KandieKoated
05-09-2003, 12:47 AM
So im a depressed 19 yr old. Who went from sleeping all the time...to being awake for the past like 457648756456 hours. Even having mono, and being 10X more tired, i still cant sleep. But anyways....so ya, im some chic, who currently abuses ambien. My parents took them away. So i take other stuff...a lot of other stuff at night to make me drowsy...nothing illegal...im not into that ****. But still, codone, cough syrup, benadryl...anything i have that says "WARNING...MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS". iuno what to do i cant stop. AHHHHHH!
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Chezz
05-09-2003, 10:11 AM
I think your problem stems from the fact you live in Central NJ! I'm only kidding because that's where I live. I seem to be having sleep problems and wish I can find something that knocks me out for 6-8 hours. I've been taking 3 mg of Melatonin, Sominex and drinking a cup of Chamomile tea that hasn't produced the results I want. I've never tried Benadryl and may give that a shot. How long after you take it does it take effect?
Healthyhealer
05-10-2003, 08:53 AM
Kandie
You definitely don't want to be taking drugs (Even if they are legal) to help you get to sleep especially if they are not meant primarily as a sleeping pill. Two reasons
1.) Because they might not put you to sleep. Notice how you are using meds that say MAY cause drowsiness.
2.) You may suffer from any of the other side affects.
3.) You will build up a tolerance to these drugs so when you actually get the condition that needs these drugs such as a cough then they will be useless.
My advice to you is to see your GP, or family doctor, and see what he says. He may prescribe you some sleeping pills or some herbal remedies.
I have been an insomniac for years though it comes in short periods. I used to take Antihestamenes to get me to sleep but got off them asap cos I realised that I couldnt go on like that. Plus they also made it more difficult to get up in a morning.
I like to read a book before sleeping now, and read till I fall asleep with it in my hands. The secret to a good nights sleep is to be as relaxed as possible. I like to take a shower before bed.
One other thing. Are you stressed at the momment. You might want to take a look at other parts of your life. Things that are going - problems with relationships, school / work (I dont know how old you are but you said you still live with your parents.) problems at home, nutrition, depression.
Your sleeping disorder may stem from something stress related.
Good luck and let me know what happens.
You definitely don't want to be taking drugs (Even if they are legal) to help you get to sleep especially if they are not meant primarily as a sleeping pill. Two reasons
1.) Because they might not put you to sleep. Notice how you are using meds that say MAY cause drowsiness.
2.) You may suffer from any of the other side affects.
3.) You will build up a tolerance to these drugs so when you actually get the condition that needs these drugs such as a cough then they will be useless.
My advice to you is to see your GP, or family doctor, and see what he says. He may prescribe you some sleeping pills or some herbal remedies.
I have been an insomniac for years though it comes in short periods. I used to take Antihestamenes to get me to sleep but got off them asap cos I realised that I couldnt go on like that. Plus they also made it more difficult to get up in a morning.
I like to read a book before sleeping now, and read till I fall asleep with it in my hands. The secret to a good nights sleep is to be as relaxed as possible. I like to take a shower before bed.
One other thing. Are you stressed at the momment. You might want to take a look at other parts of your life. Things that are going - problems with relationships, school / work (I dont know how old you are but you said you still live with your parents.) problems at home, nutrition, depression.
Your sleeping disorder may stem from something stress related.
Good luck and let me know what happens.
KandieKoated
05-11-2003, 04:03 AM
thanks for your replies guys (yes, i still live with my parents! im 19)...As of right now, yes i have a TON of problems....my biggest one is myself. I have a great family (thank god), but i am very stressed, i took the year off from skool (i was at college for like 2 months), i dont eat right, i dont eat enough, i have mono, i am anemic (how do u spell that), so i am very weak right now. I know i am not taking care of myself like i should be. I used to go to the gym, but im so worn out, weak, and tired, that i cant even handle it. I know i am probably causing all of these "other" problems..sleeping..eating (no eating disorders..just dont eat properly)..and so on..but thats not easy to do when u feel like i do. Being majorly depressed and having anxiety n stuff doesnt help...So im well into the whole doctor/therapist/medication song and dance. its getting old tho, and im tired of it. Ne ways..so yeah, stupid doctors dont help either...if u ask for something, they just write off a perscription for you...they dont care, as long as they're getting paid it doesnt matter. (I am currently with a new therapist, and a new psychiatrist...so we will see if this helps) I dont trust myself with meds, obviously because I realize i am weak right now, and I am abusing them. I am so afraid now, i am just causing myself so many more problems by getting into this habit of taking whatevers in my medicine cabinet. It is defanitly something that my therapist is aware of. My parents are too, but I havent talked to them about taking lots of other stuff too. I plan on doing that tomorrow tho. Thanks for your advice tho, it gives me things to think about, instead of jus sitting here banging my head on the wall!
