lorbis
09-13-2005, 10:56 PM
For those of you who suffer with anxiety, especially the kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night with that "fight or flight" feeling, what have you found helpful for relief? Any and all suggestions are welcome and much needed!!! Ugh!
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ainfante
09-13-2005, 11:43 PM
For those of you who suffer with anxiety, especially the kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night with that "fight or flight" feeling, what have you found helpful for relief? Any and all suggestions are welcome and much needed!!! Ugh!
Oh I hated that feeling, that is the panic and the only thing I did was read some material on panic attacks and anxiety and menopause. But really, it wasn't until i started taking Prozac that I began to recover from this waking up panic feeling. I still wake up occasionally, but not in panic mode thank God! There was a book I read too, all about bad nerves, it was really good and it helped alot, it was about panic attacks, anxiety, nervous breakdowns, etc. really helped alot.
Oh I hated that feeling, that is the panic and the only thing I did was read some material on panic attacks and anxiety and menopause. But really, it wasn't until i started taking Prozac that I began to recover from this waking up panic feeling. I still wake up occasionally, but not in panic mode thank God! There was a book I read too, all about bad nerves, it was really good and it helped alot, it was about panic attacks, anxiety, nervous breakdowns, etc. really helped alot.
littlejmb
09-14-2005, 12:13 AM
Lorbis, have you tried taking Valarian root before bed? It calms and relaxes you, and it may help you not to do that. Another good supplement is 5-HTP, which increases your Seratonin level. They both promote good sleep, and I take them both.
babydog
09-14-2005, 07:54 AM
1. Breathe deeply
2. Say a prayer. Better yet, go to church.
3. take a hot bath
4. exercise ALOT during the day to get all the adenaline out of you system (this one if really imporant). Find something you love to do and do it everyday. I took up bike riding in the last 2 months. Saved my life. :bouncing:
5. avoid sugar, caffeine, tobacco and other stimulants (once your condition stabilizes, you can treat yourself every once in a while.)
6. When you get the symptoms during the night, breathe deeply and tell yourself it is just peri and it will go away because eventually it does.
7. Try to think about the things you have to look forward to . If you have nothing to look forward to (like I did), create some. It can be the vacation you always wanted to take OR going to the corner convenience store to play a lottery ticket and get a cup of coffee. Establish some pleasant routines in your life.
8. Watch a funny movie.
9. Eat something you really enjoy.
10. Watch your internal tape. Say nice, positive things to yourself.
11. Be patient with yourself.
12. Simple mental tasks I find are helpful. Scratch off lottery tickets are great for this. Some women find knitting is just as helpful (and I guess a bit cheaper :D ).
13. When I did get that horrible nighttime anxiety, I took 2 benadryl. It doesn't work for everybody but it worked for me. Now I can't remember the last time I had to take it.
14. 500mg of magnesium 1 hour before bed may help too! I still take this.
15. Hug your children.
16. Hug your grandchildren.
17. Play with your dog more.
Lorbis, aren't you on Zoloft?? For some reason I thought that you were. It's not helping to quell the night time anxiety. If not, you might want to ask you doc about switching to something else.
I have been on a low dose of Paxil for a about 2 months now. It's like Lazarus raised from the dead. :bouncing: I originally took it to control my blood pressure that was spiraling out of control. This morning I took it and it was 102/66! :bouncing: :bouncing: And I went from barely being able to sleep at all to sleeping a full 8 hours last night without getting up once :bouncing:
Ofcourse, had I not incorporated the tips listed above, I don't think I would have been as successful even with the Paxil.
Hope this helps. :wave:
2. Say a prayer. Better yet, go to church.
3. take a hot bath
4. exercise ALOT during the day to get all the adenaline out of you system (this one if really imporant). Find something you love to do and do it everyday. I took up bike riding in the last 2 months. Saved my life. :bouncing:
5. avoid sugar, caffeine, tobacco and other stimulants (once your condition stabilizes, you can treat yourself every once in a while.)
6. When you get the symptoms during the night, breathe deeply and tell yourself it is just peri and it will go away because eventually it does.
7. Try to think about the things you have to look forward to . If you have nothing to look forward to (like I did), create some. It can be the vacation you always wanted to take OR going to the corner convenience store to play a lottery ticket and get a cup of coffee. Establish some pleasant routines in your life.
