Another sleepless night...

Learn how to comfort yourself, encourage yourself, and like yourself. This session is chock-full of POWERFUL tools for taking charge and changing your life for the better.
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Jenn29
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:51 pm

Another sleepless night...

Post by Jenn29 » Fri May 06, 2011 6:58 am

Hi all-

I am on week three. Following up with my homework pretty decently. Of course I am still not doing the relaxation tape as much. However I went to a Dr. of Chinese Medicine who really opened my eyes and told me a lot of things. I was referred to her by my hairdresser who was also plagued by anxiety for years.

Yes, I said WAS because she was prescribed some chinese herbs by this woman and she not only cured her anxiety, but a brain tumor she had as well! So of course I said, sign me up. I am on a form of herbs for my liver right now and then I am switching next week to herbs for my heart and kidneys.

It is all pretty interesting really. And so far the herbs actually felt like they worked! I felt as though my anxiety was trying to bust through but due to the knowledge I have learned from this program and the herbs it was like there was a cap on it that wouldn't allow it to.

Well...last night after a few margaritas for the good ole Cinco de Mayo, I went to sleep pretty quickly. However, I woke up around 1:30AM and never truly went back to sleep. I am one of those people that can wake up out of a dead sleep with a panic attack, so there is no real way to pin point what is causing it.

Does this happen to anyone else?? Anyways, I was up all night doing the 2-4 breathing. It didn't really help. I just felt myself getting more and more anxious and then the nausea set in. Then the IBS. It was and still is as I'm typing AWFUL. I work at a very high stress office that requires a lot of energy and attention and I got NO sleep. I hate having to go to work like this. Worried about if another one will come.

I have noticed a trend however, that I tend to have more anxiety after I drink (usually the morning after). So I think I am definitely going to stop that. One glass of red wine, maybe. Not 5 margaritas or liquor in general!

Anyways sorry I am jumping around but back to the Dr. of Chinese Medicine, she said that anxiety tends to start in three places for people. 1. The mind 2. The heart and 3. The stomach. All signs point to mine starting in my stomach. Which makes a lot of sense because sometimes I will have no signs of anxiety but I will get a stomach ache. Once I get a stomach ache it typically will bring on a panic attack. OR I will get a panic attack or anxiety and I will get very nauseous and have an IBS episode. Anyone else experience this? VERY interesting.

I am always looking to exhaust all natural options before turning to modern medicine. So this is one of them. I am praying with the herbs (and possibly acupuncture which was recommended for me, which I will try when I can afford it, anyone done this?) and following this program will lead me to be one of the success stories. I also have an appt. with my PC Dr today to go over blood test results to make sure it isn't something else like hormones or thyroid problems causing my panic (which Im sure it isn't) but always good to check. So we will see what happens.

I wish everyone success in their journeys and I will say a prayer for us all! Cheers to all of those who have experienced these awful sleepless nights, may we all have a calm and sound sleep tonight!

sshew52
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 7:55 pm

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by sshew52 » Sat May 07, 2011 11:09 pm

yes I have a hard time sleeping and staying asleep if I do fall asleep. I have tried a little night cap but do wake up and have more anxiety. I don't know how anyone can get hooked on alcohol with this anxiety thing going on.My anxiety , like yours comes out in my stomach. I hate it so much, and when I have this feeling in my stomach, I can't feel anything else. I am so sorry for anyone who is having this happen to them. Let me know if your herbs work. I have been taking Valerian, and meletonin and sleep some once in a while if it is really dark and there is no noise at all. I have had to change my clock because it was too noisy. I am looking forward to the day that I am over this.

Sue

Jenn29
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:51 pm

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by Jenn29 » Sun May 08, 2011 9:31 pm

Sorry you are having issues with sleep Sue. Unfortunately I'm not sure that these herbs are working...As we speak I am experiencing weird dizziness which is making me have anxiety. I can't bare the thought of being up all night frozen in a panic. I have so much to do at work tomorrow and I need to be able to function.

I am trying to follow this program but I find it rather difficult and not really working either so far. I suppose I am a fraction of a bit better than I was, but I am still experiencing some form of anxiety. Which in tern makes me depressed because I feel like I have tried everything.

I know that this episode will pass, but I just get so angry sometimes that I even have to deal with this. Why do we have to have depression and anxiety? Why us and other people just go about their lives and enjoy it and not have to work hard to enjoy it.

I know you aren't supposed to talk negatively and in a whoa is me tone, but I am just so tired of fighting. And I am only 24. How am I going to feel after another 10 years of this? I don't think I can take it.

Praying for a night of peace and sleep and a good week...Hope you have one too!

Jenn29
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:51 pm

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by Jenn29 » Mon May 09, 2011 2:20 am

Well here I am again. It's 2AM and I am up with anxiety trying to calm myself down. I sometimes like I said will be woken up out of sleep from a panic attack but this time I was woken up for an unrelated issue, and then the anxiety started because I was up.

I am SOOOO tired of this. All I want is a good night's sleep where I know I don't have to worry about waking up in fear. And I know that I will wake up rested and ready to take on the stresses of work and my day. I would rate my anxiety at a 4 right now and I am trying to talk it down before it becomes full blown.

I wish more people were on the chat late at night, for whatever reason...it really helps me to chat with other people. But for now...talking to myself through this will have to do. Hope to fall asleep soon!

