Dealing with evening/night time

[Urv]

I have a history of anxiety. At the moment I have so much going on, all of which will pass, but I can feel I am on the edge. I can feel fine all day, positive. Come the evening I feel anxiety creeping in. I wake at around 1am in a panic which goes on most of the remainder of the night. Part of it is due to such broken sleep for so long - I lie there waiting to be woken up and panicking about it.

What can I do in the night to help myself. I just lie there trembling, shaking, feeling sick and then have diahorrea in the morning.

I have sleeping tabs but feel I can't take them in case I have to get up for the children/ dog.

Am wondering if you are on any meds for anxiety as I know they are very effective, though you have to use them sensibly. I have intermittent depression and anxiety and I have diazepam (can take 3 x 2mg a day) but I rarely do because with me the depression is worse than the anxiety, but when I have felt anxious they have certainly worked quite well.

I'm sure you know all about breathing, shorter in breaths and longer out breaths. Your broken sleep sounds awful and as you say is making things worse. Are your lying awake worrying about all the things that are going on for you at the moment, as this is when we start worrying when it's dark and we can't sleep.

Are your sleeping tabs zopiclone 7.5mg - you could try cutting the tab in half and this might do the trick. Are your children very young, as if not, then are they sleeping through the night, so you could take half a tab and maybe get some sleep. Mind you have to be careful with sleeping tabs don't you and GPs won't usually prescribe them routinely.

Anxiety is horrible - it really means fear - fear of the present and fear of the future. Have you had any counselling as this can sometimes help with the right person.

I didn't want to read and run. NanaNina speaks good sense.

Thank you, I had diazepam in the past and it has helped. I will go back to the drs and discuss it.

Thanks so much for your understanding post. It's helpful to me. My children are 2 and 5 and sleep through mostly but not reliably and it used to be awful!

I have the same problem my solution is insomniac friends who I can text at 1 am and they will talk to me.

I really feel for you it's horrid isn't it.

I think it's a good plan to see the GP again urv and if diazepam helped previously then they should help again. Did your previous anxiety subside over time the last time you were on diazepam.

The thing is of course as you say is that you have "so many" things going on at the moment and it is small wonder that you feel the anxiety returning. The meds will hopefully help with the symptoms, but I'm wondering about all the "things" going on for you. Are you getting any help/support - can you break your worries down somehow, so that they are not in such a cluster. Sorry if this sounds lame but I think many of us can cope with 1 or 2 negative things happening, but when they come together, we can be overwhelmed, and if we have a pre-disposition to mental illness then we will become anxious.

You might be reluctant to see GP but I really think it's the best plan, as the meds might take the edge off things for you and so help you to deal with whatever life is throwing at you at the moment.

Hi Snowy - am still lurking on the Village thread, so am up to date!!