Insomnia + Anxiety Attacks

[Japan2015]

If you understand or go through the same as I'm about to talk about. Sharing is welcomed.

I've always had trouble sleeping since I was a kid and I found ways to help with that. But when I get the constant anxiety attacks, I come and go in waves. It's like my insomnia grows by leaps and bounds.

I won't to sleep. I'm scared to sleep. I want my mind to turn off and calm for at least a little bit. I want to not feel like I want to cry.

I don't want to feel ashamed for my feelings because of my age. Most of all, I don't want to go to bed alone with my own thoughts.

I have my pills to ease me to sleep. I have my emergency anxiety relief medication to take which as many of you know may ease, but it does not do much more than that and that feeling the gut-wrenching feeling may leave which only feels like for a few seconds in the wave attacks again.

Face and acknowledge the root causes to the best of my abilities and accept. This is part of me and is not something to be ashamed of.

I can actually say there's no one else I can talk to right now, and as I say in every post, I am so thankful to find this place without judgment without criticism. And most importantly, without having to hear those words over and over again, it's all in your head get over it.

A place to where when I'm having these overwhelming feelings the attacks the ways you can't explain and I post over and over again because if I don't get every thought out I feel like it's going to devour me and I'm having something like this. A place really is wonderful.

[shawshankredemention]

First, Good for you for reaching out. Nothing to be ashamed of. I am 50 year old male and I used to really struggle with panic attacks at night. But through cognitive behavioural therapy, I have dramatically reduced them. Are you having panic attacks? or just obessive constant worries? Anxiety and Panic attacks are related and similar but they are not the same. Do they happen during the day or just at night?

[Japan2015 in reply to shawshankredemention]

Currently day and night. I have learned from my past that after a few days I normally go back to more a routine. Tonight is mainly because I have work today.

[shawshankredemention in reply to Japan2015]

Do you have constant obessive thoughts more like OCD? or just isolated incidences of panic attacks, heart racing, impending sense of doom?

[No_Longer_Human]

Hey, sorry you're going through that. With anxiety and depression i go either no sleep or sleep all day plus ptsd nightmares and waking up nauseous. It's normal with anxiety. A psychologist told me it's because when we sleep the unconscious takes the lead and our traumas and supressed memories are back. Medication really helps because those things are really connected to anxiety and its physical symptoms and because they make you sleepy. At least for me. It's a bit of unclear to science. Just the unconscious and that side of the brain are really connected to physical survival and that's why these things are highly medical and yes, it's NOT in your head. It gets better over time. Healing is not linear. It will get bad before it gets well. People won't whow grace, but show yourself grace. Make a self-care routine before bed - nice scents like lavender, book, meditation, breathing exercises, PMR. Good luck, fellow sleep sufferer

[Hidden in reply to No_Longer_Human]

you are so right. I have had childhood trauma that was suppressed for years came out in a nightmare shortly after my mom died. I use lavender at bedtime for relaxation. I have slept with rosary clenched in my fist since I was a kid. I have a self care routine before bed. Whatever works.

[No_Longer_Human in reply to Hidden]

Im proud of you. It's really hard. I also diffise lavender and put lavender on my wrists till mom can't stand it. Funny that she is the reason

[Hidden in reply to No_Longer_Human]

funny you would say that about lavender and your mom. I have worn Patchouli oil for years. My mother hated it when I was a teenager. She said it smelled like weed. She wasn’t very kind. Made me want to wear it even more lol

[No_Longer_Human in reply to Hidden]

Haha yes. Just i tiptoe around mom. I need her to be happy so she doesn't make my life a misery

[Japan2015]

Thank you!

[Hidden]

bedtime is the worst for me. Flashbacks from childhood ptsd starts and I have to keep peaceful thoughts. When I sleep the flashback nightmares are the worst, I try to wake myself but I can’t. Sometimes I call out for my husband and he hears me but I realize it really did happen and I am safe now. I also take meds for anxiety and depression which have stopped the sheer panic of waking up. I am sorry you are having intense anxiety and then insomnia. My mind was trying to tell me secrets that I had long repressed. I am 64 and I still have new memories confirmed by such vivid dreams. I pray myself to sleep, that’s all I want to remember when I fall asleep.

[Japan2015 in reply to Hidden]

I can relate.

[Japan2015]

At work. Got 4 hours or so sleep. Feeling anxiety high and guilt high. But better than yesterday. 😐

[Feelingsonauseous]

Hi! It’s such a vicious circle. Anxiety = insomnia = unable to sleep = anxiety… I think therapy helped me a lot, and guided meditation/breathing is really helpful too. I don’t want to do any publicity but the Headspace app has been wonderful for me - I can’t do it by myself, but most guided meditations and relaxations are annoying to me, except the ones from this app.

[CatAndDogPaws]

How have you found a way to sleep better? I never had trouble sleeping before until now. A physical issue is causing me to not be able to breathe while I sleep, so I wake up panicking and it takes a long time to subside. I wonder if your panic attacks are from not being able to breathe while sleeping?