Chezz
05-13-2003, 04:54 PM
Exactly what does a 19 year old feel stressful over, have anxiety for and get depressed about? Perhaps if you shared your problems more specifically, others can lend their opinion because that is what these boards are all about.
KandieKoated
05-14-2003, 01:13 AM
A 19 year old can be stressed out, have anxiety and ect. as much as a 40 or 50 year old adult can. Thats the one thing i dont lack, sharing how i feel, what i feel, and what i think is causing it. Thats one of the reasons i am so "tired". Im tired of talking, of explaining, and of sharing...especially when u dont know where to start. I do think sharing more of my detailed feelings on here would help, and i absolutly love getting feedback from other people. But sometimes (like the first post on this page...and my second)...i just need to vent. Een if im not being specific, and im just typing about how im addicted to sleeping meds and how i hate the world...sometimes ya gotta jus type until u cant type ne more! On a side note, i sat down with my parents last night, and confessed that i was taking more than ambien...mixing other things in...any perscription med that i could find that would make me drowsy...and i gave them ALL my meds...so, as of right now, im on the right track. Its so hard tho...it is more than 'depending' on these pills, i jus cant stop taking em, and its REALLY scaring me. BUT i went to sleep on my own last night, and am going to try to do that tonight. I bought 2 of those nature/ocean sound CD things and they make me really sleepy, so i listen to them. And no...living in central jersey defanitly doesnt help (tee hee). But ya know...ive lived here my whole life...and it really isnt all that bad :)
Chezz
05-14-2003, 02:44 PM
I wasn't trying to imply that a 19 year-old girl can't be under stress, it's just that everyone has different stresses and how they deal with them. What may be stressful for you may not be stressful for someone else and vice versa. For example, I know a girl in her late 20's whose been under stress because she told me she has bald spots. I never noticed this and she is so soft-spoken one would never know she was under stress. I hadn't talked to her in 9 months and when I saw her last week, I asked her how her problem was doing without mentioning her hair since that was the only thing she told me about. She asked me what problem because she had many problems...and I was kind of left speechless.
Bottling things up inside is the worst thing to do and whether it's talking to your parents, friends, boyfriend, or people here is one way to get things out in the open. Notice how I didn't mention doctor because all the other people I mentioned don't have a financial interest in your well-being. You should actually start trying to exercise again now that the weather is getting nicer because exercise is a great stress reducer. I seem to sleep better on the nights I exercise. So, I decided to exercise 6 days a week instead of 4, with Sunday being my day off. Since I've done that, I've slept better in the last few days. I've been under stress myself and I felt that is what was causing my sleep problems until I decided to take a long hard look at it and do something. While I am not crazy about relying on Tylenol PM or something else, I might as well take that in the interim until I figure out a better solution. And what 19 year old who lives in Central Jersey isn't psyched about going to the Jersey Shore soon. You need to put yourself in a position where your not always going to take pills by doing the things I said and whatever else you can think of instead of sitting home. You shouldn't become dependent on medication because if you go to the Addiction & Recovery board (if you already haven't) there are a ton of people crying about their addictions that started at your age and even younger.
Bottling things up inside is the worst thing to do and whether it's talking to your parents, friends, boyfriend, or people here is one way to get things out in the open. Notice how I didn't mention doctor because all the other people I mentioned don't have a financial interest in your well-being. You should actually start trying to exercise again now that the weather is getting nicer because exercise is a great stress reducer. I seem to sleep better on the nights I exercise. So, I decided to exercise 6 days a week instead of 4, with Sunday being my day off. Since I've done that, I've slept better in the last few days. I've been under stress myself and I felt that is what was causing my sleep problems until I decided to take a long hard look at it and do something. While I am not crazy about relying on Tylenol PM or something else, I might as well take that in the interim until I figure out a better solution. And what 19 year old who lives in Central Jersey isn't psyched about going to the Jersey Shore soon. You need to put yourself in a position where your not always going to take pills by doing the things I said and whatever else you can think of instead of sitting home. You shouldn't become dependent on medication because if you go to the Addiction & Recovery board (if you already haven't) there are a ton of people crying about their addictions that started at your age and even younger.
