Onset of anxiety after surgery

[KatMangan]

I had neck surgery about a month and half ago. I came out of it with severe anxiety and still have it. It is tolerable during the day on most days but at night when I try to lay down, this rush comes over me that forces me to get up. I eventually take enough medication to finally fall asleep but there have been nights when this didn't even help and I would still be pacing the house come daylight. Has anyone else experienced this and is there hope that it will go away? One person suggested it might be the result of anesthesia but I would think that would be gone by now. Another suggested that the surgery experience has just uprooted something deep within me that I'm not able to deal with - but for the life of me, I can't imagine what that might be. If I knew, I would certainly address it.

[NixonRulz]

I wouldn't read too deep into things. I highly doubt that the surgery has unleashed some pent up emotions

Sounds to me that for whatever reason, you couldn't sleep soon after your surgery. That annoyed, then concerned you so you began to feel anxious at night because you feared not being able to sleep

Now you have associate going to sleep with feeling bad and you have just created your trigger. And because you react and get up, your brain is being taught to react with fear when you feel the rush.

Don't get up when you feel the adrenaline rush come over you. Just lay there and it will stop. That way you are essentially retraining your brain not to react when it is time for bed.

Sleep well!

[KatMangan]

Thank you for the encouraging words. I try to stay in bed but I seldom win. Do you have any tricks to outlast the urgency to get up?

[NixonRulz]

Thank you for the encouraging words. I try to stay in bed but I seldom win. Do you have any tricks to outlast the urgency to get up?

I would like to say I did....but I don't

That feeling will stop regardless of what you do. Doing normal belly breaths with your stomach rising and falling will help. Breathing is so important since anxiety prone people tend to breath extremely shallow. So breath normally as you should but not deep breathing either

If you are lucky enough to have heart palpitations a long with other symptoms they too are caused by shallow breathing. Normal breathing with your belly will make them stop

[KatMangan]

thanks again. Here is hoping. Can you tell me what senior member means?

[NixonRulz]

thanks again. Here is hoping. Can you tell me what senior member means?

A senior member is just someone who has a bunch of posts. I really don't recall how many it takes to make get there