Can't Sleep From Anxiety

[evergreen]

Yes it is domestic violence, and if these people have hurt you and abused you before-- I can understand you being afraid of them finding you and abusing you again. This is all pretty fresh. I sincerely urge you to find real life support.

 

[superman1496]

In my area, there are only groups for women who have experienced domestic violence. There is one therapist I can find that specializes in men and women domestic violence issues, and she's incredibly expensive. I will keep looking, especially through churches, but so far I'm not finding much. But that doesn't mean I'm looking in the right direction of course.

 

[Wordgirl]

I like the Winnie the Pooh quote - you are smarter than you know, and braver than you think. With each day that goes by, you are farther and farther from the actual events, and over time, that will help. I particularly identified with your not wanting to affect the children involved. I stayed in a terrible situation 9 years because I wouldn't take the cat I loved with me - my thinking was that it would have hurt my abuser too much. I look back on that and, if I could reach back in time, I would give myself a hug and whisper in my own ear, just get out of here!

What I'm trying to say is that you are not responsible for the physical, emotional, or spiritual well-being of this couple's children. If you feel it is appropriate to file a restraining order, then do so. Your focus is now finding a way to cope with the damage, and lead a happy life. :geek:

 

[Elizabeth-Ann]

I am afraid to go to bed (living alone). Every time there is noise outside my door from a person walking by or a door opening or closing, I am completely paralized, shaking and heartbeating... not so funny. I took Atarax, but it made me so dizzy that I was not able to get up in the morning, felt druged till noon with a baby-dose of it. Are there other kinds of medication that just give you a bit of a filter?

 

[kal]

I am currently in the same situation but am finding ways to ease it: I am reading "The PTSD Sourcebook". I am writing a nightly journal and analyzing my irrational thoughts out on paper and expressing my feelings to the journal. Then I shred the pages and go to sleep, so no one can see it so I can write honestly.

In the journal remind yourself that you are safe and order your brain to sleep well. There are some good excercises in the book about letting go...forgiving and moving on.

 

[piratelady]

Elizabeth, I am the same way. I live alone. Every noise that I hear, I fear someone is breaking in. Sometimes the noises will give me nightmares. It is very stressful. For sleeping, I have found that running a fan is a huge help. The white noise filters out the noise of neighbors or whatever is going on outside. The first night I ran the fan I kept waking up thinking something was happening that I was unaware of. After a few nights that subsided and now I don't know that I would be able to sleep without it.

 

[kal]

I also recommend earplugs, they drown out noise, and you can't be afraid of things you can't hear.

 

[Tinyflame]

Some light, also.