posted
Every morning lately, I wake up feeling physically sick. No, no I'm not pregnant. I just wake up nervous and depressed. Panicking, like there's something I really don't want to do that day, or something really bad happened the day before. I don't actually throw up, thank goodness, but I certainly feel very sick and sad. It's so weeeird!
The thing is, there's nothing that unusual going on right now. Ok, sure, my sister was in hospital last week, but she's out now and she's going to be fine. Life is... fairly normal for me at the moment.
The last time I remember feeling this way was last year when I had some very stressful exams and a whole lot of other stuff was going on at the same time and I had no time to study and was sure I was going to fail. (I didn't, luckily.) It was worse, then, because I actually couldn't get to sleep at night due to over-thinking things while I lay in bed, and the lack of sleep just made everything worse. I was so sick that I couldn't eat, either. *laugh* Exams had never worried me before last year, it was the first time I'd ever been stressed over one. I like exams! In fact I'd way rather have an exam than an assignment to do. So it was strange then also, but at least a little more understandable.
But, what I don't get is, why I'm feeling this way at the moment. I have no exams. There doesn't appear to be anything particularly stressful going on, I'm happy from a couple of hours after I wake up until I fall asleep that night. It's just those first couple of hours that suck. I can sleep okay at night - although I guess I have been having a few late nights recently, but this isn't unusual for me.
I mean, what, do I worry in my dreams?? *laugh* This is so confusing for me. Has this happened to anyone? Could it just be the lack of sleep? I kinda want to sort this out, because I do have exams in a little over a month and I am SO not going through what happened last year again. It was awful. In any case, it's bad enough right now that I don't want to get out of bed.
I just don't know what to do. Any suggestions? Posts: 1431 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
It could just be relief-panic over the fact that you don't need to panic for your sister.
Lack of sleep is possible.
Or you could be getting sick. I know that doesn't sound plausible given the situation, but it's happened to me before.
It might also be due to some kind of emotionally stressful situation presented in a seemingly trivial form. ie, something that you don't like happened on Hatrack, or to a tv character, or something like that.
Posts: 2292 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Panic attacks can happen without a trigger. Have you been exercising? Have you ever meditated? I would try to do some relaxation work, and if it still happens, talk to your doctor.
Take it seriously, though, and take care of yourself.
posted
tt&t, did this start before your sister's accident or after? If the latter, I agree with Goat's first assessment.
Quite possibly, your dreams include working through the fears you had about her not being ok. Your conscious mind knows that these, thank God, never came true. Your dreaming mind likely needs time to work through them.
If you had these feelings before her fall, then maybe you're psychic.
Then again, it could all trace back to the dreadfulness of oceans.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
(((tt&t))) As someone who is depressed, I can empathize. Are you getting enough sleep? Try going for a walk every so often. I got that bit of advice from ak.
posted
Goat, thank you. Those all sound like valid points. More attractive at least than your other suggestion that I am in fact pregnant and I just don't know it yet. Just to clarify, that is not possible. *grin*
Elizabeth, hmm, good idea, I guess I should go for a run or something, I've been sitting around doing my assignments, stupid assignments! Grr.
Rivka, yeeeup. I guess that must be just what it is. It started after - but only after I got back to uni, not for a week after she had the accident. Well. Hopefully I can get it through to my brain that she actually is ok. *laugh* I guess going up to see her could help. The fact that she's now 7 hours away could delay that a little, though. (Also, oceans are pretty bad. *laugh/sigh*)
(((((Derrell))))) Thank you, and thank you for all your advice this morning.
::dances:: I'm through the couple of hours, now, and I'm all happy again. This is sooo weeeird! Thank you all for all of your advice/hugs/etc. You guys rawk! Posts: 1431 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
It sounds like its just free-floating anxiety. I don't mean that in a bad way, and yes I have dealt with it before. As others said, try meditation and exercise. Also, since lack of sleep can lead to it worsening, you might consider asking your doc for a short-term prescription for a sleep aid. It's tough being in school (I'm taking a break currently) and dealing with family issues. But you're doing a good thing - talking about your problem. That in itself is a big help.
posted
I suffered from an anxiety/panic disorder a few years ago (the last dregs went away a few months ago and I hope I've seen the last of them). Like you, I regularly woke up feeling physically sick, sometimes I actually threw up. I was always fine by midday, at the very latest. Also like you, I really had nothing to worry about (I was in grade seven or eight, so you can imagine my stress level was minor!)
