Insomnia Forum Posting

Posted by Lynne on February 18, 2002 at 23:50:50:

In Reply to: Re: To Lynne posted by Janie on February 18, 2002 at 20:45:26:

The thing is, Janie, that you have to make yourself optimistic - it's the only way out. I had the most horrific insomnia for 15 years, but I am now (hopefully) getting better. I had so many periods of total despair and depression, but I get the feeling that medicines only perpetuate the problem.
As many have said, the main thing is to combat the anxiety that we all feel - to focus on that rather than on the (lack of) sleep itself. If you have conditioned insomnia, as many here do, the only way to do that is to retrain your mind to get out of the negative cycle and into a positive one. There are various techniques for this which you can learn from books or from a cognitive/behavioural therapist. Although you might feel you've tried it all before, never say never.
Undertake a strict programme with a view to making yourself more positive and less anxious - make that your goal. However hard it is, make a point of noting your negative thoughts each day (maybe writing them down) and turning them into more positive ones. When we are down we often tend to exaggerate how bad things are in our minds and get things out of perspective. The insomnia becomes an obsession, but you must not let it. I know I've said this all before, but I feel so sorry when I read of people's despair, because I've been there too and I want people to know there is hope - if I can get out of the hole anyone can. Good luck!

L.

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