PTSD + Anxiety + Hypervigilance = No Sleep...

[Shadowcat]

Hi my name is Elle,
I have PTSD and because of that I have horrible anxiety and I'm constantly hypervigilant. It's 3:43 in the morning and I haven't even tried to go to bed yet because I know I'll just lie there in the dark and panic. It makes me want to cry because I'd love to be in bed cuddled up next to my boyfriend - Do intimacy issues come along with PTSD? Sleeping pills don't work. I have a headache and a stomach-ache from stressing so much. I know in order to change this I must go to treatment, but what can I do in the short term to calm myself down. I've never talked to anyone else with PTSD before and I feel so alone. I have no confidence and no hope. I just need someone to talk to...

 

[TLight]

Shadowcat;
I can relate totally to what you are saying. I was in this position with sleep for years and years and it really tore my body and mind down.

It is essential to work with a Doc on your sleep issues. Don't give up on meds.......I know where you are at, I was on all kinds of sleeping meds and still not sleeping........however, it was due to living with a man who was chronically unemployed..........(my father was also)........subtle and I had no idea at the time, but this was intensely triggering me. Hence no sleep.

I'm not saying your BF may be triggering you......but simply sleeping next to a man triggered me for many years. No fault of theirs!

Look into what is going on in your life right now. It sounds to me like you are being intensely triggered, hence the sleeping meds are even working. Your nervous system is attempting to protect you.

Work with a Doc........sleep is essential. I totally lost my physical health and have been dealing with the after effects of not getting a decent nights sleep for years now. Please don't let this happen to you.

Are you in treatment with a trauma counselor?

Please take care of you.........

 

[kers]

I can very much relate. Everything you describe I have suffered with. Thanks to some pretty intensive, long-term counseling, I have nights like that much less often. It can get better! It will get better, with lots of hard work. You can face this ptsd and learn to live with what you can't overcome.

 

[Deleted member 541]

Ah, the sleepless night....I remember them well. Playing solitaire, (with cards) all night long, just to feel less anxious, less frightened, less alone. Those long sleepless nights can be a bitch, but like kers & Tlight have already said....It can get better....

Therapy, meds, and facing your trauma is the only sure way to beat this. No it isn't curable, but it can get better, and it can get easier to deal with.... Read all that you can on this site, and ask questions, start a trauma diary.......These are just some suggestions of things that can help.....

 

[Manic11]

ShadowCat,

I, too, completely know where you're coming from. I have been there. I still am there. Laying in bed exhausted, hardly have any energy to move and I want so badly to just pass out but I can't because I'm just down right terrified. I can't breath, I'm tense, I'm shaking, I can't lay still. And yes, intimacy issues are common with people suffering from PTSD from sexual or physical abuse. I know for me too, I couldn't ever sleep beside a man.

Some of the things that help me is, putting a movie on. I don't really watch the movie half the time but its distracting and the light from the TV and the sounds helps instead of hearing pure silence and wondering if that creek or little sound was him...

Writing also helps. If you keep paper and a pen by your bed it helps to just write out everything in your mind. Don't hold back. Only you will see it and you can burn it or through it away in the morning.

I also love to have my dog sleep with me. She's old and not very bright (lol) but it helps just to have her there. Knowing she's there. Not being alone. Do you have a pet that could sleep next to you? Like a dog or a cat?

A friend of mine who has trouble sleeping got a fish tank and put it where she could see it from her bed. Watching the fish swim around is just so soothing and relaxing. It allows her to sleep 9 times out of 10.

Hope this helped! Don't give up!

