Nocturnal panic attacks

Has anyone ever suffered with these? They are slowly taking apart my already frazzled world. I hear that getting up and doing things helps but I worry that I'll get into a routine of waking at that time and I already suffer with insomnia....argh!!

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Hey there,

I think I understand. You lie there and your mind just decides to take you to places which only make you nervous and uncomfortable. I used to find myself having to get up because otherwise I would start panicking and/or crying.

I found myself doing many things to quell the flow of bad thoughts and intrusive images, worst case scenarios and so on. For example smoking hash, but that didn't work. Adapting myself to a new found way of sleeping (ie. breaking my sleep in two by taking a three hour nap in the afternoon - advantage of being self employed), but that is hardly healthy and could only be a temporary solution.

But in the end this is what helped me personally:



These talks of his (which then opened up doors to other authors and books which radically change my way of dealing with my mental illness, but also life in general.)

Best of luck!

Yup, I've experienced this plenty of times. The worst part is that you can't consciously recognize the anxiety or fearful thoughts at the beginning ... you are at the behest of your unconscious mind. I never wake up until it has already spiraled out of control and there's no rational thought left even when I'm awake at that point.

Ehh, they come and go for me. :/ I mean, I have had them for months at a time, stopped sleeping and was miserable ... then they go away for awhile. Wish I had better advice. I'm just, giving my experience I guess.

To be honest it's just nice to know someone else knows what it's like....but I had a whole nights sleep last night! Very happy Angel today... So far....

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Sooo glad you had a good night of sleep last night!!

I agree that getting up and doing something if you wake up with anxiety seems like it would cause you a habit of getting up out of bed.

About a week ago, however, I woke up with terrible chest pains and nausea. I just sat down in the bathroom a few minutes, waited until I didn't feel the need to writhe about anymore, and then crawled back into bed. I never even remembered falling back asleep. I guess that must of worked, but I am used to waiting panic attacks out in the bathroom, so it's a soothing safe place for me. (hehe, kind of silly.) It also wasn't quite a panic attack but obviously anxiety symptoms.

I went through a phase of chest pains. Scary stuff. Anxiety is a nightmare! Do you cope on your own with attacks? My other half does help me but I think he's just getting frustrated (understandable I'm horrific when I get one) but I'm used to him being my comfort place...maybe I should go to the bathroom too! I'm there right now ... Enjoyed the videos. hugs back x

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Enjoyed that...will try and find more things like that. Thank you.

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I had it happen a couple of times. I woke up having a panic attack and it was terrible! I just tried to roll over and go back to sleep.

I used to have panic/anxiety that would wake me up in the middle of the night. Like nightmares, but without the dream it seemed. I bought one of those big body pillows, and sort of wrapped myself around it, and my dogs laid curled up next to me. That helped a lot to get back to sleep through the night.
regards
Jade

I wish that I could tell you that I have a good coping technique. I usually hide, such as laying in bed with a sheet over me. I go to the bathroom when I am having an intense, physical attack and I am nauseous and over heating. I tend to find myself naked and vomiting ... eh, ewww, but I have to admit, I laugh about THAT later. It's so dumb. During those attacks I will usually cope with a cold shower to cool down and wait it out, sitting on the bottom of the shower.

The bathroom is nice and cool and feels so safe because of the size.

My BF has had his own panic attacks but he admits that my condition is far worse (I have them frequently, he has it once in a while. For a month or so at one point he had a lot of antsy tense kind of anxiety but that passed.) Thing is, I hide them from him, I don't want to make a big deal, but when he notices that I am panicking he is strait to comfort me. He has thanked me before when I have called him to help me calm down. The last time he saw me panic in person he just laid next to me, hugged me and rubbed my back, and ask me if I needed icecream (I love ice cream when I am anxious!). He's very sweet about it but I greatly limit my expression over anxiety. Only within the past few months, after almost 3 years of dating him, I have begun to talk more openly about it.

However! There have been plenty of nocturnal attacks I had where I didn't wake him up but spooned and hugged him until I could fall back asleep.

Yes, heart palpitations have felt like a heart attack, sort of. Now, that I know what they are it's a little different. I do have medication for my anxiety.
I do wake up from nightmares, sometimes.

I don't fully understand, about dealing with them alone? I have meds, to me that's not dealing with them alone. As far, as having another person there, to help me cope with an anxiety attack? No. I go it alone.