I can’t stop screaming

[BertieHuggs]

Hi, just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same issues I’ve been having. As far back as I can remember I’ve been a fairly jumpy person, easily startled. The last few years though it’s got to a point where if someone makes me jump, I scream in a really exaggerated way that I just can’t control. My reactions seem over the top.

Just in the last week or so I walked out of the office at work into the corridor, came face to my face with my boss and screamed in his face. I’m also having issues with sleeping where if I get woken up abruptly again I either start screaming in terror or become verbally quite aggressive.

Last night however things really came to a head when my DD 9 came into my room at 2am (not uncommon) to wake me up and I started screaming in her face! She became upset and tried to come to me to reassure me it was only her and I just got worse and started flailing all over the bed.

Has anyone else had any experience of something like this? I’ve tried to google answers but it comes up with PTSD or conditions in babies/children.

No help, I know two people who properly scream if you make them jump and everyone is so careful not to now but with the bed and flailing it seems a step up from them. I’m so sorry I’ve no advice, I know you need to talk to someone but I can’t even figure out who x

Sounds like a trauma response.

Are you very anxious or on edge? I'm sometimes like this when very anxious though not to the extent you describe.

I'm a bit like this. Easily startled, though I make more of a scared loud noise than a scream... When awake.

However semi-regularly at night I scream at the top of my lungs if woken up by surprise, or if I startle out of a dream. I have also jumped on DH in the middle of the night while he was fast asleep yelled in his face and swore at him. I woke up doing it! I'm not a shouty person usually.

High startle response in adults can be a result of difficult or traumatic experiences when younger. For me I put it down to experiencing several scary things at night as a child that have left me quite jumpy and anxious at night now. I don't know what the answer is. I take magnesium glycinate at night now to relax but don't know if it makes a difference, I haven't screamed for awhile but may not be correlated.

Wow these replies are reassuring! It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

No, I wouldn’t generally describe my self as an anxious person, definitely introverted and I enjoy being in my own company for sure. I can’t think of any traumatic experiences off the top of my head either.

All I do know is these episodes are getting more frequent and really starting to upset DD so I will have to do something about it. The magnesium glycinate looks like a good shout after a quick look on Google. I think I will have a chat with my GP about it all, thank you all for the advice