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How do you switch off the worry?

23 replies

bloodywhitecat · 05/10/2021 21:50

I wake in the small hours as I have a baby to feed, often I wake before the baby does and the fear goes round and round in my head. I would like just one night of decent sleep but I can't switch off.

OP posts:
Cofifeefee · 05/10/2021 21:51

What are you worried about? Is there something to worry about or is it "what if" worries?

bloodywhitecat · 06/10/2021 03:56

There is so much to worry about. DH has cancer and it is a cancer that is not curable, his tumours have grown and I am scared of all that is to come.

OP posts:
Seriallover · 06/10/2021 03:59

I'm so sorry about your DH. I wish I could give you some advice but I am a worrier too. How old is your baby?

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Bedsheets4knickers · 06/10/2021 04:01

I'm sorry to read this . That must be very hard to deal with . I'm also a night time worrier so I can't help you much.

bloodywhitecat · 06/10/2021 04:08

Baby is 5 months and an absolute delight, such a happy little soul.

OP posts:
Bedsheets4knickers · 06/10/2021 04:11

I miss my two being tiny . They are 11 & 8 now. Seems such a long time ago .

Seriallover · 06/10/2021 04:13

Aaw. So small still. ❤ is baby your first?

Learningtobeafeministagain · 06/10/2021 04:16

So sorry about your DH. My worry is trauma related and everyday without fail at 3/4 am I’m awake going over and over things in my head. My youngest who is 8 sleeps with me and sometimes by cuddling him I can return to sleep. Sometimes I’m on here and after 20-30 mins I can return to sleep. Sometimes it eludes me and I’m shattered for the day to come.

You are dealing with a huge trauma whilst parenting a newborn I think it is only natural that your brain is keeping you awake whilst it tries to process the situation etc

Could your GP help? I have a stash of sleeping pills which I will use if things get too bad and I need a decent night - might not be suitable if you are Brest feeding though. Else a counsellor one a week to offload to?

bloodywhitecat · 06/10/2021 04:20

No, my birth children are now adults, we are foster parents so we have cared for a few in our time. I love fostering and having little ones in the house and it breaks my heart when each one moves on (but so far have been lucky enough to be able to stay in touch with them).

OP posts:
MatildaIThink · 06/10/2021 04:23

You can't just switch off worry, especially not over something like your husband having cancer. Knowing your partner has incurable cancer as well as having a young baby is going to be incredibly tough. If you can afford it I would really recommend you find a therapist, you can ask your GP for a referral but it might be a very long wait.

Cwenthryth · 06/10/2021 04:36

Flowers for you and your husband.

I listen to my worries and evaluate them. I was taught the “worry tree” approach in therapy.

The way I think it through is

Is it a genuine or hypothetical worry?

If hypothetical - stop worrying about it.

If genuine - can I do anything about it?

If I can - do it, or make a plan/schedule to do it. And stop worrying about it.

If I can’t do anything about it - stop worrying about it.

Now when you start doing this, it does fall down on the “stop worrying about it” step, especially for genuine concerns that you can’t do anything about. But going through this evaluation process helps you appreciate that the worrying itself is not productive, only taking action where possible is productive, and that does make it easier to let worries go, with practice. It also spurs me to take positive actions where possible.

In the meantime when I’m stuck with a worry I can’t do anything about and can’t let go of, I’ll try and distract myself with a mindful activity - something that takes both my hands and concentration to do - like craft, jigsaw, yoga, art, DIY, playing piano, gardening. Or sometimes I’ll write - just take a pen and start writing down, what I am thinking, what is on my mind, what the worries are, what I am hearing/seeing/smelling/feeling at that particular moment in time - there’s a technique where you just sit and write 3 A4 pages of whatever comes to mind in the moment, just keep writing even if it is “I am sitting down and writing, I don’t know what to write, I am at the table and the dog is sitting next to me, the pen is green, I can hear the neighbours radio, DH is asleep upstairs” etc, just don’t stop until you’ve done 3 A4 pages, and it gives you the space to express your feelings and fears and that can help you manage them too.

How do you switch off the worry?
Cwenthryth · 06/10/2021 04:38

@MatildaIThink

You can't just switch off worry, especially not over something like your husband having cancer. Knowing your partner has incurable cancer as well as having a young baby is going to be incredibly tough. If you can afford it I would really recommend you find a therapist, you can ask your GP for a referral but it might be a very long wait.
You can self refer for basic therapy www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/
bloodywhitecat · 06/10/2021 08:44

@Cwenthryth Thank you so much, that is all incredibly helpful.

OP posts:
Underamour · 06/10/2021 09:09

I tell myself worry doesn’t change anything then try to take practical steps to make me feel like I have control. Spend my time doing positive cheerful things (although see my post- not alwats successful). I bought some sleep spray in a large supermarket that surprisingly works quite well.

SuperStarRose · 06/10/2021 09:18

You could try and write a diary. It helps to write things down to get them out of your head and onto paper plus you're focusing on the writing aspect to.

When I'm stressed I play angry birds on my phone and learn french on Duolingo.

I also found that watching foreign language shows and films takes my mind off everything because I have to focus on reading the subtitles.

SuperStarRose · 06/10/2021 09:22

I have to add that many years ago when I tried sleeping tablets they gave me an awful side effect of suicide thoughts. When I read the tablet info it was written on there as a side effect in bold. So once I stopped them I went back to normal. So I don't advise them.

However if your stress and anxiety gets worse and overwhelming you could see your GP re getting citalopram or similar but it takes around 3 months for your brain to balance out and for it to take effect.

Cwenthryth · 06/10/2021 09:24

I also found that watching foreign language shows and films takes my mind off everything because I have to focus on reading the subtitles.

That’s a great suggestion, I’m noting it down! Beats doom scrolling on feminist Twitter which just gives you more things to worry about!

Writing these tips and techniques down somewhere is useful too, like a Mental Health First Aid Kit - because when the anxiety hits, your mind isn’t in the best place to rationally think of useful things. I have a list pinned to my fridge, so I can look there and remind myself of the things that have helped me before, so I don’t have to remember/rethink what I should do when I am struggling and logical capacity is limited.

SuperStarRose · 06/10/2021 09:25

Like @Underamour I find lavender sleep sprays work really well.

I'm a total sceptic when it comes to those kind of things but oh my goodness it's so relaxing and helps me sleep. I have This Works deep sleep spray and their calming spray. I have a longer lasting stronger one from Neon. ( I think it's Neon)

SuperStarRose · 06/10/2021 09:27

It's Neom

SuperStarRose · 06/10/2021 09:29

Oh yes and Audible books are a great help as is listening to Drama and comedy from BBC sounds which you can download on the sounds app and listen to anytime.

Constellationstation · 06/10/2021 09:40

Hi OP, I’m so sorry for what you’re going through.
I once asked a yoga teacher how I could stop my thoughts racing when I was trying to meditate. She said ‘just accept the thoughts without judgement’. This was quite groundbreaking for me. It calms me a lot if I’m worried about something to calmly accept the worries and not try to fight them.
I hope that makes sense. It must be a very worrying time for you. 💐

Polkadots2021 · 06/10/2021 11:42

@bloodywhitecat

No, my birth children are now adults, we are foster parents so we have cared for a few in our time. I love fostering and having little ones in the house and it breaks my heart when each one moves on (but so far have been lucky enough to be able to stay in touch with them).
You sound wonderful, just wanted to tell you that, and that you're doing such amazing things. I'm so sorry about your DH's illness.
Vyff · 06/10/2021 12:31

I worry less ai ce my gp enrolled me on a course I could do at home on a device in my own time. It was a cbt course and helped me

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