anxiety management help..

[Nemoandthefishes]

need some tips to deal with anxiety as it is particularly bad of evening and night meaning I dont sleep. I suffer nausea,vomitting, diahorria[sp]and general restlessness...It has been getting worse and worse over the last 3/4mths meaning I am sleeping around 2-3hrs a night then dealing with children through the day.

[Maidamess]

Have you tried relaxation CD's? Or have you seen your GP? your symptoms sound horrible. poor you.

[Nemoandthefishes]

am under a psychatrist and psychologist and have been for 4 and a half years but going through a bad patch again at the min.

[constancereader]

Have you talked to anyone about this? Your GP could refer you for CBT or dicuss some medication which might help. It is foul to feel this bad, I do know what you are going through. Is there any specific incident that triggered this bad patch?

[bandgeek]

Go to your GP. I suffer from anxiety and mine gave me a relation CD and put me on beta-blockers. Obviously I don't want to be on medication forever however they really do help at the moment.

[Nemoandthefishes]

dont know trigger for this patch..generally depression and anxiety come down to PTSD over sexual abuse as a child. However for the last year I was doing really well but now not sleeping etc again so hit a wall.

[constancereader]

No sleep is awful. What do you do when you can't sleep?

So sorry to hear about your ptsd and abuse

[Nemoandthefishes]

I sometimes try to lie in bed in the dark. Half the time I will play something on the DS in bed or I will be on the loo as anxiety also affects my bowels badly. I also come online a lot.

[constancereader]

I would avoid lying in bed in the dark - it is always bad for me if I do this. Do you talk online, or look at stuff? I'm not really sure, but I think a sleep clinic would recommend doing something that would not stimulate your brain too much. What about setting up a routine/plan for wakeful times that you stick to? A hot bath with lavender oil and a warm milky drink could be an option. (Only if it won't hurt your stomach though). I tend to go over and over stuff so much if I don't distract my mind, so I quite often read something gentle, like a familiar childrens book.

Any chance of getting a referral to a sleep clinic - perhaps if your sleep was sorted out a bit it would help with the anxiety?

[Prufrock]

Jigsaws. I read the tip in a magazine a few weeks ago and now have a big one set up in my spare room that is still very far from completion, because it is so effective. Not only is it an activity that you have to concentrate on (so stopping you from thinking about whatever is worrying you) but the looking down and concentrating has a soporific effect.

[BigBadMouse]

Nemo - Sorry to hear you are going through a bad patch. Are you still seeing your psychologist? (S)he should have given you loads of coping strategies for this...

[Nemoandthefishes]

BBM I am still seeing her am actually with her tomorrow morning and sunday nights are always my worst time so will speak to her about it in the morning. I have told her a few times about the sleep.

[BigBadMouse]

Good, glad you are still seeing her. I know what it is like, been there myself (currently 'there' actually hence much time spent adding random comments on MN )

Don't know if you are the same but when I see my Psych I sometimes find it hard to express how I felt at a particular time if it was more than a day or so previously. I thought it was down to me being stupid but now realise it is actually part of the illness - everything seems to become a very misty mix up of strange, unexplainable feelings.

Way too tired to be of any more help right now methinks. Good luck, it will get better - you need to break the cycle of the worrying lead-up to the evening/night making things worse IYSWIM.

[catzy]

My GP has referred me to an Anxiety Management course through MIND.

I can't tell you much about it yet as I'm on a waiting list for the next available course in my area which they've told me is end of April.

Apprently, you have a 1.5hr private session at start to talk through why you need it and to make sure you are suitable. Then it is a weekly six week course to teach you methods of coping with Anxiety. It is in a group and you do not discuss any personal problems other than at the first private meeting.

Might be worth speaking to your GP about this. Mine suggested this as did not feel counselling was appropriate. I have been dealing with Anxiety and insomina for about 12 mths.

I know how you must be feeling, insomnia is the pits and trying to get through each day on limited sleep is such a struggle, Especially with kids. I'm a bit nervous about the course but need to do something as I am reluctant to take any medication.