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having panic attacks at night/ear;y morning

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having panic attacks at night/ear;y morning

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 50

Hi,

I was reading thru posts when I found this one. I feel like it's bad to say but I am SO happy to not be the only one with this problem. I thought I was crazy. My anxiety begins around dusk also and pretty much goes away and then I wake up in the middle of the night terrified and breathing heavily with a rapid heartrate. I usually have to take a xanax to calm down but I started keeping a journal right before a go to sleep and express my feelings. If I wake up at night I just write my symptons and my feelings down right there and then. It has worked wonders for me to do this. Since I started I have been able to sleep better. Also I started making a list of all the things I am grateful for during the day to have some positive thoughts before I go to sleep. My therapist has also been beating into my head that it is just anxiety and that's all and to just feel it, recognize the symptoms for what they are, do the belly breathing and let it pass like it will. I have come to realize that all I can do is just make myself as comfy as possible until it goes away. Don't fight the anxiety because it will make the symptoms worse.

Good Luck,

AMJ

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 192

Hi: yes, I too was afraid of death - what the heck is death anyway? nothingness, an energy changeover, reward waiting for us (heaven) where all our family and friends are waiting for us? This depends on your beliefs. Do you have a minister/pastor/priest you can talk to? They could be helpful in answering some questions for you without pressure to "join" a certain church/religion. Just for the fun of it, research what different religious groups believe is the afterlife. I find the more knowledge I have, the better equipped to tackle a problem.

Another idea which I find helpful - when I feel overwhelmed by too many tasks to do, I write an itemized list of the jobs. One by one I check them off as I get them done and it feels good to do so. It's a positive concrete way to show that you are getting things done and keeps you focused and I don't forget things. Chaos sometimes creates anxiety.

Hope this is helpful to you. Good luck.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11214

Florabee,

Death is scary to think about for anyone. It is not enough to say just try not to think about it, I know. Although you will never like the idea of dying you will be able to come to terms with it. You will have to do some soul searching and perhaps look into your religion. For most people the main fear of death is the unknown. But have faith in knowing that perhaps we are not meant to know.

Some thoughts I have heard worked for others is realizing that yes death is inevitable and part of the "plan". Everyone dies and a place where everyone goes can't be that bad, can it? Some people view their heaven or after life, depending on their religion, as a place where everyone is, a place of harmony and balance, a more natural state in a sense. Many religions believe this living world is sort of a training ground, just a step in our journey. To many, life is just the beginning.

Personally, there is a quote that has a lot of meaning for me but you can understand it or disregard it; Alberta Einstein once said energy doesn't die it just changes forms. How I understand that is we are energy; therefore we cannot die we will just change to another form. If you really think about it a natural life and a natural death can be beautiful. We are all part of this world and the world has a plan for us. We shouldn't be scared because it is natural and has a purpose.

Try to think of every day as a precious gift. Enjoy each day to the fullest. We only have a short time on this earth. Who knows what we will enjoy in the next life but for now appreciate this world.

Others, how do you come to terms with the idea of death? Be as elaborate as you would like. All religious and personal explanations are welcome.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5

hello houston! it has taken me sometime to get back to this discussion because i wanted to put your words to good use the same goes for you sarah! i have to thank you and yes houston i am a religious person and often find my self asking God to help me get through the pain. i challenge my anxiety more now and i have experienced a reduced amount of anxiety and i feel better than i have felt in months especially when i am excersizing and eating well i feel so energetic and i feel really great after a nice workout. i still although have trouble with acceptance of death. are there any coping strategies or things to think about to help me find acceptance? i have definetly thought about what you said houston, about thinking of it as a good thing because not having to worry about things after that point and that has definetly helped me out but i still find that when my anxiety is really high and i start to monitor my heart rate or breathing (which i rarely do now as a part of exposure) i still think about death and dont understand how others can accept it so easily. is there anything that i should do to challenge this when im very anxious? the 10 questions, i feel dont really apply to this situation, the death topic becauase the answers arent very comforting haha, to know of course death is true, and its 100 percent true and all that and i cant avoid it,

but anyways. aside from all that i just want to thank you all for posting such wonderful replies and offering great suggestions, it has been such a great help in signifigantly reducing my fears of death.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 14

Florabee, I would use the technique that Sarah detailed for challenging negative thoughts- the ten questions. Also, from personal experience, it helps to bounce an irrational thought off of a friend. Sometimes just hearing reassurance from your loved one that everything is okay will help you feel better.

As far as your fear of death or of dying, I don't know your religious views, but here is what worked for me. I was going through a rough time thinking that I might drop dead at any minute. This was during a time after a doctor told me that I may have a bad heart and before I was cleared as having a healthy heart.

Anyway, I would pray every night to not die, but that if it was God's will that my time had come, then I would accept it. This acceptance of a circumstance that was out of my control was enough to calm me down. Many times panic comes about from feeling out of control. By accepting that there are circumstances that you cannot control you are removing a huge burden from your shoulders. It also helps to switch your focus to positive things. Make a list or say a prayer of thanksgiving for all of the good things in your life...your cat, your boyfriend, being away from a tense household, etc. That's three things that I came up with, and I don't even know you!

With regards to health, it sounds like you have made a great step in quitting smoking. Congratulations. If you build on this success by exercising, you will be making an impact in more areas: weight management, better sleep quality, and overall feeling better.

