Posted by i_will_sleep_again on November 26, 2008 at 18:45:53:In Reply to: recovered insomniacs pls help me!! posted by newmom08 on November 26, 2008 at 16:40:58:
Hi newmom08,
You will come out of this ok, no matter if it feels like everything is crashing down now. You will, trust me. All of us have been through this despair about worrying about health, relationships, lack of joy in anything etc. Read my story. I was much the same.
Take advantage of all our stories. You don't have to wait the few months you would need to come to terms with this, our collective stories should put you at ease right now.
So here's the deal : there is no easy way out. But there is a way out. There is. And at the end of it, you will be fine. But the sooner you calm down and learn to see this thing as a mere annoyance instead of a life threatening, joy sapping curse, the faster you will reap rewards. The more you fret and panic, the worse it gets unfortunately. So breathe deeply, and prepare to change your way of thinking about this. You can do it!
Definitely do CBT. (Whether you want to take meds also or not is up to you, my personal experience was that meds worsened my situation. The easy way out is not the long term solution.) Don't get too caught up in the behavioral part of CBT, the cognitive part is waaaay more important and beneficial. But some of the behavioral techniques, like sleep restriction, and generally practicing good sleep hygiene, was of immense help to me and many other people here. But I didn't keep a sleep log and any of those other precise things that are also part of CBT.
So, coming to the cognitive part, try to see this thing in perspective. Don't fear it. Treat your insomnia as indifferently as you can. Yes, it's hard, but just because it's hard doesn't mean you give up. And don't beat yourself up if the attitude change doesn't come instantly. Of course you can't just turn it on like a switch. The important thing is to make gradual progress. Live your life just like you used to before insomnia, see your family and friends, laugh, find time for fun things etc. Don't complain about the insomnia too much. Not even to yourself. In other words, don't carry a chip on your shoulder because of the insomnia. You are going to be ok. It's totally in your control.
I maybe repeating some of my older posts, so instead of doing that, I'll suggest you read through my old posts and other people's who have recovered. You will find that everyone ultimately had to let go and submit to this. Accept the insomnia as part of your life. Accept it wholeheartedly, don't fear it, prepare to live with it, and when you do that, you will find one day that it has slowly gone away.
As you read, you will realize that sometimes you will get setbacks ie. a bad period suddenly for no reason after some good sleep. Don't go back to square one when that happens. The recovery will be bumpy, but you will be ok at the end of it, and the bumps become much more infrequent with time and acceptance.
Best of luck and happy thanksgiving,
-Sam
- Re: recovered insomniacs pls help me!! newmom08 19:50 11/26/08 (2)
- Re: recovered insomniacs pls help me!! i_will_sleep_again 20:19 11/26/08 (1)
- Re: recovered insomniacs pls help me!! kikibikini 20:50 12/06/08 (0)