Anxiety/Insomnia - A beginner... Help please.

[Gibbon]

Hi...

I realise that my problems are nowhere near as chronic as many on this site, but I would appreciate any comments nevertheless.

I have never really suffered with anxiety. I had a conventional panic attack brought on by substance abuse (marijuana) many years (7-8) ago, but aside from some general sleeplessness (not insomnia) and very mild bouts of depression, I have a clean bill of mental health.

However, on 30 December I had an enormous attack - of anxiety, panic, I'm not sure. Certainly, it did not subside like the previous panic attack I had experienced. The reasons for this are pretty clear: I have a very high pressured job in London and had been increasingly feeling stressed. I had been feeling slight heart 'flurries' for up to two months but had just ignored them. My approach to a high workload was, as it always has been, work harder, run faster. Of course in hindsight, this is a disastrous move. Similarly disastrous was my attempt to combat the onset of this attack on 30 December with alcohol and continuing with my New Years Plans in a different city, regardless. The levels of adrenaline coursing through me were ridiculous. And they did not subside. I slept for 3-4 hours in an alcohol induced 'coma' on 31st Dec/1st Jan, but when I awoke, the adrenaline was still there....

I did not sleep again until the night of 3rd January and only then after effectively losing it and eventually being prescribed Zopiclone in hospital. I used this for two nights.

That's basically the background. I really believe, having a good analytical grasp on the causes of my attack - work stress and recent family bereavement - that I can manage this long-term, using conventional methods - exercise, healthier lifestyle choices and less stress at work (the irony is that I'd already hired a colleague to job-share, having covered two jobs for nearly two years). The anxiety has subsided and my heart, finally, appears back to normal. But I still can't sleep without Zopiclone. I am totally calm and relaxed, but am ludicrously self-conscious about sleeping - to the point where I find my mind is now fighting my body. I don't seem able to control it and it seems to bear no relation to how calm I am....

Any tips or the insomnia? Or thoughts on what actually happened to me? What kind of anxiety/panic attack was it? It never seemed to subside... for days.

[Hidden]

Hi Gibbon

Anxiety does cause insomnia & if you have been using drink & other things this will just make matters worse

I used to drink to help cope with stress & other problems & looking back , it just made things worse , as its not a natural way to sleep , you are just knocking yourself out ! & maybe after the huge drinking binge you were getting withdrawels lol that happened to me several times & it was huge panic attacks i had

Glad to see you are cutting your work load down , & also you see you need to live a healthy life style , both these things will be a big help

Every one can get anxiety & panic attacks , I do feel from reading your post the huge one you had could have been due to such a big drinking session ,

Dont fear the insomnia , the more you fear it , the longer it will take , ok its not that brill when we cant sleep but eventually when we get tired enough we will , it may take a while to come back , but it will , not a good idea though to use any thing other than herbal or meds from GP ,

Slow down if possible , things will come back to normal

If you find things dont settle down but I am sure they will , then I would see my GP & explain how things are , but from what you say it seems a reaction when you use substances , which does cause panic attacks

Dont no if this has been any use , may be others will have different suggestions

Every one is welcome on this site & do feel you can post when ever you may feel the need

whywhy x

[leehow79]

I suffer frm the same, after a panick attack my levels of anxiety stay so high that i cant tell the difference, it called bein in a sensatised state. Feel like im constantly bein injected wiv adrenalin. Had a panick attack lst wednesday + still in an extreme state of panick. Bin prescribed diazepam 2day of drs + crisis team dr is comin 2morrow hav said i might need hospital feel so frightened + crayz. I also take atarax 2 sleep does work + is not addictive u could c if ur gp will prescribe this, its only an antisthamine but side effect makes u very sleepy, plus i hav a high tolerance + works 4 me.**