sleep attacks keep waking me up

[Listed]

I got a testicle infection about a week ago and ever since it has caused panic.

I dont know why but i always start to worry about medical problems on a over the top level. I start googling my symptoms and i end up thinking i have stuff like kidney disease or cancer. I also never seem to be able to trust the doctor is taking me serious, that they are wrong and should make me take tests immediately instead of making me take medicine for 1-2 weeks to wait and see.

This has caused me to get a maximum of only 3 hours of sleep for the last 4 nights. Im not sure what kind of attack is waking me up, sometimes i feel like a get a twitch in my leg and sometimes i feel like i had a breathing problem while sleeping. I also feel like my throat is closed up all day. I went to the doctor of course and the doctor said i could take some melatonin which i will be doing tonight. I already realize that this started as a irrational fear to die in my sleep but now im at the point where i hate sleeping so much i constantly think about this problem which causes my brain to carry it over into when im sleeping.

Anyone else with this problem that has any tips for me on what to do? I feel so powerless and when i feel that way im in complete panic. I would also like to note that this is the first time im having this problem.

[Nowuccas]

Hey Listed,

From http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/health/health-advice/are-you-a-cyber-chondriacr/news-story/07c2aefb9143336b58208e9f6b3b8915#itm=newscomau%7Ch ome%7Cnca-homepage-topstories%7C5%7Clink%7Chomepage%7Chomepage&itmt=1470667882737

"We’re all guilty of doing it. We start to feel a bit ill, have a niggling cough or have broken out in a rash. Yet, rather than go to the doctors we pick up our phone and tap into Dr Google’s office.
While for some of us it can be relatively harmless, for others it’s not the case.
In fact, it’s where the term ‘cyberchondria’ stems from, with researchers finding that, for some individuals, searching for medical information on the Internet is associated with an exacerbation of health anxiety.
Rather than thinking they have a common cold, these individuals are more inclined to think they have cancer.

Yet with search results often producing inaccurate diagnosis, it’s an easy trap for many to fall into.
In a recent study, Harvard researchers analysed 23 online symptom checkers and found that they produced an accurate diagnosis as the first result just 34% of the time.
So why do we keep doing it to ourselves?

Dr Nathan Pinskier is a spokesperson on ehealth for The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. He says that people self diagnose because of the ease of access to the Internet and information.
“The Internet is accessible 24/7, there are no boundaries and you can find out about anything you want to,” he says.
Because of this Dr Pinskier says that it’s all too easy to run the risk of accessing information that’s incorrect, and this is where the problem lays.
“For people who have an understanding of health and are health literate, the Internet can be a useful way of gaining an insight into conditions,” he says.

“Conversely, if you come from a poor level of health literacy then you may misinterpret the information.”
Dr Pinskier also notes that there’s the danger of ending up on one of the many sites that provide deliberately inaccurate or misleading information.
“The information that is provided is not always current state and is not supported by health care professionals, so may lead you down incorrect pathways,” he says.
While Dr Pinskier acknowledges that the Internet can be useful for information gathering when a diagnosis has already been made, he says that if you’re doing a broad scan to make a general diagnosis yourself then it can be risky.
“Understandably, if you have a particular symptom and look up a particular site which results in a diagnosis that sounds serious, then it’s going to create anxiety,” he says.
“As a consumer you won’t necessarily have the context to understand as to where that diagnosis stands in the spectrum.”

So what advice does Dr Pinskier offer?

“If you already have a diagnosis and you’re in a treatment program with supportive health care providers, but you want to find out additional information or additional treatment options, the internet can be really useful,” he says.
On the flipside, however, if you have no diagnosis and are concerned about symptoms or an ongoing health issue, he recommends you speak with a healthcare professional.
Of googling in general, he says, “I think it’s okay to do it occasionally and we all do it from time to time, but as a health professional I can advise that we learnt in medicine that common things occur commonly and rare things are rare.”

[Nowuccas]

A post about health anxiety follows:

Ask yourself exactly what evidence there is to support the idea that you may have such a disease, or is it just a baseless fear? What if you did have it. How would you cope? What then? Work it all out on paper. It's important to regularly monitor, and deal with a negative internal monologue (self talk), or mental process, such as disturbing thoughts, images, impulses, or emotions, by the process of (a): recognising it, and (b): challenging it immediately. Technique For Re-Programming Negative Thoughts: When you notice something negative, such as: "I can't do this/ am never going to get over this!" or: "Why am I always so useless/such a loser?" or even an image, emotion, or a memory; recognise that it is being generated from the negative part of your mind. After identifying, and labelling it, visualise a large, red, flashing, "STOP!" sign, and/or possibly a stern faced person wagging an index finger at you in a negative manner, then say to yourself as forcefully as you can, even aloud in a big voice, if alone: "I know this tactic: GO AWAY FOR A WHILE !!!" You may want to use either: "ruse", "ploy", "game", or "trick". In the case of an image, visualise a large "STOP" sign, or your preferred version. Some people go so far as to keep a wide rubber band in their pocket, then put it around their wrist, when they catch themselves backsliding, stretch and release it, as a method of reprogramming their mind sooner, but I don't regard it as being strictly necessary. Remember to remove it, afterwards, if you use this method.

Try replacing a negative thought with a positive affirmation of your choice, such as repeating: "I'll be just fine". Realise that by the act of viewing material about various diseases, you are implanting a suggestion in your subconscious mind that you may have it, It recognises a potential threat, and initiates the (formerly, in times long past) appropriate response; a "fight, or flight" reaction. Stop viewing such material. Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody/a/Meditation.htm
or www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (no flexibility required) on page L at your-mental-health.weebly.com below, and see page Z for much more about hypochondria (panic attacks, and anxiety; see pages 1, h, & i). Qi Gong, Tai Chi, or regular yoga suits others better.

