Stress Center Peer Support

Oh, boy--do I understand being scared to sleep. For the longest time, I had to take a sleeping pill every night to sleep, and on the worst nights, even that didn't help.

I found that I was scared to fall asleep. It was as if something bad might happen to me if I fell asleep-like someone would come into my house and hurt me or I would just die in the middle of the night and not wake up. When I sleep, I am at my most vulnerable, and I cannot be as hypervigilant as I usually am when I am sleeping. Add this to the anxiety I feel because I am not sleeping and have to get up early for work, etc. It is a very viscious cycle. I have since learned that it is part of my OCD. This knowledge, coupled with the Cymbalta I have been taking has helped tremendously. Also, my psychiatrist gave me some Rozerem to take for a few days. He gave me this instead of something else due to my fear of not being in control or aware while I slept. I took it for about 10 days, and now, I find that I am able to fall asleep because the obsessive thoughts I have before sleep are reduced. I still rarely sleep through the night though. However, just being able to fall asleep is a huge accomplishment for me.

The night time panic attacks are the worse. I have only had one, fortunately, but I do have dreams that wake me up and keep me up for a little while, mostly because they are distressing and just plain weird.

You may be right. It may have been the Ativan that made you so paralyzed when you awoke. Or, you could have just been very, very tired. When you wake up like that, try telling yourself that it's just panic. Tell yourself over and over if you have to. This is just panic, and it will go away. I have found that, with practice, I have gotten pretty good out of talking myself out of having a panic attack (during my waking hours of course). I have learned to recognize the signs that tell me I am about to have one, and then I begin talking to myself. I say, "Oh, no. Not again. I will not have a panic attack." I then just breathe and focus on that, as well as clearing my mind. This has been helpful for me.

I wish you luck! And we're all hear for you!

Genie

I have a feeling the ativan may be causing the side effects. You may really need to get on an SSRI for awhile. I know you said taking that one Paxil put your world into a spin, but, taking one does not do that. That is you thinking it does, you should really try the Paxil for awhile. You need to give it atleast 4 weeks to six weeks.

Mel, if anything i would try cymbalta or something else. not the paxil cr again. i have a psych app. with a very good dr so iv heard because she is always booked but its in august ):

Holly,
Hang in there... often I am afraid to sleep because I don't want to miss anything, and I don't really know or understand where "I go" when I sleep. I've been using Cymbalta for about 1 year, and have less side affects than Paxil and others, but will have nightmares often. I have noticed that if I don't eat for about 4 hours before bed time they are minimized. Again, hang in there, you're not alone!

I mentioned in the other forum that I have an appointment to see a nurse practitioner next week because my depression and anxiety have recently skyrocketed and others have recommended I get a prescription. I am a bit nervous about the visit. Can someone give me an idea what to expect or what she might prescribe, if she will give me choices, and what I should try if so? Thanks.

Holly J:
I agree with some of the other comments that you may be experiencing rebound anxiety from the Ativan. When I read your post, I thought it sounded a lot like what I experienced. If you need extra help while you are adjusting to an SSRI, valium may be a better choice because it is longer acting and you don't rebound. I tried Klonopin and Ativan back in 2006 and rebounded myself into HORRIBLE anxiety where I could only sleep 1 hour per night, would wake up with my whole body shaking, I couldn't even pour my kids a bowl of cereal I was so anxious. It is a terrible cycle and then you just try more Ativan because you are so anxious. I found a great psychiatrist who started me on Paxil, but I had to use valium in small amounts daily for about a month just to get myself back together. Best of luck. Formerly sleeplessMom

Originally posted by ProfMike:
I mentioned in the other forum that I have an appointment to see a nurse practitioner next week because my depression and anxiety have recently skyrocketed and others have recommended I get a prescription. I am a bit nervous about the visit. Can someone give me an idea what to expect or what she might prescribe, if she will give me choices, and what I should try if so? Thanks.

Prof. Mike,

It can be scary going in for a med eval the first time. I have been on a variety of different antidepressants (zoloft, lexapro, effexor), and I have found from talking to others that the medications all work differently for different people. I am on Cymbalta now, and it's okay. I don't have the dead inside feeling anymore and my obsessive thoughts and anxiety aren't as bad. But I have hope for Cymbalta. The nurse will probably ask you to describe your symptoms and then make a recommendation. Make sure you ask her about side effects. Good luck with your appointment, and let us know how it goes.

Genie

Any time one wakes up in the middle of the night, the brain is still in a "sleep state". Even though you knew you were awake the brain takes it's cues from light and action.
You didn't get out of bed, you had a nightmare, you had an ativan in your system and you suffer anxiety anyway.
All of these factors play a role in how you felt. It's in these moments you have to learn to self sooth and know, really know, you're okay.
This has happened to me many times in the past. It "feels" scary but the brain and body are doing the normal thing in reacting to the stimulus.
If this happens again, get up, drink something, distract and redirect. Learn to trust your past that you were fine and will be again.

thankyou all so much for replying!! KVSDIVA, makes total sense. . I felt better reading that, thankyou. And in the past i never had withdrawls from ativan so i feel like its not my ativan. . and people say you have to come off it slowly but i take it only when needed so how would you come off it slowly from that? I have not taken one all day today and would start to feel panic but guess what??!! I soothed myself with positive self talk. crazy. . it actually works. i am trying very hard to not take one when i feel panic and feel SOOOO proud of myself when i dont.