Relapse! Coping, Symptoms and Tips.

[Darksky]

That's quite an unsettling dream MrsC
When I dream of people I've lost, it upsets me all day.

I think as a whole we are people who have strong imaginations. We slip so easily into catastrophic and magical thinking too. I wonder if people who are more arty, imaginative etc suffer more from anxiety than down to earth, 'sensible' types.

i didn't dream last night. I don't think I had enough sleep to do it. I reckon I woke 6 or 7 times.

[Carnation]

Crikey Darksky, that's alot of times to wake up.
My waking up seems to have culled down to two at the moment. I go to bed late as well, so probably missing out on quality sleep time. I can't go to bed early, I just lie there listening to Mr C snoring.

Creative and imaginative people will be more prone to anxiety, like deep thinkers in my opinion. I also wondered if anxiety sufferers are people that go to bed late or have disturbed sleep.
Yes, my dream upset me, still thinking about it.

[DustingMyselfOff]

Oh my goodness, Mrs. C, please allow me to apologize in advance, but I am literally laughing out loud about your dream. I'm so sorry that it was so frightening and real and traumatic, and I can truly imagine how it would be, but when you read back what you wrote, does it at least give you a little bit of a chuckle? I truly sympathize with how disturbing and disrupting our dreams can be, but I have to thank you for sharing that one and making me laugh. Hope you don't mind that I'm laughing.

I had a bunch of strange ones again last night/early this morning, but they weren't as much frightening as they were annoying. I was agitated and aggravated and annoyed (that's all I can remember) and now that I'm awake I am still in that state. Which leads me to realize that perhaps my mood of the day is strongly predicated by the amount and quality of sleep I get the night before? I've been in a really good mood lately, but for the past 2 days I've been short-tempered and annoyed and generally unhappy, and I realize for the past 3 nights I have not slept well or enough. That must be more than coincidence.

Back to dreams, I can't recall many (or any) of my dreams that involved being in the woods, but if you have a lot of those, perhaps research that? I don't know if I believe all the translations of dreams that I read about online but some of the theories are very interesting.

I'm off to go scoop up a bagful of dog poop to carry with me today in case I run into any scary elves out there.
Sue

[Carnation]

I don't mind you laughing at all Sue because to someone else it sounds absolutely ridiculous.
I've sort of diagnosed the dream myself.
I was watching something on tv with Elves.
Mr C and I were talking about the lack of Police these days. We were also talking about France, Norwegian Markets and travel.
I've been thinking about my late mum and dad a lot.
The suitcase represents my thoughts about moving again, yes, you heard that right.
But the woods? Could also be about another conversation about wanting to live near trees.
So, my cure is......
Don't talk to Mr C, only watch stuff on the TV that won't upset my sleep and move to a place in a forest.

My eyes have been watery, red and stingy all day, but so has Mr Cs. Must be something in the air.

[YoullNeverWalkAlone]

Hi everyone....

I had a nap this afternoon and dreamt I was in some sort of fun house, but it wasn’t fun it was scary and very confusing, it had loads of doors and you had to find your way out but the rooms kept moving round, I went in one room and it was some sort of toilet but no toilet I’ve ever seen, it was a shiny hill that you sat on and just let the wee run down...strange...when I came out all the rooms moved round again so didn’t know where I was... then I woke up bursting for a wee, God only knows where that dream came from as I haven’t watched or talked about anything like that...weird isn’t it was our brains conjure up...

Hope everyone is well xx

[Carnation]

Hi YNWA,

Strange, I've had that dream in the past. Not nice at all.

I had a friend who was a lecturer of dreams and she told me that dream time is basically not proper sleep. Its a state during a cycle of sleep. I'd call it 'A right state'!

[Carnation]

Yay, no bad dreams last night.
I really think it helps to talk about these dreams clearing the subconscious.
I'm bragging now but I got 8 hours sleep with only waking up once. I'm fully charged and ready to face the day. The weather is its usual, dull and damp self. So I tend to use these days for jobs around the house and watching a good film.
Yesterday I was so on edge, my whole body felt like it was shaking inside and I had that wide-eyed look that's prepared for any danger. I took that look out to town in the afternoon and although no one seems to make any comments, it doesn't improve much.
I've just gotta put one foot in front of the other and get on with it. Sometimes after I return I think, "did I really go out feeling this shit?" And amazed I've cooked a meal when I have fear running through my body.
That's the thing about anxiety, no matter how you feel, you can still do almost anything you want and it's the not wanting that can cause the anxiety to rise. Either don't do it or look for the positive within. No matter who or what, YOU come first! x

Sue, I forgot to mention that I too had a few irritable days. Although Mrs Grumpy does rear her head from time to time. But poor Mr C takes the brunt of it. He says he's used to me by now, but I feel terrible feeling that way, but it's like I'm screaming inside and need to go and do something energising to knock me out to sleep and wake up like a doting housewife and a calm and serene person. Hunger can do this to me, so can lack of good sleep.
I'm like a gremlin if I haven't got either quota.

[Darksky]

No more eating after midnight or water for you then!

what I do to prove I can actually do stuff is write a list. When I wake knowing it's going to be one of those days, I write a list of everything I have to do before bed. Jobs in the house, meals, dog walking, shopping. Then I cross them off as I do them. Then I look at it in bed and think, yes, I may have been feeling crap but I did every damn thing I had to do. So who's stronger me or anxiety and the answer just has to be me.

[DustingMyselfOff]

I'm not sure why but this comment by Mrs. C really struck me hard and I can't get it out of my head:

"Yesterday I was so on edge, my whole body felt like it was shaking inside and I had that wide-eyed look that's prepared for any danger."

What a confusing, life-altering, terrible affliction this anxiety monster is! Yes, some would say "Be grateful it's only anxiety - you could have things that are so much worse." and of course they are right. But when I read that statement, it's like, WTF!?!?! We've got nothing particularly stressful going on that day, there is no trauma that just happened, yet there are times (more often than not) that we feel as you described and are apprehensive and fearful of the smallest chores or tasks or outings. And who could possibly understand this affliction other than those who actually experience it? No wonder it's even difficult for some of our doctors to comprehend.

Sorry, I'm just angry at anxiety today. Yes, I am blessed that it's not something more life-threatening, but good grief, living with this is certainly no picnic, either!
Sue

[YoullNeverWalkAlone]

Hi, everyone,

Sue you are so spot on, but I think it can be life threatening, not that you die from it, but people have become so desperate with it they have tried to take their life and some succeed, The only people who truly understand are those who suffer with it day in day out. I have been on my first walk out today on my own since my accident but oh boy I feel like I’ve climbed Everest in lead boots...my head was spaced out and my legs were like a jellyfish, but I did it, to someone who doesn’t understand what that took must think I’m a softy baby. So yes Sue some people have serious illnesses but like you say, living with this is definitely no walk in the park...xxx