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Re: Failure

Posted by half-pint on September 05, 2003 at 07:32:14:

In Reply to: Re: Failure posted by Jennifer W. on September 05, 2003 at 04:30:55:

Jennifer, I am a counselor who also has asthma and sleep apnea. I would really recommend you find a good counselor, and perhaps use some anti-anxiety medication for your sleep test. You know that anxiety makes the asthma worse, and the heart palpitations can also be made worse by anxiety.

I began having what I thought were panic attacks with heart palpitations before i got my CPAP. they went away as soon as I got CPAP. My blood pressure also got lower. So some of the sypmtoms you are experiencing are possibly related to the sleep apnea itslef.

what I would suggest for counseling is someone who does "cognitive-behavioral therapy." There is a technique called systematic deep muscle relaxation which is paired with a hierarchy of THOUGHTS in which you teach youyr body to relax as you THINK of the stressful stimulii. It is used all the time in phobias. I would suggest you get help doing that and if necessary the counselor and your sleep doctor can work together for you to borrow a mask to use in the counselor's office or at home while you do this. Then you use the same techniques when you go for your test. I would also think your PCP can help with some anti-anxiety medication both now while you are dealing emotionally with all this, and then for the sleep test.

Sleep apnea cn kill you; anxiety only FEELS like it is. Get some help so you can deal with this! I'll help as much as I can on-line.

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