vicious anxiety induced insomnia cycle
I’ve scrolled this page for a bit and it’s clear that a lot of us are suffering from this perpetual, circular cycle of being anxious about sleeping and then conversely, not sleeping worsens the anxiety.
I’ve never suffered from serious anxiety, insomnia, or depression in the past. I was on Accutane for 2 months and then my mental health took a serious decline so I stopped it. This happened to be in the middle of law school exams, which exacerbated the anxiety of not getting good rest, and now, here I am 2 weeks later, stuck in an absolutely vicious cycle of anxious insomnia (today will be the 4th day running on NO SLEEP).
I’ve gone to Urgent Care, Emergency Room, and consulted with a psychiatrist. I’ve been given the following meds, to no avail at all: Clonazepam, Hydroxyzine, Mitrazipine, Trazodone, Diazepam. This is on top of melatonin, RSO gummies, magnesium glycinate, valerian, Tylenol PM, and chamomile tea.
On the odd occasion I feel tired, by the time I close my eyes, I get wired all over again. It’s a terrifying experience because it’s absolutely wrecked my daily life (no energy for gym, weakened immune system, irritability, and inability to relax in the evenings). Im not talking minimal (3-4 hours) of sleep, im talking ZERO sleep for days in a row. We all know how this ends, and I really do not want to be the one to experience psychosis or hallucinations.
I’ve tried podcasts, breathing exercises, rain noise, etc. Nothing will shut off my brain. All I hope to achieve by posting this is that someone can relate to these issues and maybe share what things have worked for them. Bless up, everyone.