Anxiety

Tonight I'm feeling extremely anxious. My attempt to fall asleep takes a lot longer at night. I'm scared of dying, I over think every breath I take every swallow. I have had bad panic attacks. I do take medicine for my anxiety and I try and stay away from taking Xanax. Trying very hard to teach myself ways to deal with it without going there.

[DeanPhillips]

Hi Megan,

I am going through exactly what you are, my fear of dying is consuming and totally exhausting.

Unfortunately there's no easy cure, you can say to yourself I'm going to be here tomorrow and go a day at a time, that's what I'm doing!

I'm on citalopram and propanolol which do help but hasn't taken the underlying fear away.

One thing that works for me is to relax my body, I make myself chamomile tea and take some kalms to relax my body, the more relaxed my body is the more I'm able to relax my mind, but even that can feel like such a slog!

Have you heard of binaural beats? I stick some headphones on and listen to them, I find it relaxes me wishing 15 - 30 minutes and stops me thinking so much.

What are you trying to relax your mind at the moment?

[Hidden in reply to DeanPhillips]

No I have not heard of it. Some nights are worse than others. Tonight I am calmer than I normally am so I am not so desperate to find a fix. It's bizarre I can nap and fall asleep with no problem but to fall asleep at night it's a struggle. I appreciate you responding

[DeanPhillips in reply to Hidden]

I work on the road and I will usually once a day find somewhere to stop and take a nap for half an hour or so.

At my worst I simply won't sleep, I recently was awake for 2 days in a row with my fear, I didn't function and ended up being sedated in hospital just to get me to sleep.

See if the binaural beats work for you, they may and they may not but it's something to consider.

It's a pleasure to try and help, its hard at time but, for me, knowing there's support and people going through the same thing can be a source of strength

[Hidden in reply to DeanPhillips]

100 percent agree. I find though if I don't get sleep I'm more anxious. Once I fall asleep I'm out but it's falling asleep.

I think maybe you being on the road and napping in your car could have an effect. Sometimes having a place to sleep if available makes your Brain feel safe you know?

[DeanPhillips in reply to Hidden]

Exactly how I feel, falling asleep is key! All I can suggest is try different things to relax yourself, maybe even meditation would help? I haven't tried that yet but it's on my to do list!

Yeah that's possible, however when I feel like that I really do have to pull over as soon as possible as I know I need to. It's less than ideal to be honest and thoroughly frustrating as I never used to be this way. I'm 31 and feel like this?

Do you have a routine for going to sleep? Or do specific things so your brain knows it's sleep time?

[Hidden in reply to DeanPhillips]

My routine for sleep is wack because I am a waitress so I work late nights kinda like you. But I do watch my sister with my niece and she has a routine every night she knows when it's bed time by different signs like a bottle or the light getting dimmer. I'm trying to learn different things but my brain seems to fight it. I started to have a beer or two to buzz my brain to relax and it became a bigger problem.

[DeanPhillips in reply to Hidden]

I tried the beer route, it didn't work for me and became another crutch to lean on 😢

I have a bed time routine, so I'll make myself a tea, lights down, read a book, and not have the tv on, that's the biggest problem for me as I've always had the tv on for bed. If I want anything I'll stick some relaxing music on but I try and avoid that.

So it doesn't matter what time it is as such, if I follow the pattern my body recognises that it's sleep time. That's helped me immensely.

It'll take time but you'll find something that works for you, my biggest piece of advise is don't give up! It can feel so easy to throw in the towel, I've done it myself numerous times!

[Hidden in reply to DeanPhillips]

I find I'm calmer when my tv is off. I still struggle to fall asleep bc I think I'm dying but I found I'm better w the tv off.

Do you take any medicine?

[DeanPhillips in reply to Hidden]

Yeah it's one heck of a cycle to break! That's why I read, it forces my mind to concentrate on the book but without any light stimuli.

I take kalms to relax me, but I'm on propanolol and citalopram. Have you seen a gp?

[Hidden in reply to DeanPhillips]

Gp?

[DeanPhillips in reply to Hidden]

Sorry I'm in the U.K., have you seen a doctor?

GP - general practitioner

[Leelaa in reply to DeanPhillips]

I feel when u die you don't know you die or u don't remember dieing . Like when your born nobody remembers that .. just putting that out there ..

[Hidden]

Oh haha make sense. Yes I am on Wellbutrin. I do therapy haven't in a little while

[Mumof347]

Hi, I too have had this and yes it is debilitating. Has something happened to give you fear from dying, mine started when I lost my mum, dad and other family members, it killed me inside. I was petrified of going to sleep in fear of my heart stopping, there is usually an underlying reason to this , I have health anxiety now which brought mine panic attacks on.

[Leelaa]

Hello .. just want to say I have been there before .. I over came it with education . Want to tell you that anxiety is the opposite of dieing everything speeds up not slows down like if we were dieing. It's the over whelming feeling that makes us think we are dieing .. . And I use to take Xanax but alot of times I just kept it with me for like a security mind thing . . Self talk yourself down when u have anxiety. Figure out when u first started getting it it will help u determine what might have triggered it then get help for the under line issue .. panic attacks come from our subconscious it's wounds we have not dealt with .. comes out like toxins . Creates panic attacks. I hope I helped a little you take care .

[Elizabeth333]

Hi, I take Passiflora and it is really helping me sleep. Also, the meditations on the Compassionate Mind website also help to calm the threat system down. All the best.

[Edgy]

Hi Megan and others

First time on this site and long term anxiety victim

over years of all types of treatment, pills, shrinks you name it, i have had to diagnose myself.

my solution has come down to diet

at the moment of typing this i am %100 calm. Something I have not been in a long time

I eventually figured out, I am what I eat.

my gut rules my head, not the other way round

for me, I have stopped eating anxiety foods

some of you may not agree but this worked for me

coffee sugar alcohol gluten and esp chocolate are all very bad for anxiety

I am not going to delve into recreational drugs try them at your own peril

If this helps one person i will be Happy

Edgy