Posted by LlurpsieNoodle on June 18, 2007, at 10:16:03
In reply to Re: Been having more psycho episodes, posted by Dinah on June 17, 2007, at 13:24:53
Hi Dinah
>
> I think that's related to anxiety. I'm guessing you have plenty of reasons for anxiety.
>yes, that's true
> > Strange sensations when I close my eyes. Like my body is huge and tiny at the same time.
>
> That also happens to me, when I'm tired and stressed. Maybe it's related to the first thing.probably...
> > Hearing voices in the ambient noise. Even with earplugs. The voices can't be distinguished, or understood- just sounds like a background murmur. This happens when I'm trying to fall asleep. Whenever I open my eyes, the voices are silenced.
>
> This happens to me too. My sleep doctor gave it a name, and called it part of my supposed narcolepsy (which the latest sleep doctor doesn't think I have). But neither was overly concerned about it, so it must be common enough. It happens to me when I've had an overstimulating day. Too much stress or too long hours, or too much noise and lights. I always figured it was just my neurons getting rid of the extra input from the day.
>
That's a relief. Family history of schizophrenia. I always worry about having some tinge of that myself. I like your way of thinking about things
> I'm guessing your body is trying to tell you that it's stressed, and needs sleep. And maybe that all the changes lately have been just too much for you and you're having an upsurge of anxiety.
>
> The problem is that the anxiety you're experiencing as a result of the symptoms of anxiety is causing even more anxiety and stress and thus more symptoms.
>
> I'm guessing it would help to stop the cycle somehow. Short term sleeping medication to stop the sleep shortage problem? Some CBT from your therapist to control the physical symptoms of anxiety and reframe how you view them?
>I already have short term sleep medication, but my anxiety beats it everytime. Sonata, rozerum, klonopin. Only the klonopin seems to be working. I suppose this is diagnostic of some kind of anxiety-related sleeping thing
> I'm no doctor of course, and I'm only speaking from my own experience. But these things aren't really psycho episodes, although they're dreadfully uncomfortable. They're your body's response to stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep.
>
> Do you meditate? Or practice your breathing?
>meditation- sometimes helpful, sometimes extremely frightening. Seems that sometimes I get into trance state during meditation (I practice Vipassana, which is pretty basic meditation based on the 1) the breath, and only later is the attention focused on internal stimuli and then external stimuli, and then finally on mental "noise". I'm guessing that I need to meditate ON a particular image in my head whenever the breathing is no longer the focus of my mind's eye. Perhaps on a buddha or other devotional figure.
I guess the bad stuff that happens with meditation is that my "filtering" mechanisms (the processes by which we pay attention to our world) cease. I think this may be similar to hypnosis, which I think might be traumatic at this point. In fact, my therapist actually discouraged me from doing basic meditative activities. Perhaps on some days when I wake up refreshed it might help.
Guided relaxation helps, however, and when the meditation doesn't dredge up bad feelings and thoughts, it helps me with my focus and general outlook on life.
Thanks for your input. I don't know which is worse, the symptoms themselves, or knowing that I have the symptoms. What a pain.
-Ll
poster:LlurpsieNoodle
thread:763725
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20070612/msgs/763895.html