Nocturnal attacks AGAIN. Severely depressed over it

[Txxxrho]

I keep waking up in the panic. This time it's not being able to breath. I have sharp pains in my back and stomach (feeling like I'm constipated maybe?) ears ringing, heart racing, the doom feeling CONSTANT. What is going to help me stop these? During the day I can manage to just keep a constantly high anxiety level and not panic but it's hard enough to fall asleep then I have to wake up in panic attacks. Running to the ER is always my first thought but what good is that going to do me? I don't know anymore. I'm so depressed over it

[John87]

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time! Anything you have started doing different lately before you go to bed? Maybe too much caffeine or sugar? Eating to much before you sleep? Anything at all?

I know it sucks but as always we get through this just takes time!

[Sukie]

I am sitting here right now not wanting to go back to bed after waking up in a panic. It wasn't a full blown attack this time. I'm getting better at calming myself down but am still sitting here with my heart beating fast and not bake to properly catch my breath. I am really getting sick of it. I'm scared to go back to bed in case it happens again. I used to love sleep. Now I dread it.I just wish I knew why it happens. So I guess I just wanted to say I know how you feel and you are not alone. It really is a horrible thing to have to live with.

[xvolatileheart]

Same here, Sukie. Lying here trying to calm myself down so I can get back to sleep. Sleep has always been my escape, but now I dread it. I dream of the day I can have a full night's sleep without waking up in a panic. I'm exhausted by this. :(

[PanicAttackGurl]

This use to happen to me all the time, every night for months on end. I listen to sleep hypnosis for anxiety/panic attacks now every night. You can search youtube for it. I also alternate between sleep hypnosis and light meditation. Also, try losing any anxious thoughts before bedtime. Think of something positive.

[Davit]

Why it happens?

I posted this elsewhere but here goes. During the day everything you do, think or feel goes into short term memory. At night during REM sleep it gets sorted and the important stuff moved to long term memory. If your day has been anxious these anxious thoughts are going to want to know if they should be stored. Unfortunately the part of the brain that decides this is also the part that controls fear. Normally you would think "that isn't important" and discard it but since you are now afraid to sleep it has become important. Important enough to wake you. As PanicAttackGurl said try to think some thing positive before bed, this will dilute the thoughts going through the fear centre in your brain. Slowly work up to trying to think positive all day so that that is what is in short term memory and what will replay at night. Positive thought do not cause panic attacks. During the day challenge the anxious thoughts and discard them so they are not in short term memory.

This works, I sleep sound where during the height of my panic I woke every night for a year. Always between 2 and 3 in the morning.