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Post by laurenchara on Aug 26, 2013 19:52:48 GMT
Hello!
I wanted to see if anyone else with anxiety experiences the same as I do. One thing I have is a slight phobia surrounding sleep; or rather not being able to fall asleep/never sleeping again/dying from lack of sleep! It's sort of a downward spiral. Whenever I'm not going through anxiety and don't sleep well I can cope no problem, but if I am going through an anxious period I get so stressed about sleep. I tend to find that during these times the cycle is as follows: worry about not being able to sleep -> struggle to sleep/don't sleep -> get bad anxiety next day -> spend all day thinking about not sleeping -> worry about not being able to sleep ... and it continues.
My anxiety escalates really quickly. I'm not having panic attacks these days, but I'm having what I call 'anxiety episodes'. Sounds like the same thing but I just mean it's a more prolonged feeling of anxiety which might not come to a head, but can last hours or days at a time. My thoughts get pretty negative and irrational and it all sort of feeds itself and I get very despondent. But sleep becomes an issue during this time, and I find not sleeping makes my anxiety way worse. Is this 'normal', daresay I use this word?
Thanks!
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Post by belinda on Aug 26, 2013 20:29:49 GMT
hey, I have a really close friend who has the exact same thing sometimes. At first I think he found it quite hard and worrying but after a while he told me he was able to get through it by just mentally calming himself down, like telling himself it was fine if he couldn't sleep and it didn't matter. now he says he just laughs at himself when it happens and it's okay! I know it can be hard but he got through it!
sorry I can't personally be much help but hope it helps knowing you're not alone!xx
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Post by Kimberley on Aug 26, 2013 20:43:43 GMT
Hi! I think it's probably more common that you realise - that vicious cycle of trying too hard to sleep then getting frustrated/anxious when you can't, feeling a bit more poop the next day... I've had many nights like that and have actually gotten very angry with myself at times.
Are you receiving any professional help or support? CBT may be something to look into. Also, have you tried Mindfulness? I met a guy when doing Failed by the NHS who had a very terrible sleeping pattern, so much so he rarely slept at all. We learnt how to do a Mindful Body Scan and he was out like a light. :-) x
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Post by laurenchara on Aug 27, 2013 10:09:29 GMT
Thanks guys for your replies. I've been on a waiting list for CBT since May, although I'm due to start next month. I also have a book on mindfulness which I'm working through right now. I suspected it was pretty common amongst anxiety (and other MH) sufferers, but it does reassure you when others validate that it is so widespread! xx
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matt
Newbie
Posts: 40
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Post by matt on Aug 27, 2013 12:21:10 GMT
I've always had trouble sleeping and can definitely identify with the pattern regarding anxiety. I often find my worst anxiety periods are at night when struggling to sleep; my mind feels like it's going so fast it almost feels like an adrenaline rush. Sleep is also rarely an enjoyable experience for me because I have vivid, disturbing dreams almost constantly, it's like all my psychotic symptoms come out to play once I'm asleep and not consciously able to fight them. It's also noticeably how my psychotic episodes worsen with tiredness, and so begins the cycle - struggle to sleep> restless sleep from dreaming> tired the next day and worrying about sleep that night> worse dreams due to tiredness...
The only thing I have found that helps to moderate it is regular exercise. If I go to the gym, or swimming or running most days then I usually sleep a lot better and don't fall into the above cycle so much.
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Post by laurenchara on Aug 27, 2013 15:47:32 GMT
Hi Matt. Yea I notice that exercise helps my anxiety in general. That sounds so difficult, and I'm sorry to hear that - I feel very thankful that despite my troubles I at least don't suffer nightmares. I think I've read before that people with anxiety or anxiety-related MH tend to struggle more at night, does anyone know why this is? Or is it just to do with stress about sleep?
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