8. Watch a funny movie.
9. Eat something you really enjoy.
10. Watch your internal tape. Say nice, positive things to yourself.
11. Be patient with yourself.
12. Simple mental tasks I find are helpful. Scratch off lottery tickets are great for this. Some women find knitting is just as helpful (and I guess a bit cheaper :D ).
13. When I did get that horrible nighttime anxiety, I took 2 benadryl. It doesn't work for everybody but it worked for me. Now I can't remember the last time I had to take it.
14. 500mg of magnesium 1 hour before bed may help too! I still take this.
15. Hug your children.
16. Hug your grandchildren.
17. Play with your dog more.
Lorbis, aren't you on Zoloft?? For some reason I thought that you were. It's not helping to quell the night time anxiety. If not, you might want to ask you doc about switching to something else.
I have been on a low dose of Paxil for a about 2 months now. It's like Lazarus raised from the dead. :bouncing: I originally took it to control my blood pressure that was spiraling out of control. This morning I took it and it was 102/66! :bouncing: :bouncing: And I went from barely being able to sleep at all to sleeping a full 8 hours last night without getting up once :bouncing:
Ofcourse, had I not incorporated the tips listed above, I don't think I would have been as successful even with the Paxil.
Hope this helps. :wave:
rmc12
09-14-2005, 02:20 PM
Babydog,
Thank you for your list which I am going to print out and refer to often!! Anxiety is one of the biggest issues for me in peri and it is like at times a cloud appears overhead and won't go away. Then it lifts and I am myself. I try many times to just say "it is peri and it will pass" and it does but it is when one is in the thick of it that is difficult to listen to ones own voice!!
Again thanks for these excellent tips to help us all. Thanks for sharing.
rmc
Thank you for your list which I am going to print out and refer to often!! Anxiety is one of the biggest issues for me in peri and it is like at times a cloud appears overhead and won't go away. Then it lifts and I am myself. I try many times to just say "it is peri and it will pass" and it does but it is when one is in the thick of it that is difficult to listen to ones own voice!!
Again thanks for these excellent tips to help us all. Thanks for sharing.
rmc
babydog
09-14-2005, 04:15 PM
Babydog,
Thank you for your list which I am going to print out and refer to often!! Anxiety is one of the biggest issues for me in peri and it is like at times a cloud appears overhead and won't go away. Then it lifts and I am myself. I try many times to just say "it is peri and it will pass" and it does but it is when one is in the thick of it that is difficult to listen to ones own voice!!
Again thanks for these excellent tips to help us all. Thanks for sharing.
rmc
You brought up a very good point rmc12. When you are in the throws of that anxiety, especially internal trembling (the pits!!) and heart palps, it seems nothing you say or do stops it until it is ready to stop by itself.!
I found something that seems to either tone it down if not stop it altogether. I know you are going to think this is insane but here it is anyway.
Whenever I get that internal trembling or heart palps in the middle of the night or early evening so that it keeps me from going to sleep I try this. It takes practice but everytime you do this it seems the results are a little better.
Imagine your guardian angel. Imagine the angel as pretty as can be. Big flowing wings, long gown, pastel colors; the works. Make sure the angel has YOUR face. Then while you are in bed gently place one of your hands on your opposite shoulder and imagine that it is the angel's hand touching you. Say to yourself:
"I am here. I won't let anything happen to you. I am watching over you. You're going to be fine". Sounds nuts right.? Obviously if you think angels are a lot of bunk this won't work for you. But if you are willing to suspend your disbelief, it just might work without having to resort to dangerous antianxiety drugs.
Give it a try! :wave:
Thank you for your list which I am going to print out and refer to often!! Anxiety is one of the biggest issues for me in peri and it is like at times a cloud appears overhead and won't go away. Then it lifts and I am myself. I try many times to just say "it is peri and it will pass" and it does but it is when one is in the thick of it that is difficult to listen to ones own voice!!
Again thanks for these excellent tips to help us all. Thanks for sharing.
rmc
You brought up a very good point rmc12. When you are in the throws of that anxiety, especially internal trembling (the pits!!) and heart palps, it seems nothing you say or do stops it until it is ready to stop by itself.!
I found something that seems to either tone it down if not stop it altogether. I know you are going to think this is insane but here it is anyway.
Whenever I get that internal trembling or heart palps in the middle of the night or early evening so that it keeps me from going to sleep I try this. It takes practice but everytime you do this it seems the results are a little better.
