How come I do so well one day and then so awful the next?

[Lenore]

Gosh, I sure do remember when I encountered sleep deprivation. While I don't necessarily have a definitive solution, I'd like to offer a few possible recommendations:

- SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS of the program. What are you really eating, watch your sugar intake & caffeine intake, are you eating too heavy b/4 bedtime? Are you exercising: having a means to get rid of that excess adrenanline? are you doing relax sessions or some means of giving yourself a timeout: could be relax session, a nice bubble bath w/ soft music, sitting outside in your backyard & just being - knowing you don't have to be anywhere else but right there. Are you JOURNALING your neg to pos self talk? Sometimes, the neg thoughts are so darn SUBTLE - that we have trouble noticing them - then, b/4 you know it - they cumulate = heightened anxiety or a panic attack. What are you telling yourself?

- WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE? Chances are, there is something going on that is creating such stress levels - that it is creating heightened anxiety. FIND THE SOURCE. Once you figure out what the SOURCE is - PROB SOLVE/RESOLVE - so that you don't endlessly WORRY. Remember, when you WORRY all the time - you don't resolve anything - it effects your eating & YOUR SLEEPING. SO, FACE/ADDRESS/RESOLVE/DISSOLVE & let go.
<span class="ev_code_RED">I wanted to state - whenever I encountered sleep deprivation or even now, a break in my sleep patterns - there is something going on in my life that I am thinking lots about- but not doing anything about it. What EXAGERATED the sleep deprivation, was OH NO'G about it & OBSESSING about it. In other words, "oh no, I didn't sleep last night & I felt like crap - tonights gonna come - I bet I'm not gonna sleep again" . OBSESSING will so greatly effect your sleep as well. Respectively, DON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL about it - by over reacting to it, constantly thinking & talking about it & posting about it, looking for the answer to a solution, when we already have the answer's w/in ourselves. </span> I had such extreme & severe sleep deprivation when my anxiety disorder triggered - I became soooooo sensitized to it, IT BECAME A FEAR. I obsessed about it so much, asking everyone & their mother - I created add'l anxiety(on top of what I was already feeling that created the initial sleep disruption)- that it further inhibited my sleep.

Now, I haven't taken a sleep aid in like 1 1/2 yrs & no anxiety med since Dec-2006, I do experience a break in my sleep patterns now. Yes it isn't as severe as 3 yrs ago. But I also effect that NOW - I don't over-react to it. I don't "oh no I had a bad nights sleep. I'm gonna go thru that sleep thing again", etc - I SAY NONE OF THAT. I under-react to it, trying reallllllllllllllly hard. "ok, so what, no big deal", I just carry on. I make sure to be gentle w/ myself: eating right, exercising: get rid of that excess adrenaline, relax, work on what is REALLY BOTHERING ME & acknowledge/address/resolve/dissolve & let go=good sleeping. I simply don't obsess about it: whether talking, thinking, reacting, posting here - under react to it.

Your friend,

LENORE

[Faith_TX]

Originally posted by Lenore:
- SKILLS, SKILLS, SKILLS of the program. What are you really eating, watch your sugar intake & caffeine intake, are you eating too heavy b/4 bedtime? Are you exercising: having a means to get rid of that excess adrenanline? are you doing relax sessions or some means of giving yourself a timeout: could be relax session, a nice bubble bath w/ soft music, sitting outside in your backyard & just being - knowing you don't have to be anywhere else but right there. Are you JOURNALING your neg to pos self talk? Sometimes, the neg thoughts are so darn SUBTLE - that we have trouble noticing them - then, b/4 you know it - they cumulate = heightened anxiety or a panic attack. What are you telling yourself?
LENORE

Thanks so much for all of the reminders! In fact today I decided to call a counselor in my area that focuses on overcoming panic and anxiety without meds. She says she focuses on diet, exercise and some diet supplements. I don't drink caffeine, but I have not been eating right and I have not had any time to relax at all. I went and did some exercising today and it helped a lot!! It did burn off some of the adrenaline. I did some journaling for the first time in a long time last night. I didn't do neg to pos just got a lot of stuff out. Wow thanks so much for the thoughtful post. It really means a lot.

If I don't do the basics I don't know how I can expect myself to feel anything more than yucky, right?

I'm not going to take my Xanax tonight; I'm going to just relax on my own and I'm guessing I'm going to have an easier time. I have such a fear of meds that any benefits from them are outweighed by me worrying about taking them.

Take Care.

[Kldrn]

Chris... it sounds like you made some good decisions today... and exercising is a great way to burn off the adrenaline, I am glad it worked for you...I hope you keep on the right track and know that you are NOT alone in this.

Lenore... I enjoy your posts so much, they are full of great advice and very inspirational. Thank you!

[ecb]

I know exactly how you feel. I felt really good over the weekend and boom today I was a wreck. I don't understand it other than I listened to session 3 and I went over the edge trying to think positive and ticking every negative thought. It was too much. I finally had to back off and put the little spiral notebook away for awhile. I feel a little better tonght and I am praying to God that I sleep tonight. Please know you are not alone. It is so easy to feel like your the only one out there feeling this way. Positive self talk will help. I just hard to keep it up.

take care,
ecb