Six Years Update

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Cindys - Thank you so much.  I am determined to get through all this.  I keep postponing putting together a signature.  I also took Ambien 10 mg. on and off, mostly off thank goodness but that combined with the Valium didn't do me any favors.

 

I sincerely appreciate you sharing your journey.

[[ho...]]

hopefullinpa,

 

To this day, I have insomnia issues BUT, it is a different kind of insomnia, it's Not the WD insomnia. I'll try to explain the difference, WD insomnia for me, lasted about 4 years, with "WD Insomnia" I was only able to sleep about 3-4 hours in duration, I had extreme night sweats, horrible dreams. Once my sleep started to improve in duration , it was 4-6 hours of interrupted sleep. WD insomnia sleep was never a restful sleep and I had extreme anxiety with my inability to obtain a restful sleep during WD.

 

Now after I recovered from WD, I still suffer with insomnia, but I no longer have any anxiety or restlessness about not sleeping. Now I usually sleep 4 hours in duration, wake up, listen to music in bed or audio tapes for an hour or so, and then fall back to sleep for another 2-3 hours. And it OK. So many woman my age (65) have problems with sleep. And the sleep I do get now is a restful sleep. But it so nice Not to have that anxiety about not being able to sleep. I am also retired now, so it's not a major issue in my life any more. And another great thing is, I can take a very restful peaceful one hour nap. No more toxic naps, those were brutal, waking up with that fear and panic.

 

So my sleep is so much better, still have insomnia, but with a calm body and mind , it's no big deal.

 

It gets so much better, hon.

Sweet Dreams will return.

 

Always, Cindy.........ONWARD

 

Cindy,

 

Thank you for the response and encouragement.  I want to believe with all my heart that time is the true healer.  I have managed to reduce what I take at night to sleep (only magnesium and tart cherry pills now).  I am doing my best to eat right, meditate, work at our business and get some exercise daily (walking or yoga).  I'm in the phase of getting 2-3 decent nights and then 1-2 bad nights.  I suppose these are my waves and windows.  I could sleep 8-9 hours a night before I had the panic attack in 2017.  I miss that tremendously. 

 

Before the shelter-in-place order, I was attempting CBT for Insomnia.  It started to work and then my doctor adjusted things and my sleep worsened, so I gave up.  I really question if I shouldn't give it another try on my own as it is supposed to have an 80% success rate.  He said that my sleep architecture would eventually recover, but that CBT-I would help it to happen sooner rather than later.  I just so desparately want to be the Mom, Wife and Daughter that I used to be. 

 

I'm happy to hear that you are healed, living life and are at peace with your sleep.  Congratulations again!!  (((())))

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Before the shelter-in-place order, I was attempting CBT for Insomnia. 

 

Hi HIPA,

 

CBT has been proven to be beneficial.  I would recommend reading 'Feeling Good' by Dr. Burns https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-New-Mood-Therapy/dp/B01N9TCVLD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=feeling+good&qid=1587578552&sr=8-1

 

Cheers,

      RR

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hopefulinpa,

 

You have 18 months behind you, and it does sound like you are in the window and waves healing pattern, with 2-3 nights of decent sleep, Great progress. Although, going thru this nightmare we can never acknowledge or recognize we are making progress because it is so bizarre, we always have something going on that fires up our CNS.

 

I don't think the CBT will hurt, you may want to give it another shot. It helped me to discard my negative thinking and developed positive affirmations for myself. You will return to being that positive, loving and supportive mom, wife and daughter, again. I felt the same way, I just wanted my confident , calm, mind, and calm body to return. And I wanted so much to be me again.......I am not me again but a much more better version of me, one more compassionate, one more of patience......YOU will get your life back, I promise.

 

Always, cindy

[[RS...]]

I’ll second Feeling Good.  My therapist used the techniques from that book. They work well.