Imagine your guardian angel. Imagine the angel as pretty as can be. Big flowing wings, long gown, pastel colors; the works. Make sure the angel has YOUR face. Then while you are in bed gently place one of your hands on your opposite shoulder and imagine that it is the angel's hand touching you. Say to yourself:
"I am here. I won't let anything happen to you. I am watching over you. You're going to be fine". Sounds nuts right.? Obviously if you think angels are a lot of bunk this won't work for you. But if you are willing to suspend your disbelief, it just might work without having to resort to dangerous antianxiety drugs.
Give it a try! :wave:
ainfante
09-14-2005, 04:23 PM
babydog, you are so right about the angels. God bless
lorbis
09-14-2005, 04:39 PM
Thank you for the list, babydog. Yes, I am taking Zoloft, but I'm thinking that maybe it is what's causing my anxiety symptoms, or at least worsening them. I didn't really have them before I started the Zoloft.
Today I feel great-had a good night's sleep, haven't felt anything negative...let's hope it lasts for a while.
Today I feel great-had a good night's sleep, haven't felt anything negative...let's hope it lasts for a while.
Gaitsofgold
09-14-2005, 05:59 PM
I've been waking up nightly for the last 10 years with panicky feelings. I occasionally have them during the day too, but they are always worse at night. In the wee hours, long before daylight breaks, when the rest of the world is asleep, I feel so alone, even with hubby beside me. Its really scary, but I try to distance myself. I read something once (I've read just about everything I can get my hands on about anxiety) that says to watch on as if you weren't in your body. To analyze, but not get involved. It works somewhat! I just watch on, and the panic really isn't that bad when I think about it. As long as I don't let it "get to" me. I also relax completely (much, much easier said than done!) every muscle in my body. I have to do it over and over, because I tense right back up again. But after relaxing 100% (not 99%, remember, or it won't work) I find that my defenses go down, and I don't have to keep this steel guard up to protect myself, because I'm not going to die if I relax through it. It takes a lot of practice, but I've improved A LOT since I started doing it.
lorbis
09-14-2005, 06:14 PM
Babydog,
Regarding your list again-excellent suggestions! I do try to do a lot of those things that are on it. I am a runner, so I do try to make time to make sure I'm getting my run in-time can be tough with work, kids, etc., but I do notice that on the days I do run, I feel a lot better.
I am going away with a my best friend next weekend to Cape May-no kids, husbands, work! That is the thing I've been looking forward to and keep looking forward to-I might have to create another weekend away after that one is over just to keep the anxiety at bay.
Thank you again for your list-I know that a lot of that helps.
Regarding your list again-excellent suggestions! I do try to do a lot of those things that are on it. I am a runner, so I do try to make time to make sure I'm getting my run in-time can be tough with work, kids, etc., but I do notice that on the days I do run, I feel a lot better.
I am going away with a my best friend next weekend to Cape May-no kids, husbands, work! That is the thing I've been looking forward to and keep looking forward to-I might have to create another weekend away after that one is over just to keep the anxiety at bay.
Thank you again for your list-I know that a lot of that helps.
babydog
09-14-2005, 07:51 PM
Babydog,
Regarding your list again-excellent suggestions! I do try to do a lot of those things that are on it. I am a runner, so I do try to make time to make sure I'm getting my run in-time can be tough with work, kids, etc., but I do notice that on the days I do run, I feel a lot better.
I am going away with a my best friend next weekend to Cape May-no kids, husbands, work! That is the thing I've been looking forward to and keep looking forward to-I might have to create another weekend away after that one is over just to keep the anxiety at bay.
Thank you again for your list-I know that a lot of that helps.
A weekend with no work, kids or husbands??? Hmmmm.... who needs angels when you can close your eyes and imagine that! ;) . Have a great time!! :wave:
Regarding your list again-excellent suggestions! I do try to do a lot of those things that are on it. I am a runner, so I do try to make time to make sure I'm getting my run in-time can be tough with work, kids, etc., but I do notice that on the days I do run, I feel a lot better.
I am going away with a my best friend next weekend to Cape May-no kids, husbands, work! That is the thing I've been looking forward to and keep looking forward to-I might have to create another weekend away after that one is over just to keep the anxiety at bay.
Thank you again for your list-I know that a lot of that helps.
A weekend with no work, kids or husbands??? Hmmmm.... who needs angels when you can close your eyes and imagine that! ;) . Have a great time!! :wave: