Families of Prisoners Support Group
This community is dedicated to families that have been disrupted by prison. Having a loved one incarcerated or having been incarcerated comes with its own unique challenges that require support and understanding. Join the group to find others who know what you're going through, and to seek advice or share your experience.
I could pretty much sleep my life away at this point. It's not like me to have so little physical energy or stamina. Is anyone else feeling this, and if so, how do you manage? I can't really stay in bed all the time, I don't have that kind of life. But I think if I could, I would.
I'm just trying to take it one day at a time. Most of my days are busy with work, so they go by pretty quickly and I can usually get through the day without having a nervous breakdown. But on days like today when I don't work and I'm all alone, I try to think of something that makes me happy. I know, it's easier said than done, but it does help when you can find something each day to look forward to. Even the simplest thing, like a favorite TV show coming on that day, or baking cookies. The thing that made me happy today was finding out that my tax return should be in my account tomorrow and I can go out after work and do some clothes shopping lol I dunno, I guess I'm just feeling optimistic lately, thinking about my and Jordan's future together and all the plans we're making.
My optimism may disappear on Tuesday and all of my posts may become dark and dreary. We'll see.
I hope you're able to find something, anything that makes you at least smile and I hope things get better for you. You're in my thoughts and prayers.
The tendency to want to sleep all the time is a classic symptom of some minor depression. Ironically, another classic symptom is early morning awakening with an inability to go back to sleep.
It is really normal that you would be experiencing these symptoms. If they get really bad and you get overwhelmed, you can make an appointment with a physician and he can prescribe something to help.
But if it is not a major problem and not interfering with your ability to get things done or live a somewhat normal life, you can do things to help. Exercise is good. Getting immersed in something or a project you like is another method to deal with this.
The key here is keeping busy.
My two cents anyway.
rewdiazepam
When you lose a person to prison, it is like they died. It is grieving and you won't feel better until they are home. But you have to push yourself, little bits at a time.
That's interesting, the early morning waking- I wake up around 5 no matter how late I am up the night before. I never used to wake up early, and I am not a morning person. And for me the mornings are the most difficult; waking up alone doesn't get any easier, although some nights, I am so exhausted that going to bed is a welcome thing.
I have been getting outside every day for the past two weeks and I feel a little better physically. In about ten days, I start my job at the greenhouse/farm market, which I am hoping will help, too. Not having to worry so much about money will help. And then in June or July he will start to actually serve his sentence and I can start counting down the days. It's still uphill right now, and it just wears me out.
Thank you for the thoughtful words, everyone.
Fatigue, insomnia, inability to concentrate, loss of appetite, irritability, etc. are common symptoms which will apply to several illnesses.
But the sleep patterns are usually a more specific symptom, especially the early morning awakening and not being able to go back to sleep. The tendency to wake up in the wee hours of the morning---around 4 or 5 AM---when you usually could sleep much longer is the dead giveaway the there is most likely some depression present.
Ironically, the tendency to stay in bed all day can also be a symptom of depression. You just cannot get yourself out of bed and get started.
Part of my pathology classes included a segment on mental disorders and depression was studied extensively. At the time, there was no ADHD or diseases like Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. They were there but we did not have the diagnostic tools at the time to understand them. My classes emphasized depression, anxiety, and bipolar depression.
I suspect that what you ladies have is a mixture of anxiety/stress and depression.
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It is funny that you mentioned about the sleep.
Most people may not realize it, but we sleep in stages. I think there are four or five stages of sleep. In a healthy person, when he or she first goes to sleep or dozes off, there is a very short period of 10 to 15 minutes in that phase.
Then our mind changes over to a period of REM sleep. This is an acronym for Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Our eyes actually flutter and move just as the name describes. Of course, our eyelids are close because we are asleep, but the eyes still move around a lot.
From the period on our minds cycle in and out of normal sleep and REM sleep. Dreams generally occur in one of these phases of REM sleep.
In depression, the REM phase begins earlier than in normal people. It is as if the mind cannot wait to get to the REM phase. With so much time in the REM phase, we sometimes have very vivid dreams. After all, we dream in the REM phase.
In depression, this cycling in and out of REM sleep is disturbed and the early morning awakening occurs. Our minds "falsely" tell us it is time to get up, when it is still very early in the morning.
The REM phase is the most important phase of sleep. If you have ever gone to bed at night and woke up the next morning still tired, it is likely that your mind has robbed itself by not having enough REM sleep.
Many mental maladies, such as depression, cause this sleep imbalance.
I tried to put this in easy to understand terminology. I am not a physician; my field was pharmacology. There is a lot I do not understand about all this, but this is what I do know.
rewdiazepam
I have so many dreams, and they are very vivid, and I often wake up tired...so all of this makes sense, since I feel anxious and sometimes depressed. Being out in the sunshine and fresh air and getting exercise has helped this past week. I am still waking up WAY too early, but I don't think I can do anything about that.
If it gets too bothersome, you can have a physician prescribe a light dose of an SSRI antidepressant. Celexa is a good one and you can buy a 30 days supply at Wal Mart for four dollars. Lexapro and Zoloft are two others that work well, but they are not on the four dollar program at this time.
When the depression lifts, the sleep pattern disturbances will subside and you will most likely not have the early morning awakening.
But you may be able to manage this with exercise and keeping busy.
rewdiazepam