qwerty is saying. For me for example these attacks happen around the time of exams. Exams are pretty difficult because the subjects I'm doing are outside of my proffesional field and I need to get a credit average for each subject (a pass is not good enough and won't help me finish the degree), not getting a credit means having to repeat the subject and extending the time it takes me to complete the entire degree. Since a lot is riding on me finishing this degree quickly I find that I put a lot of pressure on myself to have everything done fast and on time. I guees these attacks tell me that there are limits on how much pressure I can put on myself. What qwerty is saying I think is that it's important to listen to the "inner you" and counseling is one way this can help.Quote:
Originally Posted by Indignant [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
Yeah, you sound a lot like me. While I don't see dead people in my dreams, I have had issues with anxiety for years. It's taken me a long to get a grip on it, but I've finally got some great things that work for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Indignant [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
Typically, my anxiety comes on right before bed while I'm relaxing and winding down. All of my issues start to line up, waiting to get a crack at my psyche. And then I'll stay awake, worrying. It's terrible, or it used to be anyway. I started doing deep breathing exercises and I also utilize self massage techniques. Personally, I really respond well to touch as it is something my mother would do to calm me down when I was little (massaging my scalp, hands, and feet).
I went on Youtube and began to look up relaxation videos. There are some super awesome ones. This one lady, Lita, has the most soothing voice I've ever heard. I also watch instructional massage videos (as weird as that sounds) because the narrator usually has a soothing voice, the music is relaxing, and the massages look really nice :)
I cut caffeine out of my evening habits and stick to herbal teas like chamomile with honey. Or if I'm hungry, I'll have a light snack like some toast with butter and honey. I also gave myself a stable nightly ritual that helps my body relax and shutdown before bed. I'll wash my face, brush my teeth, take out my contacts. This lets my body know it's time to relax and get ready for bed.
My anxiety is so much more under control now. It's taken a while of consistent practice, but it has helped tremendously.
Not addicts. I wonder how many are coping on happy pills.Quote:
Originally Posted by vashti [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
my thing is that i don't have anxiety when i am awake, when i feel an intense wave of stress coming over i am able to control it well, or just change what i am doing. changing environments really helps keep things under control for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by lahnnabell [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]
btw the last two nights since i've quit chocolate, have been really good to me so far.
You sound fine, Dig. Unless this is affecting your waking life, its just a way to relieve stress. Like teeth grinding, which I used to do as a student--most did, according to my dentist.
or drooling...i still drool lol.
Well, I was getting at the fact that maybe altering your nightly routine might help better your sleep patterns. This is generally true for a lot of sleep trouble, though I'm unsure about yours. Getting a solid routine, a healthy diet, and a relaxing atmosphere might help. Unless you already do all of this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Indignant [Dear Guest/Member you have to reply to see the link.click here to register]