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Hi all,
You may relate to this so interested to hear your thoughts / remedies.
Growing up and into adulthood I would encounter certain situations that would give me great anxiety to the point where I would think about them much of the day - even if I wasn't encountering them - including bedwetting and anxiety about impotence with my first girlfriend - physically I was fine I just couldn't relax enough to perform and it pre-occupied my mind.
Recently it's been sleep - one bad night has turned into a succession of panicky nights and days thinking I'll never sleep properly again and I'll lose my business etc.
I think as a child I learned a negative anxiety behaviour as a way of dealing with prolonged bedwetting - constantly thinking of how to prevent it, covering it up, thinking I was abnormal and weird, thinking it would never end etc. etc.
I now have these same feelings and anxieties about sleep ... and I'm now in my late 30s.
I've been to see the GP several times and he's prescribed Amitryptiline 25mg at night and 50mg Lustral during the day - as of today.
I'm hoping the Lustral starts to deal with some of my negative thought processes during the day so I feel more settled at night after the side effects have gone (eek).
However he seemed fairly adamant that pills wouldn't do the trick and wanted me to see a counsellor which I'm doing already.
He's also referred me to the community mental health team, which I have to say came as a shock at first, but when I started reading up on what they do I actually feel quite positive that they can help me.
Would really like to hear about similar experiences ...
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lesley10790 David7719
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AnonymousWoman David7719
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I can identify with part of what you're saying. I was always the nervous type and used to have times as a child where I would get very anxious about normal enough things that would prevent me sleeping or cause distress at a very young age. Of course this just got worse as life's stresses just got bigger and more serious.
I agree with your doc, meds help but therapy is really the best route to fixing things. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) especially.
Try not to think about the sleeping too much. I had a period like that. If you get into the "Will I sleep tonight?" mode, then you will just get more anxious and it will turn into a viscious circle. It might seem hard to muster the energy if you're not sleeping but exercising before bed is really good for getting you very sleepy. Even yoga. I find it has me yawning just while I'm warming up!
Are you on sleeping tablets? Is that what the Amitryptiline is? Those should help you get back into sleeping and hopefully right through the night.
I hope things improve, you have made a really good start so welldone.
Agirl xx
David7719
Posted
On the meds side I've been taking Amtriptyline 50mg for a month up until today- it's used to treat pain and depression - it's a sedative, although when your mind's working overtime it doesn't always work. I've also had zopiclone 3.75mg.
Today my GP said try Lustral 50mg for morning and Amitriptyline 25mg at night - I've taken the first one this morning (I have taken these before a while ago, but only for 5 days as I didn't think I needed them as I was feeling slightly 'down' rather than anxious - more fool me).
From what I've read and heard from other people, an SSRI is the best medication for anxiety in the long run despite the side effects (?). However maybe a pyschiatric GP / Nurse may put me onto something else who knows...whatever happens though I'm determined to approach this in the right way and grow stronger. I'm in my late thirties and feel as though I need to manage these issues once and for all so I can enjoy the rest of my life. At the moment I feel like there's always something in the background waiting to keep me back or down.
I know the next few days / weeks are gong to be really rough but I just want to get on and work had and play hard ...and sleep at night.
In 50 years I think mental health will be much more at the forefront of our healthcare system - children will be taught more about wellness and happiness in Schools and everyone should be entitled to talking therapies just like we can currently access GPs.
Why is the brain not given equal priority as the heart, lungs etc.?
rosemary62797 David7719
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David7719 rosemary62797
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rosemary62797 David7719
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