Panic In My Sleep

Kgirl16~
it does sound like you are under alot of stress. You have to relax. I've had alot of strss in my life too, and thats where my panic attaks came in. They were really bad too. As soon as I cut a few things out of my life, it got better. I still have anxiety, but not as much. Just know that there are alot opf people here to support you. Im sure you'll make the best choice for you about the school, and as for your parents, thats not your place to deal with. You need to worry about you! When you go to sleep try counting back from 100. I know it sounds funny, but it works..
I hope things get better for you..

What position do you sleep in?

I began getting panic type symptoms around age 32 including racing heart, irregular heartbeat, shotness of breath, could not sleep at all.

I was afraid to lift anything exercise, take a walk or do anything that would set off my symptoms. I was 32- I thought I was dying! While I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse (supposedly) and put on medication to control heart rhythm, I continued to have episodes almost daily! I was in an out of emergency rooms at least once a week.

Finally my wife mentioned cutting out caffeine completely from my diet which I thought I had done already. She reminded me that I drink quite a bit of decaf coffee and Iced tea and I replied but it’s decaf? Come to learn all decaf is not the same. After cutting out the decaf stuff for only a day or two I began sleeping like a baby and feeling like I was 15 years younger!

I'd also read that taking a Calcium Magnesium Zinc plus a Vitamin B complex supplement once a day helps keep teh nervous system in balance. With the combination of the supplements and zero caffeine I have gotten rid of 99% of my symptoms.

I fgured, cutting out the caffeine and the decaf will never hurt you anyway and a supplement- ask your doctor but I don’t think a moderate amount of a vitamin supplement can hurt you either…. Best of Luck. I’d love to hear back and see if it helped you….

I have decided that the reason I panic in bed is because that is down time. During that time I let my mind wander and the next thing I know I am gasping for air and the whole works. Then it ends with me vomiting in the bathroom. Lately, I keep a few good books beside my bed. At least one fiction and one inspirational (The Secret is what I am reading now, and it really helps!). I read until I literally fall asleep with the book. If I wake up in during the night, I grab a book. It keeps my mind off things until I can nod off again. Good luck and keep us posted on how you do!

Right after I had my second child i woke up in the hospital on the second night having a horrible panic attack. I did not know at the time what was happening to me. I was shaking, crying, and thought I was going to throw up. After I went home with the baby things got much worse. i found a great therapist and took some Ativan for a little while. they tried me on zoloft, but I found myself clinging to the ceiling in the ER after that! In my case the panic attacks were both hormone and lifestyle driven. I attend Yoga classes and receive acupuncture and have not needed to take Ativan for many months. Sometimes I have periods of feeling like the world is a little off-kilter and I feel some panicky fluttering in my stomach, but most of the time I am OK. If you have not already done so, you might think about seeing a good psychologist or counselor. They have many tools and experience in treating this.

Please tell me more about the acupuncture. I don't want to change the subject, but I am bipolar too and have wondered how effective it would be.

Aupuncture works to "clear" blockages in "chi" that can be found in your body. It can help things run more smoothly. The premise is that energy flows in your body in predictable ways. Certain things can cause blockages or sluggishness in chi which manifest themselves in a variety of ways. By inserting very tiny needles in certain areas this can help redirect and clear blockages so that your energy or chi can flow more smoothly. I have to say that I did not fully believe in its effectiveness until I tried it. The nice thing is that there really aren't any side effects. I figured I didn't really have anything to lose. i am not saying it is a cure-all, but it certainly helped me a great deal. By the way, it did not hurt at all.

You've really got to try something called Breatheasy. It combines a therapeutic breathing method with music and you do it 15 minutes a day. It not only lowers general stress and anxiety in your life but you can use it to relieve panic attacks, like when you wake up. Don't wait until you hyperventilate! That just sets you up to repeat it over and over.
This breathing method is proven to lower high blood pressure, that's how powerful it is. It gives you direct, immediate relief. Get free instructions and an online audio demo at http://www. control-your-blood-pressure.com/demo.html< /a>

If you are getting recurring panic attacks, it sounds like you have panic disorder. There are a lot of ways to deal with panic disorder, some of which have been mentioned. There is also therapy. The thing that many people don't know about therapy is the it is extrememly effective for anxiety disorders, especially panic attacks. If you get cognitive behavioral therapy, basically what they will do is cause you to have the symptoms of panic attacks, (like hyperventiliating, raising your heart rate, etc.) and stay with you to guide you through it. (it's called exposure) and the more you experience it without actually having a panic attack, the less worried about panic attacks you will be.

It really is extremely effective. I would make an appointment with a psychologist who uses cognitive behavioral therapy. It is the most proven method right now for anxiety disorders.