Panic Attacks in sleep

[Indignant]

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...

[QueenofCorona]

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.

[Indignant]

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.

[dewilliams2]

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?

[Indignant]

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.

[Mish]

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).

[Indignant]

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 clothing

[Mish]

I'm no medical expert though, I wonder what Vash will say about this

[Indignant]

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.

[Junket]

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.

[Indignant]

i wonder if my night time tea with chocolate could also affect it my sleep...

[Junket]

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?

[vashti]

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.

[Mish]

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.

[Indignant]

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.

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.

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.