Are you suffering from chronic anxiety and panic attacks? Is your sleep sound? Do you feel recharged when you wake up? Is it undisturbed throughout the night? Do you feel energized when you get up in the morning? If you answered “No” to one or more of these queries this article is for you.
It is difficult to say what the cause is and what the effect is. Lack of sleep sometimes results in greater anxiety and symptoms of panic attacks and vice versa. It is imperative that you consult a mental health professional.
Medication could help solve your problem. Sleep deprivation makes you feel tired and drowsy. Better and longer sleep will help you to have more control. Your brain will execute better actions. Your episodes of panic attacks will lessen in intensity and frequency.
Apart from medication here are a few tips which could help you have a better and longer sleep.
Fix a regular time to go to bed and wake up. Maintain it even on weekends and holidays. Else you risk upsetting your body clock.
Observe what you eat. You must try to have a light dinner as sleep interferes with your digestion process and you will have difficulty in falling asleep on a full stomach. Avoid oily and spicy food at night. A warm cup of milk before bedtime ensures good sleep.
Your lifestyle may be sedentary. Your body needs to get tired for it to fall asleep. Try exercising daily. Take a walk. Climb the stairs instead of opting for the lift. Make sure you are sufficiently tired by the time it’s bedtime.
Taking a shower before going to bed is helpful. It could be a hot or cold one depending on where you live and the season. A bath really helps you relax.
Make sure your bed and your mattress is comfortable. Your room must not be too hot or cold. Try to ensure your room is dark. If you can’t fall asleep try to read a book. Your mind will be focused on one thing at a time. Otherwise you will have all kinds of thoughts crowding your mind and disturbing your sleep. The more serious the topic you are reading the better. Try avoiding thrillers.
Music therapy can be given a try. Light music helps you relax and fall asleep.
Try out above methods. Good luck.
What kind of medication helps? Does it help at all?
Have you experienced panic at some point of time in your life? For some of you the incidents may have been frequent. Anxiety, panic or whatever you name it is needed to an extent in our lives. After all, when you get up in the morning, you have to ensure your daily bread. Anxiety provides that push!
Sometimes, that push comes to a shove and life gets off balance. You may become incapacitated by your panic attacks. You may have problems interacting with people. The very prospect of meeting someone may seem to be a ‘Herculean task.’ This is called social phobia.
Your case may be of generalized anxiety where no focus for your fears can be found. It could be a case of one or more phobias where the fear is focused on something concrete. You may either be a hopeless worrier or may be you are extremely depressed.
If you are stuck in any of above situations, have heart. Today’s medical science has improved so much that most of these anxieties and panic attacks can be treated.
Here’s a brief list of medicines which you may find useful
Propanolol (Inderal) and Atenolol (Tenormin) are a class of drugs called Beta Blockers which are useful for social phobia. They control the heartbeat, trembling and shaking. Though they have less side-effects, you should use them temporarily only.
Tricyclic antidepressants like Imiprapine (Tofranil) and Amitriptyline (Elavil) are used to treat severe depression, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts and depression with anxiety.
Benzodiazepines like Alprazolam (Xanax) and Clonazepam (Klonopin) are used to control generalized anxiety and phobias including social phobias. These medicines help induce sleep and are useful for those with sleeping disorders.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI) like Phenelzine (Nardil) help treat depression, panics and social phobia.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) like Fluoxetine (Prozac) are a new generation of drugs to treat depression, obsessions, social phobia and panic attacks.
A mild tranquilizer like Buspirone (Buspar) has been found to be effective for generalized anxiety.
Please remember these are prescription drugs and you must use them only if advised by your doctor. While a few get totally cured, some may have to continue medications over a period of time. You have to first believe in yourself before you start with the medicines. Think that they will definitely cure you. Finally and most importantly………Do not feel ashamed of treating your illness.
Sometimes, that push comes to a shove and life gets off balance. You may become incapacitated by your panic attacks. You may have problems interacting with people. The very prospect of meeting someone may seem to be a ‘Herculean task.’ This is called social phobia.
Your case may be of generalized anxiety where no focus for your fears can be found. It could be a case of one or more phobias where the fear is focused on something concrete. You may either be a hopeless worrier or may be you are extremely depressed.
If you are stuck in any of above situations, have heart. Today’s medical science has improved so much that most of these anxieties and panic attacks can be treated.
Here’s a brief list of medicines which you may find useful
Propanolol (Inderal) and Atenolol (Tenormin) are a class of drugs called Beta Blockers which are useful for social phobia. They control the heartbeat, trembling and shaking. Though they have less side-effects, you should use them temporarily only.
Tricyclic antidepressants like Imiprapine (Tofranil) and Amitriptyline (Elavil) are used to treat severe depression, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts and depression with anxiety.
Benzodiazepines like Alprazolam (Xanax) and Clonazepam (Klonopin) are used to control generalized anxiety and phobias including social phobias. These medicines help induce sleep and are useful for those with sleeping disorders.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI) like Phenelzine (Nardil) help treat depression, panics and social phobia.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) like Fluoxetine (Prozac) are a new generation of drugs to treat depression, obsessions, social phobia and panic attacks.
A mild tranquilizer like Buspirone (Buspar) has been found to be effective for generalized anxiety.
Please remember these are prescription drugs and you must use them only if advised by your doctor. While a few get totally cured, some may have to continue medications over a period of time. You have to first believe in yourself before you start with the medicines. Think that they will definitely cure you. Finally and most importantly………Do not feel ashamed of treating your illness.
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