Healthyhealer
05-15-2003, 06:41 AM
Hey Chezz,
I know what you meant by asking her to talk about her problems but the way the message came across did sound a little condescending and I think it came across in the wrong light. (In the same way that it is quite difficult to express sarcasm on these boards.)
I agree with Chezz that you should talk about your problems though, to us your parents, friends whoever.
Yesterday my friend who split with his girlfriend rang me and we went for a coffee and he just talked for about three hours. I didnt say much, I used a couple of the couselling skills I know but I didnt really take too much of an active part in the conversation. Also my housemate on Monday who has a lot of problems just vented to me for an hour. I didn-t say too much. You need someone to be there for you who just listens, not someone who is going to tell you you are wrong, or its wrong to stress etc.
Good luck, and I hope you get a good nights sleep tonight!!! Sweet dreams.
I know what you meant by asking her to talk about her problems but the way the message came across did sound a little condescending and I think it came across in the wrong light. (In the same way that it is quite difficult to express sarcasm on these boards.)
I agree with Chezz that you should talk about your problems though, to us your parents, friends whoever.
Yesterday my friend who split with his girlfriend rang me and we went for a coffee and he just talked for about three hours. I didnt say much, I used a couple of the couselling skills I know but I didnt really take too much of an active part in the conversation. Also my housemate on Monday who has a lot of problems just vented to me for an hour. I didn-t say too much. You need someone to be there for you who just listens, not someone who is going to tell you you are wrong, or its wrong to stress etc.
Good luck, and I hope you get a good nights sleep tonight!!! Sweet dreams.
DariusTDog
05-17-2003, 03:27 PM
Kandie,
Sorry to hear you are stressed... I know the feeling, well. Sounds like you are on the right track, don't give up! Has your therapist or doctor mentioned trying any antidepressants? I know I used to resent anyone who suggested taking any meds that like that, but if you are really depressed they can help. In fact, some actually help you sleep, too. I've been stressed/depressed/sleepless for a while and finally one doctor gave me Trazodone (for sleep). It made a HUGE difference. I actually slept through the night. Not only that, but after getting a full night's sleep, I felt I could handle the stress a little better.
Its good to have a close friend(s) you can really talk to. This board is good for some things, but its a lot of work to put your problems and feelings in text. Do you have really close friends to share things with?
Hey, if your doctors or therapists seem like they are not really looking out for you, let your parents know, and ask them to help you find someone else! Remember, they are paid to help YOU, and there are A LOT of doctors and therapists out there.
Well, good luck, keep posting...
Tony
Sorry to hear you are stressed... I know the feeling, well. Sounds like you are on the right track, don't give up! Has your therapist or doctor mentioned trying any antidepressants? I know I used to resent anyone who suggested taking any meds that like that, but if you are really depressed they can help. In fact, some actually help you sleep, too. I've been stressed/depressed/sleepless for a while and finally one doctor gave me Trazodone (for sleep). It made a HUGE difference. I actually slept through the night. Not only that, but after getting a full night's sleep, I felt I could handle the stress a little better.
Its good to have a close friend(s) you can really talk to. This board is good for some things, but its a lot of work to put your problems and feelings in text. Do you have really close friends to share things with?
Hey, if your doctors or therapists seem like they are not really looking out for you, let your parents know, and ask them to help you find someone else! Remember, they are paid to help YOU, and there are A LOT of doctors and therapists out there.
Well, good luck, keep posting...
Tony
ZC
05-21-2003, 02:48 PM
Hey 19yearoldgirlunderstress, be careful with the cold medicine! I was just like you, a year ago i started taking a cold medicine to sleep and got really addicted to it, it stopped working and i had a tough time getting back into a sleep routine. The main ingredient was Dextrometorfano.
ZC
05-21-2003, 02:49 PM
Hey 19yearoldgirlunderstress, be careful with the cold medicine! I was just like you, a year ago i started taking a cold medicine to sleep and got really addicted to it, it stopped working and i had a tough time getting back into a sleep routine. The main ingredient was Dextrometorfano. Very soon i started to up my dose every night till the situation became completely ridiculous and i was taking 6 times the recommended dose. BE CAREFUL!