Needing to learn from others about their recovery from anxiety/ depression/insomnia.

[Mountainlover57]

I'm very grateful to have joined the anxiety and depression support group. I have had anxiety since I was a child. I started having depression after my husband passed away in 2000. I have had several traumatic experiences since then. I'm wanting to learn and find alternative ways besides just the standard pharmaceuticals and talk therapy. I am currently on Zoloft and taking progesterone to relax so that I can sleep at night but it doesn't seem to help. What I would do for a few nights of good sleep! I just want to know what others have found that has helped them through insomnia that was caused by depression and started with anxiety.

[Redtennis128]

Hi,

I'm sorry you're having trouble sleeping. I've had the same experience and know it is not fun! I've found Trazodone helps and it's not habit forming. It's easy to get off of it when your sleep is better. Progressive muscle relaxation recordings help in many ways but so much for better sleep.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Redtennis128]

I had tried trazodone back in 2021 and it worked fine but I didn't really use it that much and when I started using it this summer it was a whole different experience. I got up 2 hours after taking my trazodone and went into the bathroom and fainted and hit my head which gave me a small gash. I decided to not use trazodone after that incident. It just made me dizzy during the day as well. I think I'm going back to CBD/ CBN and melatonin.

[Redtennis128 in reply to Mountainlover57]

Thanks for the feedback! I sorry it didn't work for you! I've been taking a small dose (125) that let's me sleep about 6 hours. I guess i should count my blessings! My sleep is improving since my anxiety is getting much better. So, i'll be cutting back on the trazodone before too long.

Wish i had a better idea for you. Best of luck!!!!

[Hidden]

I am taking lorazepam.5mg and it helps me sleep

[Hidden]

relaxing before bedtime with some calming music ,maybe a good book , hot cocoa and .5mg lorazepam helps me slumber off

[Hidden]

also I talk less during night , just to bring a sense of calmness and peacefulness to the mind

[litethatnevergoesout]

maybe attacking your issue at hand would yield more helpful responses somewhere more specific to what you’re after here.

healthunlocked.com/sleep-ma...

[MadBunny in reply to litethatnevergoesout]

Good idea!

[Mountainlover57 in reply to litethatnevergoesout]

I am working to attack my issues at hand. I have a therapist that I work with.

[litethatnevergoesout in reply to Mountainlover57]

I’m glad to hear you have a therapist. I hope I didn’t come across as misunderstanding my intention was to try the sleep site here on HU. not being able to sleep is very stressful I hope you can get to the root of the issue. best of luck. There is a channel on YouTube hosted by Thomas called get sleepy. it’s helped me more often than not.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to litethatnevergoesout]

Thank you so much.

[Isinatra]

For real, hyper? 🫨

[Isinatra]

I’ve been blabbering away to ☝️and didn’t know. I dislike being used. My bad for not being vigilante today. I could have been watching The Tudors instead. lol

Thanks….🙏

[hypercat54 in reply to Isinatra]

Yes I know how you feel my friend. We all hate being used after all. Take care 😘

[gettingsomewhere]

Thanks for alerting us!

[Downinil]

Hey Mountainlover57! Its gotten to the point I’ve given up fighting it. Been through too much to worry about much more happening. I hope you find a way to manage it too.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Downinil]

There are lots of options and I'm going to try anything. I want to find myself again and be the person that I was last year.

[Downinil in reply to Mountainlover57]

I’ll be thinking of you in your journey.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Downinil]

I appreciate this. Your job as a histotechnologist was probably pretty stressful. It takes a very detailed oriented person to do this. I hope you can find some relief and peace.

[Downinil in reply to Mountainlover57]

Thank you for understanding.

[Downinil in reply to Downinil]

It’s extremely difficult for me to trust people.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Downinil]

Me too. This is something I am going to work on.

[Downinil]

Hi hypercat54! What’s going on with this user named Luna? It’s not easy trusting people in general these days.

[Downinil]

hypercat54, Would you mind sending a PM. Thanks

[Dolphin14 in reply to Downinil]

Downinil

I hope you got some of your questions answered

🐬

[Downinil in reply to Dolphin14]

Hi Dolphin14! I have peace of mind now thanks to all of you. Thanks! 😊

[Dolphin14 in reply to Downinil]

That's good.

[Worrier1960]

I find Trazodone to be extremely effective and it's not habt-forming.

[Mark1499]

l can definitely relate. First I tried Xanax which was a disaster. Withdrawal was awful. Now I take kolonipin. It’s way less addicting. I no it’s a controlled substance but it works for me.

