Health Anxiety at Night

[peter6_edwards]

About three weeks ago I panicked when I woke up, I thought I was having a heart attack, I wasn’t. What I was having was a panic attack, through worrying un necessarily. The doctors at the hospital did a full set of tests and found I was perfectly healthy, my GP concluded the same when I saw him. I then started to believe (and sometimes still do) that I have underlying condition which the doctors have missed, this is also un true. I am now worrying about the symptoms which are associated with a panic attack that they are actually something far worse, something life threatening. I now know that symptoms associated with panic attacks are not life threatening.
My worrying is now bad at night and when I go to bed. Because my first panic attack happened when I was in bed and now I associate those feelings and worries when going to sleep. In reality I am over worrying for no good reason however when I start to worry it is very difficult to try to focus on what I know to be true; that I am well, I am OK. Therefore; I spend a lot of time at night not sleeping and worrying, the ‘condition’ started to make me feel depressed, although I have started to feel better recently.

Can anyone tell me what I should do, should I go back to my GP? Has anyone else had this sort of experience, or suffered in the same way? I would be grateful for any advice. Thanks

[lesleyB]

You could go back to your gp but he will say the same thing, just anxiety, this brings on all kinds of symptems I used to go dizzy and was convinced I had a brain tumor. Have you tried relaxation techniques before you go to bed, or deep abdominal breathing while your in bed, both these have helped me.You can buy relaxation cd's which also give visulisation techniques as well.
Good luck:hugs:
Lesleyb

[dawny]

hi peter,

sorry to hear that you are having panics at night.....please try not to work yourself up at bedtime, cause that will cause the panic, if you really think about it you are planning before you get to bed what will happen.

try and think of bedtime as a nice warm place where you are safe and relaxed and as lesley says try deep breathing, put some music on and really concentrate on the words of the song, this will help you to distract you as you fall to sleep. try not to focus on the thoughts of panic, and remember they are only sensations running through your body, nothing more.....yes i know scary and horrible sensations but nothing that can harm you.

it wont happen over night, but by applying these thoughts you will get over the fear of bedtime, otherwise you will find you wont sleep at all and this wont help you as it will slip into your daily life as well.

sorry peter i feel like im preaching, but these are the things that i did and im now on the right road to recovery...good luck mate.

dawny x

[peter6_edwards]

Thank you guys for your advice it is much appreciated! Will try to remain calm and more positive before going to sleep.

This is such a strange situation I've found myself in; I have never sufferred in this way before, I'm a 23 year old man, excercise regularly and like I said before I just woke up in the night about three weeks ago and have been feeling aweful ever since, feel like I'm going a bit insane! Just wish there was some 'pill' I could take that would make me feel better.

The feelings only really seem to effect me at night and once I have time to sit down and supposidly relax, or sleep. During the day I don't have any issues and if I'm out and about at night or training I'm ok, it's almost like when my mind is not active it begins to wonder.

Anyway thank you again, Peter

[Meewah]

Peter

Don't worry. It will all go away. It may take a little time and a bit of work on your part. I have been through exactly what you are going through. My docs put a note on the top of my medical record which I saw when visiting them " thinks he is going to die" from the minute I saw this I lost all hope with docs.. I find that they are only good for putting my mind to rest on physical symptoms but now I avoid that also as if the symptoms disappear when I am occupied at work then I know they are amplified by my high alert state.

The doc did say one good thing " was it symptoms before anxiety or anxiety followed by symptoms" I would say anxiety came first then the symptoms followed, he also said that I had " realised my own mortality" which I understand now that they comes a time in life when people around you become ill and you then realise that you are not invincible and you will die today, tommorow or when you are 90 nobody knows. When I came to accept this fact I found the anx eases. Each day I wake up and say thanks for another day. I appreciate my chance at life. I must get on with living it to the full. I could be terminally ill but not aware of it, so what I cannot spend my final days asking what if.

Sounds easy but it took 12 months to get to this stage. I feel like I am on a benificial jorney of self discovery. I do still wake up in the morning wishing it was all a bad dream then realise it wasn't. I then convince myself again that I do not know when the final curtain will close, and off I go again making the most of the day. It does involve a breathing meditation and sometimes taking time out from the hum drum of work.

I hope this helps and does not sound too wierd. If you had seen me before my first panic attack I seemed like I expected to live until I was old and grey, I had it all mapped out. Then bang family stress that I could not escape gave me a big wake up call and the only way I could see of dealing with it was to talk to myself about what feared me the most and put it to bed. Nearly there I think.

