Thanks. Now, I'm just trying to decide where I want to try next if I don't hear back.
Mental Wellness Support Group
- Thread starter Twilight Phoenix
- Start date
Second night in a row with terrible insomnia. I got back from vacation Sunday and my sleep has gotten worse every night since. I woke up before 4 am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. Yesterday I slept until just before 5 am
I literally had the best sleep for consistency for years before vacation - 9 weeks straight averaging 7 hours+ a night, calculated weekly.
Now, sleep is terrible. And my anxiety isn't bad. My nightmares are there but they're always there and no worse than normal. No caffeine after lunch. I'm taking my melatonin and magnesium. Room is dark, no noises waking me up, podcasts playing as usual softly enough to distract brain - all the same stuff as when I slept "good" and I'm still not sleeping.
Tonight I'll have to take a benzo, see if that will help knock me out and keep me out. I ordered glycerine as well, will arrive Friday. During my "good" sleep it was still all light, not enough deep or rem, and studies have shown 3-5 gram's of it can improve sleep duration and quality. Take it with my melatonin and magnesium for a month.
I literally had the best sleep for consistency for years before vacation - 9 weeks straight averaging 7 hours+ a night, calculated weekly.
Now, sleep is terrible. And my anxiety isn't bad. My nightmares are there but they're always there and no worse than normal. No caffeine after lunch. I'm taking my melatonin and magnesium. Room is dark, no noises waking me up, podcasts playing as usual softly enough to distract brain - all the same stuff as when I slept "good" and I'm still not sleeping.
Tonight I'll have to take a benzo, see if that will help knock me out and keep me out. I ordered glycerine as well, will arrive Friday. During my "good" sleep it was still all light, not enough deep or rem, and studies have shown 3-5 gram's of it can improve sleep duration and quality. Take it with my melatonin and magnesium for a month.
Oh it is. Anxiety and depression are often tied together. Have you tried CBT and seen a doctor for a prescription for when CBT can't level you out?
I'm sorry man I wish I had more advice. It's a long road.
Its mean a lot you showed concern.
If you scroll through you'll see no shortage of posts by me with the same issues. Even now, when all of my major triggers are over, and my worst day is better than my best day two years ago, I have anxiety issues bad enough to knock me on my ass. I used CBT and a benzo (no more than one a week) as my tools and everything still super sucked. I'm sorry you are going through it.
my doc has me on benzos twice a day and i take an antidepressent. It just hard to find a med that works because I'm super sensitive to lot the mental meds that side effect makes me like im lots pain. I can't do shock treatment because I have metal plates in my head.
I do use thought stopping and passive muscle relaxation.
I do use thought stopping and passive muscle relaxation.
Yeah, I was on clonazepam twice a day for a awhile too, along with an SSRI but I can't recall which one. I found the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding followed by four minutes of box breathing to be helpful. To a point. Also shaking, ice to my wrist/neck, other quick grounding techniques if the 54231 didn't work. I used to have a list of like 12 of them to go through. Thought records were good. Identifying specific worries, whether they're type 1 or 2, beat case, worst case, etc.
Honestly, the most effective exercise I found was dedicated worry time. Putting a chair and small table in a part of the home you never sit, opening the laptop (or pen and paper). Writing down the date, time, and then just vomiting up every single thing that is bothering you in any way, from major life issues to tiny things like a hangnail. Do it until you can't even think of anything else. Record the time you finish. Put away the chair and table. The first time it will take awhile. After that usually 10-15 min for me. For some reason that always helps me. Takes it out of your head. Let's it be the priority for a set time and you're done with it.
Maybe you're already doing that though, don't mean to anxiety-splain.
Can I ask have you went to your GP to rule out any physical cause of anixtey and depression like an underactive thyroid for example?
I made an appt. to see my GP next month to just check if I have any physical health issues that could be triggering my depression or anxiety?
I knew what caused my issues. It wasn't physical. Although adrenal burnout from a decade of hyper activation doesn't help. Nothing wrong with ruling out a physical source though! Go for it. Better to check and it be nothing than to have a potential solution on the table and ignore it.
Not generally a whole lot, but panic typically is brief, very intense, often occupied by a struggle to breathe. Anxiety attack presents similarly, but can have other symptoms, like racing thoughts, increased heart rate, stomach upset, rapid breathing. Typically if I am working with a panic attack client I am riding it through with them, while with anxiety attack we can usually ground and find ways to self-soothe and reduce somatic struggles.
DBT definitely sounds a good route for you as well. Some of those skills can be supportive of reducing the body's experience of anxiety through relaxation, dive reflex, and muscle relaxation. I learned a new skill this week for training which I enjoy for youngers-uncooked spaghetti vs. cooked spaghetti. Tense up everything, then go limp. Similar to progressive muscle relaxation but easier to remember.
Anxiety and depression are amazing roommates. They worked together quite well, and often times will inform the other and feed the negative cognitive that create depression.
Only way to find out is to ask.
I'd see if there is an adult therapist trained in play therapy, art or even equine therapy. Play is more interactive than just straight up talk and play can be helpful in anxiety disorders, even in adults. I prefer DBT for managing intense anxiety but not everyone responds to that.
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