For me, the way to battle this was going outside, and it sounds silly, but breathing deeply, fixing my mind on other things seemed to calm me a little. Sometimes I just relaxed an accepted it, so feeling nauseous wouln't turn into something worse.
The problem was reoccuring for me, sometimes connected with something stressful, like a performance or even the anticipation of an intense movie, sometimes completely unrelated to anything. Everytime, I met it with the same weapons; brisk walking, doing something active (physically or mentally; I like to double in my head or jog), talking a lot, drinking or sipping water, clearing my mind, relaxing.
Your anxiety seems different from mine, but you seem to have caught it in a good place, before it starts to massively impinge on your normal life, which is what happened to me (I didn't realise what was wrong!). I have no idea if my experiences will help you but I hope you conquer this soon, because I know how it feels!
posted
" was in grade seven or eight, so you can imagine my stress level was minor!)"
Teshi, I would never diminish the stress level of a middle schooler. Recess alone, even the idea of it, is enough to send me into the jitters.
TT, one other thing to be aware of: your menstrual cycle. I had PMDD for a while. It was a nasty, cyclical depression-anxiety thing that happened two weeks before my period. Jittery, fuzzy-headed, nauseous in the morning, not fun at all. And it was definitely triggered by stress, and lack of exercise.(or, rather, worse when I did not exercise)
And I darn well hope I got the cues right and that you are a woman! ha ha.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Yes, it could be lack of sleep, that has done it to me before. Anxiety like this is not fun.
It's been starting to happen to me in a form too. Not in the mornings, not wanting to get out of bed. But during the day. I really don't want to go home. I don't want to leave and go any where. I just want to stay in my office with my iBook and surf Hatrack, and chat. Gah. It's nice to leave the office. But I avoid home. There's nothing there for me. My PC's don't draw me back like they used to. Everything I need is in my briefcase. I could leave and move anywhere at any moment and be well enough off.
I also felt like this (the whole avoiding the day ahead, not wanting to get up) a while ago, it was due to some medication I was taking, you aren't taking anything that would be causing it are you?
I really do hope it is just stress and worry about your sister.
quote:I just wake up nervous and depressed. Panicking, like there's something I really don't want to do that day, or something really bad happened the day before. I don't actually throw up, thank goodness, but I certainly feel very sick and sad. It's so weeeird!
I had these EXACT symptoms during the spring of 1995. I ended up going to a psychiatrist, who explained to me that there was something wrong with my sleep cycles; when I went to sleep, my brain chemistry would start to become abnormal, so that by the time I awakened, it was really screwed up. Then it would gradually return to near-normal during the day.
The doc put me on antidepressants (there was also an antianxiety component to the meds, I think), and the symptoms went away after about three weeks.
[ April 30, 2004, 01:40 AM: Message edited by: Yozhik ]
Posts: 1512 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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posted
I had a similar experience last semester for a few weeks. I'd wake up with a feeling of dread.
I managed to stop it with a life-reformat inolving the following things: * I opened my windows and vented my room out a bit (it was the middle of winter, so this was an uncomfortable feat) * I cleaned up everything and ordered it (I'm an entropic guy, and I find that I have to do it now and then, it really improves peace-of-mind) * Started waking up earlier and having a slow breakfast at a nearby cafe instead of walking to class and eating at the same time. * I started walking more places instead of taking the on-campus busses. * I started looking at the sky. I don't know why, but the sky made me happy, almost elated. It might've been because of mild seasonal affective disorder (a common ailment among Vermonters).
I also took a breather from my assignments and decided what was important and what wasn't. It turns out that my stress over schoolwork was mostly unfounded, and I found that because of the course sylibi I could blow off a lot of assignments I was stressed out over.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Aw, gorgeous, you'll be okay. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd be suspicious of lingering stress (and the shocking contrast between relief and dismay) you felt from your sister's accident.
But I don't think anything's to be done until I arrive in NZ for you. We both know the only way for you to wake up refreshed and relaxed and deliciously content.
Aw yeah.
(I'm sure Z's up to it.)
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
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![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
I just wake up nervous and depressed. Panicking, like there's something I really don't want to do that day, or something really bad happened the day before. I don't actually throw up, thank goodness, but I certainly feel very sick and sad. It's so weeeird! ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
and she's going to be fine. Life is... fairly normal for me at the moment. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
So it was strange then also, but at least a little more understandable.
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Just to clarify, that is not possible. *grin*![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
This is sooo weeeird! Thank you all for all of your advice/hugs/etc. You guys rawk! ![[Group Hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
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![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
