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Need some words of wisdom

Posted , 4 users are following.

Marioscy
Marioscy

Hello people,

I am in a need of some words of wisdom from fellow insomnia sufferes.

I have been suffering from insomnia attacks for the last (almost) 2 years. For the last (almost) 8-9 months is kind of (not completly) in remission (not always). Some days i feel like i never had this (the good days as i call them) but somedays i go crazy (i manage and shortcircuit myself). I get panic attacks, fear, stress and not able to close my eyes. Only with pills i sleep. These days may last from a day to some days (the trigger most of the times is stupit). The problem with the pills is that the next day my brain is like a num.

I want to get ride of this problem and obviously the pills.

Can anyone give me some hints on how to treat these bad days? 

Thanks in advance

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • rocky31676
    rocky31676 Marioscy

    Posted

    You will need to exercise and keep stress to a minimum in order to sleep and give up on sleepin pills. 
  • NECKBONE
    NECKBONE Marioscy

    Posted

    In the early period of my insomnia, most of my days were hard to get through because I thought about how bad I felt and how terrible my sleep was.  Like you, I was (am) more anxiety prone when I don't get any sleep.  The key for me was just putting my head down and focusing on my day, not on how bad I felt.  Approaching days in which I am not 100% this way, it actually makes me feel better than I otherwise would.  This strategy also helps me sleep a little better.  Afterall, if you are able to function on no sleep and don't act like it's the end of the world when you don't get any, you have less anxiety about sleeping at night and this in turn helps you sleep.  

    As for the pills, I may not be the best source of advice because I have a strong bias against them.  Pills helped me sleep slightly better early on, but their benefits wore off quickly and the day after hangover was worse than if I had just not slept at all.  I have taken them all at one point or another, Xanax, Lunesta, Ambien, and several others and they are all bad news in my opinion.  I don't sleep that much better now than I did 4 years ago, but the sleep I do get is better than what I was getting with pills and the days after are much more tolerable.  I cannot bash pills completely because I am sure the benefits outweigh the costs for some people.  But for every 1 story you read in which someone has been helped by sleeping pills, there are 10 stories about people having poor experiences with them.  For me personally, I can say without hesitation that they made my problems much worse.  I didn't think I'd be able to kick them for awhile and the first few nights were tough, but I resolved myself not to go back to them and it didn't take long at all before I didn't even think about pills anymore at night.  One thing that helped me get rid of them was not having any around; my prescription ran out and I made a conscious decision not to get it renewed.  

    I sincerely sympathize with you as like many here, I know how it feels to be a walking zombie in the daytime.  Best of luck to you. 

    • Marioscy
      Marioscy NECKBONE

      Posted

      Thanks for your advice. Some days i feel like no problem exists. Other days i feel like chaos, i try to manage it  but i am not always successful. If i do not sleep on the time i want is like all hell break lose and i go insane. 

      The good thing is that this episode have reduced 

    • Marioscy
      Marioscy NECKBONE

      Posted

      My experience with pills is also bad but i am so scared to not have as a last resort
    • NECKBONE
      NECKBONE Marioscy

      Posted

      I think that's what you have to work through.  I was also afraid of not having anything as a "backup", much like you just mentioned.  But, I reasoned that I actually felt better after nights with no sleep than I did after nights where I slept a couple of hours but took pills.  If you can get over the fear of not getting any sleep, then you can get rid of the pills.   

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