Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
Hello everyone! I'm Megan, I'm 16, and I suffer from chronic anxiety and depression, as well as an eating disorder and self injury.
The other night I had a really scary experience. I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly my chest tightened and I could barely breathe. I got SO panicked and nervous with no real provocation. The only thing that I can think of that may have caused this was that I had been thinking of some stressful thouhts as I drifted off to sleep. But it seems weird that I suffered a full blown panic attack from it.
Has anyone else had these drifting off to sleep, half conscious episodes? Or am I crazy?
The other night I had a really scary experience. I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly my chest tightened and I could barely breathe. I got SO panicked and nervous with no real provocation. The only thing that I can think of that may have caused this was that I had been thinking of some stressful thouhts as I drifted off to sleep. But it seems weird that I suffered a full blown panic attack from it.
Has anyone else had these drifting off to sleep, half conscious episodes? Or am I crazy?
deleted_user
Yes and it's very scary. I am afraid to sleep on my back. I used to get sleep apnea, I would quit breathing and it would wake me up up gasping for air. I was afraid to go to sleep. This happened to me while I was in clinical nursing school years ago. At the time I was young and never dreamed of having anxiety or anything else. Didn't even really know anything about it. It quit after I quit nursing and switched majors so I never really gave it another thought until almost 20 years later, after I have experienced my first major breakdown. These illnesses really do affect my breathing and not just when asleep, but sometimes all day. Sometimes the pain gets so bad, I can't breath hardly at all and it hurts even more. Hang in there though, it will lessen as long as you keep your anxiety under control. If it doesn't seek help. Hang in there and best wishes for you to get that under control.
hotdogalice
megan, there is an article here on DS that i just read on what you experienced. look for it and see if it fits you. I found it interesting and helpful. i have been suffering anxiety during the nites for about over 1 year.
MermaidSinger
Thank you both so much for replying! I feel better knowing that I'm not alone in this! And I will look for that atricle you mentioned! thanks again!
deleted_user
Try yoga before sleep! Panic attacks can strike at any time and they're sometimes unpredictable. If you do some relaxing stretches and poses, maybe your mind will be as ease when your head hits your pillow.
deleted_user
Correction: AT EASE**, not as ease, lol.
deleted_user
def been shocked awake more than afew times by a sudden jolt of anxiety. i'm sure it used to just make me go "wha?" and then fall back into falling asleep. since the anxiety though, it has often made me spiral into a fulll blown panic attack. not fun, but you're not alone.
deleted_user
this has happened to me before a few times. just as i'm drifting off, i get a jolt and wake up and gasp. sometimes it happened a few times in a row until i relaxed and fell asleep.
deleted_user
I've never had a panic attack while dozing off, but I've had them in the middle of the night and they wake me right the heck up! It's a little scary, because the reason is unexplainable. That makes me know this is a really irrational problem. My doc recently gave me Xanax to take if I get a night attack again - they help a little.
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