Good luck on your journey..

Kind Regards

Mee ( a fellow male sufferer)

[POGALS]

TRY THIS MAKE YOUR BED MORE CONFTIBLE OPEN WINDOW BIT MOVE TV FROM ROOM IF HAVE ONE YOUR BED NEED S TO FELL WARM AND COMFTABLE INVITING TRY NOT TO SLEEP DAY TIMES DO SOME EXESISE THERE NO FAST WAY BUT I CAN ASHORE YOU IT WILL WORK AFTER PRATICE IF U GET UP AT NIGHT DO SOMETHING BORING NO IT SOUNDS DAFT DONT HAVE A FAG OR T OR ANY THING THAT STIMULATES YOUR MIND NO FOOD HAVE SOME HERBEL T CAMILE T IS GOOD FOR CAMING YOU DOWN IF WHAT CHAT CONTACT ME ON VIRUSNETCORE@HOTMAIL.CO.UK AND TRY SOME OF THESE LINK S http://www.mininova.org/tor/940659

[Gunz]

wow your story and situation is the exact same as mine, so close as if i wrote it myself. you are not alone in this, i to am a 30 year old male, pretty healthy or so i thought, dont drink anymore either, dont smoke, workout 4 times a week, etc...

btw there are drugs but they dont always work and they can have unusual side effects which i have been having recently.

[lababy]

Hi Peter,

Have you tried Rescue Remedy Rescue Sleep?
There's a spray and a vial..... I have both, but find the drops in a bottle of water is better for me personally..... however, I'd be using a good bit more than the 4 drops!

Hope that helps?

[doglover]

Hi Peter,
What you have written could have been by me! :yesyes:
I have had upper back pain for a long time and have been worrying about it for a long time. About 3 weeks ago I woke up in the night and started having a racing heart, pressure in my chest, couldn't breathe, thought I was going to die. I was home alone and phoned an ambulance which arrived and gave me an ecg and said it wasn't cardiac and to see my GP in the morning. I did this and still felt awful. My chest was still tight, my arms were heavy and numb, I felt there must be something seriously wrong. I ended up at the doctors 4 times that week in tears and didn't get any sympathy except to be told it was anxiety and to see an osteopath about my back.
I did that and he told me a i had chronic tension in my upper back which has been causing all the pain and weird feelings in my chest and arms.
Anyway, I am now more anxious than ever. My heart keeps racing, I feel lightheaded when I leave the house. I'm scared i have a heart/lung problem/tumor in my back which has been missed. I'm also panicking about having another panic attack.
This is so distressing. I am an outgoing person who normally takes everything in my stride.
Anyway, I went back to my GP again yesterday who has prescribed me Citalopram.
When I go to bed I listen to a relaxation CD to help me relax. I have a wheat pillow which you heat in the microwave and that gives me some comfort to cuddle it. I am also exercising every day which does help a bit.
I am really struggling though like you and I feel such an idiot. How can my mind play such tricks on me? One minute I convince myself it is all anxiety then I think it cant be.
I hope you get out of this rut soon.
Donna:hugs:

[pinkdante]

hi i know everyones already said it but try to relax - do a mantra i am ok i am ok the doctors have said i'm ok etc, try lavender or neroli oil great for panic (few drops on pillow) rescue remedy night has white chestnut in as well as usual stuff - i find this helpful. put a radio on not too loud so you can just hear it - try LBC 97.3 as its talking. Or change the whole pattern - i find getting ready for bed then coming down to the lounge and listen to a documentary which isn't too interesting to you and drop off that way.

Water music - very soothing, hot water bottle. Don't build it up too much just do something different to stop the pattern. Some herbal teas are good - dr stuarts and sleepytime from health shops very good.

but most of all think to yourself your fine and nothing can happen to you in a panic attack and hey least your in bed - open window/curtains lie on side and take deep breaths - sniff the neroli and take the rescue remedy!


hope this is in some way helpful - remember lots of people have the same thing so thats reassuring in itself sometimes.

