[DanceEngine7]

I have had anxiety my whole life but I don't even realize it because it is just who I am. I had severe anxiety as a child in school, developed panic attack disorder in my 20's (didn't know what was wrong). I was then evaluated at some kind of behavioral center and told I had bad depression and anxiety and that the depression is what causes the anxiety to come out.

I've taken antidepressants on and off since then and I am now in my 40s. I look depressed, don't like smiling, low energy, etc. I was taking Zoloft 100 for awhile and a year ago I went down to 50 mg. I did have some withdrawal symptoms but think am fine.

Lately at night I get nervous that i can't sleep, every little thing will bother me, if my nose is stuffy I have to get up and walk around, then I lay back down, then get up, I feel as if I am trapped and need to get out of where I am. It gets to point where i have tears in my eyes and feel as if I can't take it anymore!!

I am tempted to get in my car at 2am and drive around, anything to get out of where I am. I currently live with parents and usually don't have this problem but lately I feel as if I need to get away from them and when they are here I feel as if I am going crazy! so I am losing sleep, trying to work full time and going to school, and taking care of kids.

Does anyone know about this trapped, can't sleep feeling of needing to get out in the open at night???? is this anxiety?

A year ago I had the same thing but it was worse, I actually did get in car at 2 am and drove around in the rain with my car windows open hoping it would make me relax!! I ended up having low iron, and after I took iron pills for awhile it gradually went away. Now it is back. I know my iron isn't as low as last year but this is insane.

I even turn myself around in bed and put my head where my feel usually go, have to have window wide open, its worse if its hot and I think the darkness at night may make it worse too. I feel as if I am not going to be able to function at work . I am in agony at night. I get afraid I might consider suicide knowing how bad I feel and that I am crying not knowing how to get out??????
help.

[Skeezyks]

I'm sorry you are struggling with this. And I'm afraid I can't tell you what the cause is. I would presume it's anxiety. But I don't really know.

I experience something somewhat similar sometimes. There are nights when I can't get to sleep or I wake up in the middle of the night & can't get back to sleep. I have this condition (I don't know what it is) that I describe as being like restless leg syndrome except that I feel it throughout my whole body 24/7. (I also experience some claustrophobia occasionally especially when it's hot outside, the windows are shut & the air conditioner is running.) Sometimes at night, when I can't sleep, that RLS-type feeling becomes so unbearable I just have to get up. So I do. I get up & do something akin to walking meditation sometimes for an hour or more. Typically once I return to bed I'm able to go to sleep.

You mentioned your experience with low iron. I presume you've had yourself checked out medically. I don't know if you've tried any anti-anxiety med's. I haven't. I think about doing so from time-to-time. I'm not on any medications of any kind at all currently though. So it would be a big deal for me to decide to try something like that. Back when I was still seeing a pdoc, I had mentioned what I experience to him & he suggested I try taking Neurontin. He said it would take away that RLS-type feeling. However I never did try it. And I no longer see him.

[DanceEngine7]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

I'm sorry you are struggling with this. And I'm afraid I can't tell you what the cause is. I would presume it's anxiety. But I don't really know.

I experience something somewhat similar sometimes. There are nights when I can't get to sleep or I wake up in the middle of the night & can't get back to sleep. I have this condition (I don't know what it is) that I describe as being like restless leg syndrome except that I feel it throughout my whole body 24/7. (I also experience some claustrophobia occasionally especially when it's hot outside, the windows are shut & the air conditioner is running.) Sometimes at night, when I can't sleep, that RLS-type feeling becomes so unbearable I just have to get up. So I do. I get up & do something akin to walking meditation sometimes for an hour or more. Typically once I return to bed I'm able to go to sleep.

You mentioned your experience with low iron. I presume you've had yourself checked out medically. I don't know if you've tried any anti-anxiety med's. I haven't. I think about doing so from time-to-time. I'm not on any medications of any kind at all currently though. So it would be a big deal for me to decide to try something like that. Back when I was still seeing a pdoc, I had mentioned what I experience to him & he suggested I try taking Neurontin. He said it would take away that RLS-type feeling. However I never did try it. And I no longer see him.

Have you checked yourself for low iron? I did have restless legs a few years back and then had my iron checked. It was very low! It went away when my iron went back up. I take Zoloft. only 50 mg right now. I was on 100 a year ago and took myself down. yesterday and probably tonight I will go back up to 100. I do that sometimes if I'm feeling bad for a few days. I don't like them, knowing what I know about them now! I am also going to ask for Xanax but I heard that it is hard to get now?