Panic attacks and nightmares???!
Question: I used to get panic attacks pretty bad, but they went away for awhile.. ( a couple years)... I quit my job about a month ago, and ever since then (don't know if it is somehow related to that), I have panic attacks, but only at night and worse when I am trying to go to sleep. Once I finally fall asleep I have the worst nightmares, and it's hard for me to wake up. These "episodes" kind of came out of no where... At night time, I really convince myself that I am going to die, and I freak out...Not only am I scared to be alone at night, I am terrified to fall asleep bc of the horrible vivid nightmares. I am getting to the point of not sleeping and I am exhausted. I don't have health insurance so I can't go to the doctor and get Meds. Anyone know why or what could be causing these night time episodes? They just started about a month or 2 ago... What can I do? Please Help!
p.s. I am not taking any kind of medicine or anything to be causing this..
Answers: I used to get panic attacks pretty bad, but they went away for awhile.. ( a couple years)... I quit my job about a month ago, and ever since then (don't know if it is somehow related to that), I have panic attacks, but only at night and worse when I am trying to go to sleep. Once I finally fall asleep I have the worst nightmares, and it's hard for me to wake up. These "episodes" kind of came out of no where... At night time, I really convince myself that I am going to die, and I freak out...Not only am I scared to be alone at night, I am terrified to fall asleep bc of the horrible vivid nightmares. I am getting to the point of not sleeping and I am exhausted. I don't have health insurance so I can't go to the doctor and get Meds. Anyone know why or what could be causing these night time episodes? They just started about a month or 2 ago... What can I do? Please Help!
p.s. I am not taking any kind of medicine or anything to be causing this..
Sometimes meds isn't the answer, try to find a free clinic in your area and see if they offer mental health services. Otherwise you really need to do some research on your own to find breathing and relaxation techniques on your own! There are a ton out there. One thing that helps me when I get an attack is counting to three as I breathe in and 5 as i breathe out to get my breathing regulated then i count backwards from 100 by 3's because it takes so much thought your mind cant think about anything else!! Another thing is, before you go to sleep, think about relaxing your entire body... start with your toes and work your way up to your head! Those are just a few things there are tons more you can learn online or by just talking to a doctor or psychologist! hope this helps good luck!
I'm in the exact same situation as you. I had them, they went away, I left my job, etc etc. Do you know what triggered panic attacks for you? Sometimes caffeine triggered them for me. Sometimes nothing at all.
I use mediation to help me. I light some candles, burn some incense, and listen to Zen-like music and focus on my breathing. Ten minutes of that, I feel relaxed.
There are free clinics in every city that help with mental health. Contact your local a.c.c.e.s.s. office. Apply for it or ask about free clinics dealing with mental health...
http://www.ezilon.com/information/articl...