[fiona1]

Hi

night times are my worst(thus here ia m writing this post at 2.45 in the morning lol!)my 1st panic attack was at night and now i wake up in a sweat between 2-4am most nights.Nice to read all the postings here though :winks:

Hope you find a good nights sleep soon-am sure there's one waiting out there for us all!

all the best

fiona

[jackie13]

Hi there

I am a new user and suffer from severe panic and anxiety attacks before I go to bed and in the morning. The days seem so long when my husband is at work I just sit and cry and feel i am in a real rut as I want to go back to work but I am afraid of what people might think or whether I will be able to cope. I am on citalopram and I can't wait for it to kick in and the moment I go out and my loads of stuff cause I am that happy. What really upsets me, is I cannot remember being happy and fear it will never return, does this make sense.

Lots of hugs

[peter6_edwards]

thank you everyone for your replies! I have recently started to come to a better understanding of my thoughts and feelings. When I think back to when I initially started to get these feelings, at the time my thought process would be and sometimes still is 'chest pain; OMG starting to have a heart attack, I'm going to die!'. I've had these thoughts countless times and in reality I have never had a heart attack although at the time it seems so real and probable. Suppose after thinking so much why I'm like this I finally realise what this issue is; I had a panic attack (which I thought was a heart attack) which has brought me to question my own mortality. Through this I'm overly worried that I could infact have a heart attack at any moment about which I feel there is nothing I could do, my life would be over and quite frankly it pi****s me off as I believe I still have more to give in my life. And the irony of this situation for me I appear to have a phobia which is connected to death, whilst at the same time I'm catholic and have been throughout my life and believe in God? Make any sense? Thought not? Pete

[Meewah]

Hi Peter

I think with all of us health anxiety sufferers we have a problem with accepting our mortality. I have started to analyse what fears me the most. I have realised that knowing that at anytime I could die! I may have cancer, I may fall and die etc...I am currently sat here listening to a repeat of a programme on radio 4 "Advice to the Living". I have decided that as soon as I expose myself to my fear of mortality the easier my anxiety will become. I am happy for living this long and I enjoy each day more. The radio 4 programme is a number of people who are dying giving advice on how to live which of course we all are from the moment we are born.

Sorry if you find this depressing but my CBT Therapist says you have to find what the cause of my anxiety is and I discovered it was the realisation that " I may die today" The recommendation was to expose myself to that anx creating thought and keep exposing myself to it until the anxiety reduces. Believe me death is to me the ultimate fear and must be the hardest to come to terms with. I suggest that people listen to the programme "Advice to the Living" on the radio 4 website.

Face the demons

Mee.

[peter6_edwards]

Hi Mee,

Thank you for posting! I listened to the radio 4 programme and have found it very helpful. I would suggest that anyone reading this thread and feeling the way and experiencing the emotions that have been written about listen to this programme.

( http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/advicetotheliving)

It's clear that the anxiety I have been experiencing is due to under lying issues I have, that I have not dealt with and have tried to ignore. I think this maybe the same for other sufferers and not just me.

I hope that I can continue to improve, deal with my issues (demons!) and feel better.

Peter

[flinty90]

Just reading all these posts, i think most of us anxiety sufferers do suffer at night rather than in the day, i also have been feeling more anxoius at night but i guess when all lights are off and you lying there like an owl with nothing else in your mind but your thoughts you are bound to feel anxious,
The interesting thing for me is how the times between 2 am and 4 am seem to be relevant to 99% of night time anxiety sufferers?

If i go to bed at 2 am i sleep straight through . if i go to bed at 11 or 12 then i normally wake up at 2 in anxious state and then only drop back to sleep after a couple of hours around 4 am 4:30 am.
Its like your mind is that tired by that time you cant be arsed to stay awake and worry, Just further proof that its your mind controlling your symptoms rather than actually being ill.

Hope you feel better soon mate its is a pain in the backside but not sleeping wont help your anxiety levels either so really best to take som of the above advice, try not to let things play on your mind like i said you will sleep when your mind cant be bothered to make you feel anxoius anymore..

Good Luck

Flinty !!

[peter6_edwards]

Hi guys,

Feeling better today, hopefully get a good nights sleep! Feel like I'm getting to the bottom of my anxiety problems and dealing with the root causes. Looking forward to this week, something I have not been able to say for a long time!

Thank you for your support Peter:)

[Alisonj]

What everyone has already said it fabulous advice. Also sometimes trying to hard to relax can make things worse. It is a catch 22. Even if we are relaxing and doing what we think should help sometimes the panic will still come and we have to accept that. Try not to fight it and let it wash over you. I know it sounds hard and its hard to just let things happen when they are so scary but sometimes if we accept its happening and let it happen it tends to be alot shorter and alittle less scary.
I hope this is just something for you that will pass and you will feel better asap!