Good luck

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Mark1499]

Thanks for the reply and the compassion. I just saw my doctor yesterday and told her that I no longer wanted to take progesterone. This was supposed to be taken at night to Make me feel relaxed to go to sleep which it did at first but then it made me feel dizzy and gave me brain fog the next day. She got a little miffed with me about the fact that I disagreed with using progesterone (I'm actually thinking about leaving this doctor and finding another one). Sometimes I think doctors are just legal pushers that want prescribe pharmaceuticals for their own benefit. I do believe that pharmaceutical companies have a deal with doctors that get bonuses for selling drugs. Anyway, I stopped taking the progesterone and started using melatonin at night and it worked beautifully. I know that melatonin doesn't last forever and can only be taken in a few days and then I'll just go to CBD on those nights. But at least I want to go towards more natural remedies from now on. I've taken almost every drug imaginable for depression and anxiety and it only made me feel worse. The only thing I'll stick with is my Zoloft.

[Mark1499 in reply to Mountainlover57]

I take melatonin every night.My pharmacist said Mark it’s harmless, you’re body produces it anyway.

I’ll be keeping you in my prayers as I do everyone on this forum!

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Mark1499]

Thank you for responding. I'm starting to realize that all of the pharmaceuticals that I've taken, except for the few that have worked, do more harm for me than helping me. I got rid of the pharmaceuticals one by one and started melatonin last night and I slept through the night. I also am going to use my CBD/THC when needed. I am also looking into psilocybin therapy. I enjoy my ashwagandha tea during the day which helps alleviate stress. I enjoy the natural products that I have learned through the years to use.

[Mark1499]

Remember your not alone.

Prayers

[Mark1499]

There is no magic answer. I’ve been anxiety ridden since a child. I get up at five am religiously and go to bed consistently at about the same time every night. Kolonipin works for me but thats just me.

Prayers

[Alpakka123]

Oh ok, sorry. I missed this one, believe it or not.

[Pitalife]

Don't know what to tell you,I myself have been in a manic episode w high anxiety, music helps,I had some my meds taken away now I'm suffering again, I was on klonopin for severe anxiety boy did it help alot,I was cut off when I had to move to fla to care for my mom after my brother took his own life, so I suggest music,YouTube great type in relaxing music or nature sounds, rain sounds,they are nice n help sooth at night when like me my mids racing n can't thing straight and CANT SLEEEP from the manic anxiety...let me know if it helps you,I know how no sleep or lack of it's horrible...lol...

[jikreamer in reply to Pitalife]

Yes, YouTube has many types of binaural beats that are soothing, calming sounds that help relax you to sleep. Just go to YouTube and type in binaural beats under the search icon and it will bring up many different calming sounds. Just pick the one that you like the most and it will play uninterrupted for hours.

[Amiwrong]

hi Mountainlover57. I take magnesium before bed which helps. I think you can now get melatonin/magnesium together 🤔. Sometimes I take psilocybin in capsules.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Amiwrong]

Thank you for your response. I take magnesium tablets before I go to bed that I found from Brainmd website. I also listen to Dr. Amen podcast on the brain. It's important that we understand how we heal our brain to become healthier. How do you get psilocybin capsules? I'm looking into psilocybin therapy.

[Amiwrong in reply to Mountainlover57]

I agree. I’m in therapy and starting to look at cptsd. I have before in therapy but not really, just general stuff. I hope this time will be different and we go deeper into things.

I get them online, but from a Canadian site. Reddit was helpful when I was searching for a place to get them. Legalities are different in each country. The cost to use it in therapy is too much for me. Microdosing could be an option though.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Amiwrong]

Did microdosing psilocybin help you? I do have a source for psilocybin but is more of the herbs than capsules.

[Amiwrong in reply to Mountainlover57]

I actually haven’t given the microdosing serious effort, so I’m not sure. Taking the pill form at night helps with sleep though. I don’t take it all the time, only when I am really struggling. Magnesium seems to help most nights.

I do take lions mane in the morning for the past month. It’s not a psychedelic mushroom, and it seems to be helping my overall mood. Though for me it’s hard to say because the degrees of my anxiety and depression is like a rollercoaster. I feel I am doing ok now so I will keep taking it.

Do some research on it all. I know it can be overwhelming so just one thing at a time. Sometimes the hope with trying different things helps and is a distraction too. Maybe make a list of new ideas, have patience, and make notes after you’ve given it a go. Sometimes we have to go back and explore previous ideas that may not have worked the first time.

Reach out any time or send a chat if you’d like

[Downinil]

Hi Alpakka! It’s a relief to know we all have each others backs on here. Thank you!