I notice that I have insomnia which is something that I have never dealt with before and it is making it hard for me to go to sleep. I have heard that Sleeping pills are bad because they make the body dependent on them later on but I feel like I have a hard time going to sleep.
Chosen Answer:
benadryl (diphenhydramine) is a great drug to help you sleep. It is sold over the counter (OTC) in most pharmacies. The best part is that it is non-habit forming, so your body will not get dependent on it.
Another drug to try is melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. Taking it medicinally can help with insomnia. Do not take melatonin if you have high blood pressure (can raise BP), diabetes (can raise blood sugar), depression (can make symptoms worse), or a seizure disorder (can potentiate seizures)
One more option could be Valerian root extract. This has been shown to help treat insomnia. Do not drink alcohol with this drug, or other CNS depressants because they could increase each others effect in the body
by:
on: 24th October 11
I have high blood pressure and sometimes have trouble falling asleep and I have problems dealing with stress and anxiety. Can anyone give me any tips?
Thanks!
Chosen Answer:
Below are some proven methods you can use to reduce or eliminate anxiety:
a) Meditation is proven to help reduce anxiety and is also not difficult to learn. 10 minutes a day is all that is required to help calm your mind
b) Self Hypnosis: You should buy a good book on this and learn self hypnosis
c) Repeating Positive Affirmations: The best time to do this is at night before bed or in the morning when you wake up. About 7 to 8 minutes is all you need.
d) Try to learn the root cause of your anxiety. For example I use to be scared of the dark, and learned I was accidentally locked in a dark basement as a child. As soon as I learned this my fear of the dark immediately went away.
by:
on: 16th December 11
I am a 17 year old female who has been dealing with some anxiety issues for the past few years. I am going to my doctor’s next week for an analysis. Lately, my anxiety has really been affecting my self-esteem and frankly, I want to do something about it!
I am open to options about some mild medications which I won’t become dependant on. Are there any suggestions I should ask my doctor about?
Chosen Answer:
Your doctor will likely discuss all your options with you in detail. If you need medication, he/she will prescribe it for you, after talking to you about the various pros and cons associated with it. Make sure you ask plenty of questions if you’re not certain about something. Your doctor knows your situation and will help you make an informed decision. Until then, try not to jump the gun, and good luck.
by: Nox
on: 5th June 10
The applications themselves are okay because proactive, but the waiting period is brutal. I’m having insomnia, anxiety dreams, fits of listless apathy, existential crises, flights of panic. It’s lovely. Anyone have some tips on how to deal?
Chosen Answer:
I think just being able to talk to someone about it will help. I’m waiting to hear about my college of music auditions and it is BRUTAL. I used to have nightmares almost every night, when I could get to sleep, but I started talking about it with my councilor and friends and it has really helped.
Good luck on getting in!
by:
on: 27th March 10
I have already taken all the sleep medications there is. Im thinking of a sleep clinic but I heard if you have insomnia they just give you a sleep aid.
Chosen Answer:
You should try brainwave entrainment. I had long-term, crushing insomnia for years and tried all the pills and herbs but they just didn’t fix it. Brainwave entrainment uses ambient music tracks to lull your brain into producing the right brainwaves for sleep. People are right when they say you should change your lifestyle and this is part of that, because using it for a while ‘re-trains’ your brain. At this point your brain is probably conditioned not to fall asleep, so you’ll have to recondition it.
There are reviews for several options for this-one of them free-at the blog listed below.
by: James D
on: 31st March 08
Lately I have been waking up at 1:30am in the morning at least twice a week in sheer panic/anxiety. My heart beating fast,sweating terribly,impending doom feeling, bowels out of control and feels like my skin has a rash or burning sensation. They are lasting severly for approx 4 or 5 hrs and then tapper off throughout the day. Help please.
Chosen Answer:
ok first of all DO NOT go to that first site that was posted…it will only make you more anxious. I have an anxiety disorder I know…you’ll find one horrible disease that sounds similar and insist you have it.
At any rate, depending on the attack it can last that long. If you aren’t taking steps to calm yourself down once it has started, they can last longer. Are you on any medication or eating a lot of caffeine or sugar? This could trigger them. If you want more information from other people in the same boat as you please visit www.stresscenter.com.
I hope you feel better soon!
by: T L
on: 25th September 07
I have bad anxiety right now because im trying to ose weight and i also have OCD , how can I start breathing normally when my anxiety acts up?
Chosen Answer:
You have to do what is called diaphramic breathing. Your diaphram is just below your lungs. Thats where what should rise the most while you are breathing, not your chest. You should inhale slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Walking fast can normalize your breathing since you will concentrate less on it and since anxiety causes over breathing(co2 levels in the blood get too low) it will raise your co2 levels in your blood and make you feel more normal.
Just remember the anxiety is not going to hurt you.
by: hypnobunny
on: 8th August 09
What is insomnia? Is it like sleeplessness, or is it worse? Where can I find information about insomnia and sleeplessness?
Chosen Answer:
Insomnia
is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is “difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both” and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time. Both organic and non-organic insomnia constitute a sleep disorder.
more facts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia
by: remrem
on: 4th March 09
I didn’t know what it was at first I thought it was just “shyness” and that I would grow out of it well I developed social anxiety. I consider it a extreme case because it causes skip classes (college) to avoid during presentation and other “social activities”. I was actually suppose to graduate already but I’m still in school because this issue. My major is social work irronically and I don’t want to change it because I really want to help people but it would be impossible to do with the level of anxiety I feel in social settings.
Chosen Answer:
Besides engaging in therapy and/or taking medication it is also important to focus on self-esteem issues as they can be related to social anxiety issues. The first thing you need to do is increase your self esteem and change your way of thinking about social situations. You need to know your inner voice, your beliefs and your emotions. This should drive your positive thoughts and rational beliefs. Check out the 15 traits of high self esteem right here http://www.social-anxiety-solutions.com/high-self-esteem.html and practice them to increase anything you lack.
by: Ela
on: 4th November 10
I have insomnia and i really can’t fall asleep at all i’ve tried since 11pm until now. I’ve tossed and turned many times and i don’t know the real reason why i can’t fall asleep. I think it could be because of my insomnia but I’m not sure. It’s like 2:15 am in the morning on the east coast right now and i can’t fall asleep and i feel sleep deprived. What could i do so i could fall asleep ? I feel so crappy right now because i can’t fall asleep.
Chosen Answer:
Check your current heart-rate. Do anything you can to get it to slow down. Get up and dance like crazy or work out if you’re stressed out. If that isn’t your cup of tea, try meditating. I try reading a boring book. Something to get my mind out of the spiral of thoughts.
I know you’re crazy tired though. Basically, what you can do is get up, walk around, take a deep breath and do something that relaxes you, whether it be reading/listening to music/drawing/singing/etc. Whatever it is, get out of bed and do that. Then do some deep breathing exercises, and try and clear your head of all thought. But only do that after you can get your body to relax. Don’t drink coffee, or anything caffeinated.
But don’t worry too hard. It’ll be okay. 
by: Hailey
on: 20th October 09