All the best,
Manic

 

[liv now]

Hi. I have trouble sleeping too. It sucks! I have noticed I am worse when my house mate has a man over. this is my trigger. I have intimacy issues too. I have realised that I become really stressed about the fact that I am not sleeping. not sure if this is a prob for you, but my incessant worry about this made the problem so extreme. I used to have a fish tank in my room and it did help me sleep better. I had forgotten about this. This is a bit embarrassing but I also take to bed a pile of things I find soothing. e.g. this really soft furry pillow, a squishy stress ball. I have also got lots of butterflies (not real ones) and fairies and other stuff that used to make me feel safe as a child in my room. I made my room my safe haven. I have a lock on my door too. this helps me feel safe when triggered. Thinking of you. Livnow

 

[SunnyBrookFarm]

Yep - I have them too. Some days/weeks are worse than others. It's true - the only way it's really going to improve is too deal with your trauma(s).

I listen to classical music while I'm sleeping - sometimes it helps, other times it reduces my anxiety about not sleeping at least.

 

[bsherrie]

Hello, everyone. I, too, have been diagnosed (at age 30) as having PTSD + anxiety/panic disorder + hypervigilance...which equals no sleep. I'm generally a happy, outgoing, loving person but when I'm 'triggered' (and still learning what exactly those are for me), I can get sad, very anxious, forgetful, and I feel like the world is closing in on me. The past few weeks have been very hard with regard to sleeping. I wake up at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 a.m. and my alarm is always set for 5:30. I've been seeing a counselor and she was the first to ever suggest I had PTSD. Now, after learning more, I can totally relate to everything that is said about the illness. It's not my fault that I have it and there is freedom...and I plan on experiencing that one day.

Thank you, Anthony, and everyone else here....I look forward to learning more and growing...:)

 

[austin]

Hi Elle,

I agree with you about the sleep issue. It is a key component of the healing process. I found that Lorazepam has been very helpful. I do not like taking meds, because the long term effects are often not well researched. However, I compromised and started taking just .25mg 20 minutes before bed with a small glass of warm water.

It relaxes me and allows me to fall asleep. I intentionally keep my dose small so that the medication does not interfere with REM sleep, and I skipped 1 or 2 nights of Lorazepam every week to avoid building up a tolerance.

After a while, my body seemed to start "wanting" to calm down and relax most evenings. Anyway, I realize that my experience and treatment will not be the same for everyone. However, I just wanted to share my experience, because sleep was such a big problem for me. I can totally relate to ur experience. Good luck!

 

[Footie freak]

Hi Elle, welcome to the forum.
I too am suffering with PTSD, and with that comes that lack of sleep amongst other symptoms. I had not slept properly or regularly for sometime, however this has improved. Firstly I went to my Dr, she prescribed anti depressants to help calm me down, this in turn helped me relax a little. I then sought a private counsellor/EMDR specialist. With her continued help I have now been able to relax enough when I go to bed so as to fall asleep on my own. I still have the nightmares and generally don't sleep afterwards,but the fact I can fall asleep now is a bonus. I also use a scented candle before I got to bed.
Good luck. X

 

[Elizabeth-Ann]

Hi Elle, I can very much relate to what you are writing. During the last months I learn in psycho-physical-Therapy (somatic experiencing, sophrology) to relax, to go through all these sensations that happen when I lay down or get touched.

Around two weeks ago, for the first time in years, I could go to bed at 22h, relax, sleep normally. It was a good day, a good evening. Of course there are not all the days like this since. But there is hope.

My therapist is great and she helps me a lot. My traumatized brain has to re-learn a lot.

What helps me also like others describe here, is a relaxing ritual: shower, candle, to close the door firmly and with the key. I have to start in the afternoon already to prepare mentally to go to bed. The earlier, the better.

I hope a lot you will find the help needed and that you will be better soon!

Lots of love! Elizabeth-Ann

 

[LhasaLover]

Hi Elle, Yes, this can be an isolating condition and yes, I have had problems sleeping. It has gotten better with therapy but there are those nights where I am a bit high strung. You may want to see your doctor and talk to them about the problem and address the issue with a therapist. There's no overnight solution, but it does get better!!!

Sleepless nights is what led me to get a therapist and psychoparmacologist. At the time, I was not diagnosed with PTSD that I know of but experienced extreme anxiety (with good reason). Hang in there and please utilize this forum for support!