Joined: 07 Apr 2007 Posts: 8 Location: Milwaukee, WI
Sleep Attack/cataplexy Misdiagnosed As Anxiety Attacks? Posted: 04-11-07 19:08pm
There are a lot of times when I feel out
of it, my breathing feels shallow, my
limbs and face feel strange (like I can't
feel them as well as I should), and
sometimes I feel detached from my
surroundings. I told a psychiatrist about
this, and he said I was having anxiety
attacks. I told him that I didn't feel
anxious when it happened, and that I've
had what would definitely be anxiety
attacks a few times and it was a much
different feeling. He said that they could
be mild anxiety attacks.
I generally don't actually sleep
during the day (I have had what I called
"involuntary naps" more than a few times,
but that was generally when I was taking a
day off from a stimulant medication after
having taken it for like a week straight).
I often feel tired, but if I try to take a
nap I don't get beyond the first stage of
sleep (as far as I can tell). However, I
do sometimes do things without remembering
doing them (I've misplaced a lot of things
this way). I've blamed this on ADD, my
mind wandering. Suddenly I'll realize I'm
in the kitchen (or where ever) and don't
remember what I went in their for.
Sometimes I'm driving and miss my turn or
turn the wrong way, then suddenly snap out
of it and realize that I'm going the wrong
way and have no idea how it happened. It's
not uncommon for me to just stop saying
something, and then person I was talking
to asks me what I was going to say, and I
don't remember (though sometimes if they
remind me of what we were talking about I
remember). I've blamed my not remembering
conversations or not hearing someone
trying to get my attention on ADD, too.
Do the things I'm describing sound like
automatic behavior during sleep attacks?
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