Jenn

Dinita
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 12:22 am

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by Dinita » Fri May 20, 2011 12:45 am

I know exactly what you mean. I had stopped the program because I stopped having panic attacks but I've still been so worried about what others think about me...My issue is with work- I'm feeling so depressed because I have a new counterpart who, being new to the role, is very excited but instead of coaching our reps he likes to do things for them and of course the reps like it because its less they have to do. They are always complimenting him on ideas that I've had but they've obviously ignored. I feel so unappreciated- unmotivated- and unwilling to want to keep trying. I hate going to work. For the last few weeks I've been waking up at 2am with work circling my brain and am unable to go back to sleep. I try to be positive and do my meditation but my positive phrases are becoming redundant and I find them hard to believe. My fiancee tells me to simply not care but what kind of manager would I be to not care, I've even tried but are unsuccessful. I feel like my counterpart purposely tries to get the team to like him more than they like me and I've even heard him say negative things about me that are simply ridiculous. When I deliver ideas to the team and he walks by I hear him laughing and I feel like he's laughing at me. I won't give up with the program- I will keep trying with the positive phrases I just hate that this has such a strong grasp on me. I've been with this company for 4 years now (retail) and really wish I could find a different job that would match the pay and benefits but that won't happen so I'm stuck. I pray that I don't wake up tonight again...wish me luck.

Dinita
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 12:22 am

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by Dinita » Fri May 20, 2011 4:10 pm

I woke up last night at 3:30am thnking about work but I did my breathing exercises and said to myself "thought they're just thoughts" followed by positive phrases and it actually worked!! I went back to sleep!! I'm so proud of myself. Repetition

Anxiety2
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 11:45 am
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by Anxiety2 » Tue Jul 26, 2011 3:13 pm

Jenn, My anxiety also comes out in my stomach. I hate being nauseated, it steals all motivation and interest in anything else going on. I am only on lesson 3 but can already tell a difference. Maybe it's the exercise every morning that I (at first) had to force myself to do. but now I look forward to it, mainly because my anxiety and nausea are worse in the am, but if i get up and around, eat a little and drink some hot water (instead of tea or coffee with caffein), after i start the exercise my stomach feels a lot better. I haven't figured out weather it is because I am now concentrating on hitting the tennis ball (my exercise is hitting a tennis ball for 15-20 min. and then running .7 miles, walk .7 miles while reading the cards and then run another .7). I have had to work up to this over the last two weeks but i am improving almost daily. I do have insomnia also and usually only sleep about 4 or 4 1/2 hrs./night, and that is with a sleeping pill. Try the acupuncture, I do it and it can really help if you get a good dr. I can go in there with a level 2 nausea (we have a scale of 1-10) and after 20 min of needles stuck in various places (and btw it doesn't hurt) the nausea usually is cut in half. Also while i am laying there i do the 2-4 breathing and comforting self talk or try to meditate. It can be very relaxing. but to make a long story short, on Sat. night i actuallly slept 6 hours (4 and then 2) which is amazing for me and then last night i actually slept 5 hrs. straight through, also amazing for me. Keep trying and doing the "right thinking" and I think it will help.
Good luck and let me know how it is going.

garyhermesch52
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:00 pm

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by garyhermesch52 » Tue Jul 26, 2011 6:38 pm

I just thought I'd send a reply since I had a spontaneous panic attack one time in case it happens to be helpful for some
reason. I've had anxiety since I was in high school, I realize now. I'm currently 52. In my latter 20s, probably due to my
struggles in life, I got a lot more interested in religion. So, since I'm catholic I was starting to say the rosary pretty
often. Then one night I woke up in the middle of the night and there were hail marys going on like 100mph in my head.
It was weird, but it was like well, I guess there's worse things that could be going on in there. Anyway, I've stayed
pretty religious, and for a long time religous things to do like that have served to be basically a distraction for me
from anxiety/panic attacks. Now since I've finally got this program, I'm really leaning about this condition and how to
get over it. I've always slept pretty well even though I've worked a lot of shift work, so my system has to switch back
and forth. I think a lot of it is because I've always liked to work out a lot. I like to have some nice drinks after a good
hard workout, because I can tell it relaxes me as opposed to drinking without working out which I can tell makes me
more nervous. Good luck!

DrWang
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:53 pm

Re: Another sleepless night...

Post by DrWang » Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:01 pm

I wish I read this before and I also wish that the person who has difficulty falling asleep is feeling better now. Otherwise, I hope the following information gives you some relief.

The usage of Chinese herbs is based upon Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. Chinese herbs and acupuncture can definitely help mental issues such as stress, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and more. TCM treatment is usually based upon pattern differentiation. Different patterns will be treated in different ways even though the diagnosis of mental issues may be the same. For example, if one patient suffers from panic attacks accompanied with irritability or restlessness, this is because of over-function of the "liver." If the complaints are sleeplessness, forgetfulness/poor memory, fatigue, this means the "heart" function is not well. If somebody else's accompanied symptoms are poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomachache, bad breath, insomnia, this is obviously a "stomach"-dominated problem.

The reason I put quotation mark on for each organ is because the meaning of the organs is not the same as in modern medicine. The concept is beyond modern medicine, as in the organ is not just the organ, but the body's specific life function system as a whole (stomach means digestive system). You see, the diagnosis is panic attack but the differentiation in TCM is liver, heart, and stomach. Not only do we treat the panic attack, we treat the heart, liver, and stomach as well.

Also, Chinese medicine doctors treat the problem on the occasion. It is not like as soon as the diagnosis is done, that the treatment will be the same because the treatment is always based upon the current given situation.

If you have any more questions, I am acupuncturist in NYC and you can contact me on that website too.

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