sleeping problems

[asdf1234]

well i have anxiety and when i usually try to rest i feel restless and cant fall asleep well, and when i do i usually wake up like 6 times during the night, not being able to fall asleep again, with taht certain uncomfortable restless feeling in my chest. when i wake up i usually feel like im going to lose control of all my body parts like breathing swallowing, thinking, talking, its like there all happening by itself, is this a symptom of anxiety?? i feel scared and uncomfortable and i think that i will lose all my memorys and functions any moment. it is just wierd how i move my arm or legs or anything sometimes i feel detached from my body, will this go away?? i also get sudden thoughts of "is this real" is this a symptom of anxiety and go away after i take meds? also my anxiety started after smoking weed like 3 weeks ago, and i felt DP symptoms when i was high, i think it got lesser, i also get panic attacks and missed a week of skool cuz of it. am i just over thinking??

thanks

[northstar]

hi there asdf1234, from all your posts it sounds like you're having a pretty rough time at the moment, i'm sorry to see that. i'm having trouble figuring your story out, you say that the anxiety started about 3 weeks ago after smoking weed, but you also seem to suggest that you are on meds which suggests that you've been suffering for a bit longer than those 3 weeks? it may help if you explain your story to us from the beginning :)

if you haven't already stopped then i suggest that you consider not smoking any more weed. everyone reacts differently to it, some people get relaxed and yet some people get anxious. if it's making you anxious then that's a good indicator that you probably shouldn't smoke it any more. i don't know much about anxiety related to smoking weed, but from what i read it seems that it tends to lessen with time.

about your feelings of loosing control of your body and mind, these are common symptoms of anxiety. a lot of people on these boards describe very similar occurrences. you're not going crazy, don't worry. but it sounds like you need to do something about how you're feeling. have you spoken to anyone about it? like a parent or a doctor? if not then please do so, it'll help to share it and they can work out a way to help you to deal with the anxiety.

going to yoga is a good idea, it can teach you to relax which is so important and also the deep breathing exercises can be really helpful too. about your panic attacks and school: as difficult as it sounds, going to school is probably the best thing for you to do. you can choose to stay at home and let the anxiety cripple you, or you can choose to go out into the world and refuse to be a victim :) saying that, if you're on the very edge and really really can't handel it then please tell someone, don't put yourself through unnecessary suffering if you need help. if you find yourself panicking then stop and take deep breaths in and breathe out very very slowly until you feel calmer again. if you read through the posts here you will find other suggestions as to how to deal with panic attacks.

i managed to recover from anxiety by discovering that what and how i was eating was the main source of the feelings. so i learned about nutrition and eating to keep my blood sugars happy. i posted up some articles on this board recently, if you're interested you can read them. i also went to a psychotherapist to learn to deal with worry and depression and found it very helpful. other things that can help are taking a vitamin B supplement (good for a stressed out nervous system) and getting exercise daily (creates good hormones in your body). but it all depends on your personal situation.

i hope at least some part of this helps, please let us know how you're doing :)

::edit::
oh yeah, i fixed my sleeping problems by eating to keep my blood sugars happy before i slept. this involved not eating anything that would burn up in my body quickly (like sugary, processed foods) or drinking/eating anything that can irritate anxiety (like tea, coffee, sodas, alcohol) a couple of hours before i slept. i also started eating a snack before going to bed like a banana that would burn up in my body slowly and keep my blood sugars happy for longer. sometimes if i woke up anxious in the middle of the night i would eat a banana and it would have me back to sleep again pretty soon. i don't know if any of that is helpful to you, but you never know :)

[asdf1234]

well i am not in meds yet, i saw a doctor who checked my lungs and heart n all that and im fine, i also seen a counselor who just listened to me, he also appointed a therapist for me in 2 weeks.. i am not in meds yet.but do you think my feelings about losing control are nothing to worry about but to stop over thinking it because it will never happen?? i dont smoke weed regularly that as my 8th time doing it

[northstar]

well i am not in meds yet, i saw a doctor who checked my lungs and heart n all that and im fine, i also seen a counselor who just listened to me, he also appointed a therapist for me in 2 weeks.. i am not in meds yet.but do you think my feelings about losing control are nothing to worry about but to stop over thinking it because it will never happen?? i dont smoke weed regularly that as my 8th time doing it

your feelings about loosing control are common ones to people with anxiety. when i felt like this myself by therapist made the point that people don't loose control through anxiety. and also people who have lost control usually don't realise it :) i know it's hard not to overthink with anxiety, but hopefull thats where the therapy will come in handy.

i'm glad to hear you're going to see a therapist, it can really help i found!