Give acupressure tapping / EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. It is free via the searchbar at http://www.mercola.com "EFT" & "EFT therapists", or www.tapping.com (13 free videos) or www.emofree.com or YouTube EFT. Professionally instructed is probably best. - There is a version for use in public places at http://eft.mercola.com (you could claim to have a headache, as you employ the acupressure massage/tapping your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind: "Even though I have hypochondria, I deeply and completely accept myself."). These will enable you to emotionally centre yourself, when practiced regularly, and can also help you become a calmer, more self controlled person, who is less susceptible to such beliefs.

Read: Treating Health Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach by Steven Taylor Phd and Gordon J. G. Asmundson PhD, & The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death. by Gene Weingarten, & It's Not All in Your Head: How Worrying about Your Health Could Be Making You Sick--and What You Can Do about It by Gordon J. G. Asmundson Ph.D and Steven Taylor Ph.d, from your bookstore, or Amazon.com and there are other media, such as CD's & Kindle material, via their searchbar: "hypochondria".

Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind; view http://myfavoriteinterests.com/hypnosis/ about what it is, and isn't. 85% of people are suggestible to some degree; 15% - 20% highly so, and 15% - 20% aren't much at all, so you could either preferably seek professional hypnotherapy, or, if not an option, hypnosisdownloads.com has: Overcome Hypochondria.

More about hypochondriasis may be found at http://your-mental-health.weebly.com/z.html where the above came from.

Other relevant posts:

ANXIETY or PANIC ATTACKS: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34755-Panic-attacks-that-last-for-hours

MEDITATION: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?35052-never-ending-panic-please-help

I suggest that you learn and develop proficiency in progressive muscle relaxation, meridian tapping technique / EFT, and meditation, using whichever you find most effective in bed before going to sleep.
If you awaken, employ your chosen technique again, and hopefully the situation will improve soon. You could try melatonin for a few nights only; more can interfere with the brain's natural production of it, and I have my doubts that it would help anxiety sufferers sleep uninterrupted through the night, but I may be wrong.

[Nowuccas]

Another forum member provided the following useful information:

Common Anxiety Symptoms AnxietyCentre.com

Here are some of the many symptoms associated with anxiety disorder (because each person has a unique chemical make up, the symptoms and their intensity will vary from person to person).

The Member's area of this website contains explanations on what causes many of these symptoms and why they occur:
Body

* Burning Sensations throughout the body
* Chronic Fatigue
* Electric shock feeling
* Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
* Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
* Feeling cold or chilled
* Hyperactivity, excess energy
* Increased or decreased sex drive
* Muscle twitching
* Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
* Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
* Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
* Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
* Startle easily
* Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
* The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
* Trembling or shaking
* Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
* Warm spells
* Weak legs, arms, or muscles

Chest

* Chest pain or discomfort
* Concern about the heart
* Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
* Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
* Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
* Heart – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
* Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough

Emotions

* Dramatic mood swings
* Emotional blunting
* Emotions feel wrong
* Frequently feel like crying for no reason

Fears

* A heightened fear of what people think of you
* Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
* Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
* Fear of being in public
* Fear of dying
* Fear of losing control
* Fear of impending doom
* Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
* Fear that you are losing your mind
* Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
* Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
* Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
* Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
* Need to seat near exits

Head

* Dizziness or light-headedness
* Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
* Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
* Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* Giddiness
* Shooting pains in the face
* Shooting pains in the scalp or head
* When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
* Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache

Hearing

* Frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
* Low rumbling sounds
* Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head

Mind

* Desensitization, depersonalization
* Fear of going crazy
* Fear of losing control
* Fear of impending doom
* Feelings of unreality
* Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
* Having difficulty concentrating
* Obsession about sensations or getting better
* Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
* Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
* You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

Mood

* Always feeling angry and lack of patience
* Depression
* Feeling down in the dumps
* Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
* Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
* Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason
* Have no feelings about things you used to
* Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
* You feel like you are under pressure all the time

Mouth/Stomach

* A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste
* Choking
* Constant craving for sugar or sweets
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Difficulty swallowing
* Dry mouth
* Feeling like you can’t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
* Feeling like your tongue is swollen
* Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous
* IBS
* Lack of appetite or taste
* Nausea or abdominal stress
* The thought of eating makes you nauseous
* Tight throat, lump in throat
* Vomiting

Sleep

* Difficulty falling or staying asleep
* Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
* Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
* Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
* Jolting awake
* Waking up in a panic attack
* You feel worse in the mornings

Sight

* Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
* Dry, watery or itchy eyes
* Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
* Eyes sensitive to light
* Spots in the vision
* Flashing lights when eyes are closed
* Your depth perception feels wrong

Touch

* Numbness
* Pain
* Tingling, pins and needles feelings

Other symptoms are described as:
Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
• Having a heart attack
• Having a serious undetected illness
• Dying prematurely
• Going insane or losing your mind
• Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
• Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
• Losing control
• Fainting in public
• Not breathing properly
• Choking or suffocating
• Being alone

(NOTE: Each symptom is further described and explained in the Symptoms Demystifed section in the members area.)

These are some of the more common symptoms, but this list is certainly not exhaustive.

It is common for people to experience one or more of these symptoms. While some may experience them all others may experience only a few anxiety symptoms.

[Kirk]

A friend of mine has used Melatonin with success. I would avoid all caffeine, alcohol, and the like
as these can cause sleep disturbances. It is advisable to avoid exercise and food before bedtime and
napping during the day. I would not be too hard on yourself as many people get upset when they
don't feel well. Please let us know how you make out. By the way, welcome to the forum also.