Insomnia :(

[Sapphire3]

I thought I'd be the last person to suffer with insomnia - I absolutely adore my sleep! But here I am. Doesn't help that my inner-dialogue just won't stop. I can't stop thinking of more productive things I could be doing right now, like uni work or tidying my room. But at the same time I have to be up for uni at 7.30 in the morning so I should be sleeping. I get the feeling it's a side-effect of the citalopram tablets I'm on. Feels like a vicious cycle, because I feel more motivated to get things done, but am too tired to do them because I haven't had enough sleep.

[Nickyhutchins]

How do you get on all day with your symptoms and feelings

And with you relationship with people or if your in a relationship with some one how dose he help you to get on with it and with all day and nights Nicky..

[Sapphire3 in reply to Nickyhutchins]

My day to day life is pretty miserable I'd say. I don't do much productive stuff on a day to day basis, from lack of motivation, tiredness and feelings of hopelessness. My feelings are horrid, they're uncontrollable, again, on a day to day basis. I get so upset so easily. I'm always paranoid that my boyfriend is cheating on me. I also have quite a short temper. I can't get drunk at all anymore, everytime I do I get emotional and have painful anxiety attacks. My boyfriend doesn't really help at all. He's very independent and likes to do his own thing i.e. speak to his ex if he wants to, go to clubs and not tell me. I shouldn't expect him to change really. I do sometimes wish he'd meet me halfway though. If I felt I had his support I'd be more trusting and actually believe he loves me. Anyway, sorry for the length of this lol, it's just nice that someone's asking for once What kind of symptoms/feelings do you have?

[Hidden in reply to Sapphire3]

Hun, I have an ex who could not accommodate my depression. If it is a committed relationship he needs to at least be willing to tell you what he's doing and when he's coming home - otherwise it's not helping your need for routine and consistency. That's a big part of why my ex is an ex

My current parter and I are in a LDR, but between text, email and a joint internet calendar, plus lots of phone calls I know what's going on for him. It's even more important than it sounds because he is living in a disaster zone (a city recovering from earthquakes).

We work routines around time zones and our both having had depression pretty bad in 2013.

[Sapphire3 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Kiwihelen, I was saying to my boyfriend only today that I like routine. He's said however that he likes to be more spontaneous, and only wants to see me when he wants to. I really want the relationship to work but it's becoming more and more apparent that it just won't. I want to keep trying, in the hope I'll recover and things between us will improve, but it seems he's only hindering my recovery. Sorry about your ex, also about your depression. But I'm pleased to hear you've found an understanding and supportive partner Thank you for response, it's always an eyeopener to see what other people think about relationships/supportiveness. I am often either completely blind to what I should/shouldn't cope with. I often feel I'm in the wrong by wishing my boyfriend was more supportive.

[Hidden]

Hun, if you think it is the citalopram change the time of your dose by 12 hours.

Also my long standing trick for insomnia is to have some very non-stimulating mp3 recordings, so if I can't sleep I relax and listen to those and either sleep or rest my body. I've discovered "books should be free" - not the best narrators but some classics there

[Sapphire3 in reply to Hidden]

I'll try. I don't currently take my tablets at a specific time of day though, which probably doesn't help. Thank you for your advice, listening to a book is actually a very good idea. Thanks again

[Hidden in reply to Sapphire3]

Sapphire, set a time on your mobile phone and take your meds then. It sounds dumb but it really works. I travel a bit and try not to change the time of my meds unless absolutely necessary and this was the only way to do it.

[Hidden]

Hello

When I was at College I used to get played hell with when out and about, my studies were supposed to come first and that seemed to cause fiction if I used go go out mid Week, I used to hate any compromise although when taking exams during four periods a year would bend my concentration to non existent as I preferred social life that took place at the Student Union. Like you I was up at 6.00am to catch all the buses and three nights a week we hand night classes associated with the full time course during the day. By the time I managed to get home most times it was about 10.30 pm. So I used to go and see my girlfriend then get the all night bus home, there was hell to pay with parents, as next morning it started all again. It was understandable that something had to give and it could not be homework and the exams that seemed to be every month. So I suffered from insomnia and it started to really get very uncomfortable as I had to pass these exams in a three group.

One problem you will suffer is the AD medications, they will blunt the brain when studying and will make you sleepy at night, so you will not want to take them in the morning, if you take them thirty mins before bed you should sleep, and well, although you need to get up in the morning and if getting up at 7.00am you will feel like death. I make the suggestion that I understand you will need to do homework, possibly 2-3 hours a night, take the medications after you have finished your revision just after supper. By that time you should be calming down and will be ready for bed a little earlier than possibly now. Mind you really need to know that AD medications are not a good choice while at Uni you will loose concentration and that important edge that is needed during the day, so only look at them as a temporary stopgap.

When your weekend comes you can if required push the medications an hour or two to the time you gto to bed, a couple of hours one way or next should not make much change in the way your medications work, although if you are going out at night and knocking back a few drinks you will be hell next morning.

All I can really suggest is that you manage your life and be determined to give time to actual Uni, I can understand that you are young, and I will not say any more on that

With regard to all of this confirm all with your GP, it should make him smile.

Good luck at Uni

BOB .

[Sapphire3 in reply to Hidden]

Hi BOB,

Thank you for taking the time to give me advice. The basic thing I think I'm missing right now is any kind of routine. I was saying earlier today actually that I do like a routine - where my boyfriend likes spontaneity and only wants to see me when he wants to. Apart from that I could try to get into a routine and I'm hoping that will work wonders. As for the meds blunting the brain - I need none of this, I'm ditzy enough already, hehe!

Thanks again, really grateful for the advice

Sapphire

[Hidden in reply to Sapphire3]

Hello

Thanks for reply

Life will be difficult, spontaneity and structure, you possibly need to be strong and know your mind, I am sixty three and still looking for structure. You sound like me when at Tech College.

Remember life was to short in those days

Good luck with your studies

BOB