Up all night again.

[Mountainlover57]

I've had anxiety caused by some family issues. It's usually my daughter calling me crying and wanting to talk and going through some horrible custody issues with her daughter, my granddaughter. It makes me so sad and then I have trouble sleeping at night. Can anybody out there relate? I have such terrible anxiety anyway, I have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and I just don't know what to do.

[Dolphin14]

I'm sorry you are having family issues.

What types of things has your therapist suggested you do when you are feeling anxious? What tools are in your tool box?

🐬

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Dolphin14]

We are starting to do EMDR. Supposedly this helps with relieving anxiety but she really hasn't done more than talk therapy. She emphasizes with the situation but she really hasn't given me many suggestions. I do meditation but sometimes the anxiety overwhelms me and it's so strong that lately I feel powerless. I've had anxiety and insomnia since I moved to another state. I miss my family that I left. After my move, My daughter started having serious custody problems and we've always been so close. I miss her but I couldn't stand the summers in my hometown anymore. It was over 100° almost everyday from June until just recently.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Mountainlover57]

I'm not getting alerts for responses A glitch I hope is short lived

Those high temps are horrible. I'm very sorry you have left a lot of your family. That big of a move is very difficult.

You had mentioned you were starting inner child work. Adding EMDR and continuing talk therapy is giving you great source of help you. How many therapists do you have?

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Dolphin14]

Thank you for your wonderful thoughts and empathy. Yes, leaving my family in California was extremely hard and I didn't think it would be this tough. I have Brothers in the city that I moved to and I also have a son and his family in Seattle. So we're all spread out along the West Coast. But I miss my granddaughter in California dearly. Thank you for understanding how hard it was. I have only one therapist where we meet every 3 weeks since she is in such demand. As you know there is such a short supply of therapist and long waiting list. I'm on a waiting list here in Oregon and hopefully I'll hear something in the next few months. I really need to see somebody on a weekly basis. This would be nice. I'm just having such a struggle with insomnia. It's dehabilitating where you really cannot live a normal life you like you used to. I've had job interviews where they offered me a job and I had to basically turn it down until I can figure this out. It's just so frustrating.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Mountainlover57]

I had insomnia for years. I learned to function on very minimal hours, not sure how I did it. No medications were helpful so I told my doctor it wasn't wise for me to continue trialing things.

I see, so you are on waiting lists to start these different therapies. Yes, I do recognize how difficult it is to get help which is very sad.

I'm very sorry about your granddaughter, that has to be very difficult.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Dolphin14]

How did you finally get a breakthrough from insomnia? I did back in 2021 but I couldn't tell you what it was, it just happened. How are you feeling these days? I cannot wait until I can get some kind of breakthrough. I actually have an orientation that I'm supposed to go to this morning and I didn't sleep all night so I have to end up calling them and letting them know that I have to postpone everything for personal reasons in my life until probably the first of the year. It's disappointing but I'll have to be like you. Trying to survive on minimal hours per day and maybe take up a yoga class and concentrating on my mental health.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Mountainlover57]

It was the same for me, after 10 years it recently just stopped. I'm not sure why and it's an adjustment for me to get used to not being up all night.

I did work a couple days a week and found if I was stimulated I could somehow make it through busy days.

However, I did spend a few years completely focused on getting better so I think your choice to hold off is a good idea

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Dolphin14]

Thank you so much for affirming that I need to take care of my mental health, even if it means that I have to be on a strict budget and not do very much. At least I can take walks, maybe take a yoga class for a while? I find it's amazing that you were able to work and still not able to sleep quite right. If I don't have at least 6 hours of sleep a night, I am just worthless during the day. I just don't feel good. But most of all it's the nights where I don't sleep at all. It's hard to plan anything because I never know when it's going to happen. Lately it's been at least one or two times a week. So I guess I just have to take some time for my mental health and figure this thing out. Thank you for your thoughts. I just want to let you know I appreciate them.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Mountainlover57]

I wish you the best

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Dolphin14]

Thank you and you too! I think we're all just trying to figure out what's best for us, but it's nice to get suggestions.

[Worrier1960]

Have you considered medication?

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Worrier1960]

Thank you for your concern. Yes, I have tried medication since 2000 when my husband passed. The only medication that I'm on right now that seems to work is Zoloft. I just started this early July. It seems to be okay but it doesn't seem to help me with my insomnia. I've been prescribed lots of medications that I've tried for insomnia, but it gave me brain fog the next day and I ended up weaning away from it. I'm still looking for something that will work and I think I'm going to try over the counter.

[Worrier1960]

Have you tried trazodone for insomnia? I find it very effective.

[Mountainlover57 in reply to Worrier1960]

I started using trazodone in 2021 when I had a another insomnia episode. I didn't use it for very long because I started meditating and finally came out of it after a few months. This time it seems like it's taking a little bit longer. I did start using trazodone last month and had a fainting spell when I got up to go to the bathroom in the night and hit my head on the washing machine and really cut myself. It was traumatic and told my doctor and he told me to just stop using it. It made me dizzy during the day. Maybe I should just use half a tablet instead? I don't know. I guess I can give it another try.