Also, it sounds like you feel overwhelmed by the clutter around you. I know the feeling of seeing so many thing that have to get done, getting anxious about it, and then not completing anything. What might help is making it a goal to do one thing and then seeing it through. So, for example, you can make it a goal do the dishes and not worry about the laundry, unpacking boxes, etc until the dishes are done. This will help you focus, feel like you're getting things done, and not feel so overwhelmed.

Hope this helps. It will get better, and I'm saying this after having a terrible weekend.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 955

florabee,

Thank you for sharing this experience. I am sure other members have found it helpful to read your story. Many of them share in the fears and anxieties you have mentioned.

In terms of techniques of strategies you can use, we often suggest that you challenge these negative thoughts or fears to help you cope.

Below are ten questions you may find helpful in challenging your anxious thoughts:

The following ten questions will help you to challenge any anxious thoughts. When you have an anxious thought, answer some of these 10 questions:

1. Is it "true"?
2. How do I know it’s true?
3. Is it 100% true? (remember something that is 75% or 99% true is
not 100% true)
4. What's the evidence for it being true?
5. What’s the evidence against it being true?
6. Has it ever happened before?
7. What's different now?
8. If it were true, how bad would it really be?
9. What's the worst thing that could happen?
10. If the worst thing happened, how bad would it really be?

Members, any other advice you can offer florabee? What has your experience been with challenging your negative thoughts?

Sarah, Health Educator

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5

oh wow both great suggestions from houston, i thank you for sharing that with me i too have the same fears. but see there are a few things i should note.

i have been over weight most of my life so i have fears of like heart attacks and stuff and most of my physical symptoms that get me started are throat sensations like feeling like its closing up or its going numb and stuff like that. and suffocation, hard time breathing etc. and im working now on leading a better lifestyle in terms of eating and excersize and i moved out of a home with constant extreme stress and anger, but now i am bored most of the time and feel burdened by looking at everything around me and seeing how messy things are like the bed isnt made or the dishes arent washed or everything is looking so cluttered, and i dont have OCD its just a small space so its hard to find places to put things. and all these other small things like that. most of the time i am alone with my cat, and at night when my boyfriend comes home from work, (around 12 30 am) we eat dinner together, talk a little bit and get to bed and around that time that im in bed and hes sleeping and im awake by myself i start to feel a little paniced and worried. or sometimes especially lately he will still be awake but i will just feel some sort of small physical symptom that didnt agree with me maybe a slight tingle or something in my throat or something and i try to break the cycle and think to myself, "ok i know this is just a symptom that starts a cycle" and it helps me. but then when i get like 2 symptoms like a thought and a physical one.. at the same time.. its hard to control and then im at a loss.. and this seems to happen at its worst at night.

i dont have heart problems or anything like that but i live in constant fear because of my obesity, and i have quit smoking about two months ago or so and i t hink that is why i have these strange feelings or paranoia of suffocation. shortness of breath freaks me out alot! but yeah i made that change so i wouldnt have much to worry about..

but recently my biggest fear at night tends to be death.

its something that i cant avoid im always questioning things liek whats going to happen etc and these are some questions no one knows. and its scarry i guess. but death is majorly scaring me i dont know how to get over this fear.

i know everyone is scared of it. but its causing me panic attacks, are there any tecniques or things that i could do or think to help me with these thoughts that cause anxiety? like there is no way i can expose myself to this type of fear right. like im not afraid of cemetaries or anything. so how can i cope with this?

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11214

Great suggestions Houston!

Panic at night is very common. To attempt to alleviate this problem Houston's suggestions are great. Also, try not to eat before bed. Learn relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and breathing exercises. Doing these throughout the day and before bed will help maintain your stress level. Try going through the relaxation exercise in the auxiliary section of your tool box.

Also, general panic management techniques are recommended as well. Eat healthy, exercise and stress management.

Members, keep the suggestions and stories coming.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 14

When I first started getting PA's, for some reason, I would start to feel anxious right around dusk. Then, I would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding. It slowly went away once I knew medically that nothing was wrong with my heart.

For me, I think that it was a fear of never waking up and maybe a fear of everything getting quiet around me and being left by myself. During the day, the house is loud with activity, children, TV, etc.

At first, I needed to have my wife go upstairs to sleep with me because I was afraid to be by myself. Then, I started to go to bed myself whenever I felt sleepy. I also told myself that there was no reason for me to die in my sleep since my doctor had given me a clean bill of health. So, through exposure, I first fought the fear of going to sleep. Then, even though I continued to wake up with my heart pounding, I would tell myself that it was just panic, and it couldn't hurt me. This way, I did not add to the panic with more fear. Eventually, the heart pounding stopped and the fear of dying in my sleep went away. So, if I can suggest anything, Florabee, it's this:

1. Track your symptoms to uncover what it is you are afraid of and what triggers a PA.

2. If you drink caffeine, stop, or at least don't drink any close to bed time.

3. Write in a journal all of your anxious thoughts right before you go to bed. You'd be surprised how much this helps clear your mind.

4. If you watch the evening news, stop. Maybe watch something lighter and more entertaining.

Good luck, and God bless.

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5

i mainly only get my panic attacks at night/early morning(like 1am ish anywhere between there and 5 am). i think its just a general fear of the darkness and not knowing or being able to see whats in the dark(well everything around me is well lit at night) but for some reason i just only have my panic attacks at night. there was a few rare occasions where i did have them during the day. does anyone also experience this? is there any particular reason as to why this happens at this time of the day or err, night?

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