Panic Insomnia, Now Depressed

by Jim
(SanDiego, CA)

Your website is truly packed with useful information. I'm not sure why I am sending you this email. I'm just hoping maybe you can give me some hope. My name is Jim, I live in San Diego, California. I have 2 kids and a wonderful wife and a fairly successful business that I am unable to attend to because of my panic anxiety insomnia. I have battled it for years, but the last few months, weeks and days have been horrible. I've lost all my energy. I always think the way out would be to work out and to eat right but I have no energy. Seriously there are many nights in a row that I don't sleep for 5 minutes and that makes the next day emotionally and physically impossible. What makes it worse, I am home alone with severe panic and anxiety throughout the day. I need to break the cycle. I need to sleep for the energy to do so. Any suggestions? I don't think I need to tell you what I'm going through,it sounds like you've done it too. God bless you. ~ Jim

Reply from Sound-Mind.org

Hello Jim,

Thanks so much for your email. It's definately frustrating when sleep is interrupted and insomnia sets in. I can totally indentify with that struggle and remember times when I didn't sleep for days myself. I shared my struggle, along with what helped me, in an article called Cant Sleep? There Are Real Answers That Work!

Since you are at home, struggling with severe panic and anxiety throughout the day, I definately think it's important that you put all your attention on ovecoming these things. Insomnia is a symptom and when you deal with your panic and anxiety, you will find that your insomnia will also diminish. I know it's hard to function on very little sleep (if any at all) but I've learned that the body will sleep eventually. When we worry about not sleeping, we actually sabotage our ability to sleep. So, one thing that will help a lot is to have an attitude of "acceptance" when you can't sleep. Instead, place your focus on overcoming your anxiety and panic.

Anxiety and panic are exhausting! Going through panic attacks and generalized anxiety produces and burns a lot of adrenaline. This overworks your adrenal glands, many times causing adrenal gland fatigue. This in itself causes a number of different symptoms as well.

Diet and exercise are both very helpful tools that will help you overcome your panic and anxiety. Although you feel exhausted, I encourage you to still exercise. Exercise will help you burn off the excess adrenaline your body produces, while the healthy diet will help replenish your body of important and necessary nutrients. If you have a hard time eating the right things, then you may consider a vitamin supplement, especially B-Complex to help support your nervous system and to also help your body convert food into energy.

As with depression, you feel unmotiviated, overwhelmed enough to think about quitting and giving up - the best thing to do is this case is to push through it and force yourself to move. As much as you want to sit and do nothing, this is about going against what you "feel" like doing.

Consider your thought life. This is VERY important! What you think throughout the day - about yourself, others, your surroundings, your life, etc. etc. This all matters! How you look at things and how you perceive them has a lot to do with anxiety. So I highly encourage you to work through this every day.

Whatever you do, DONT beat yourself up! With anxiety and panic, we all feel like we can't get over this fast enough. We pressure ourselves, we want it gone...and yesterday. But I can tell you this - negativity and pessimism are your worst enemies. Encourage yourself, pat yourself on the back and treat yourself as you would a good friend that is going through a hard time. Why should you treat yourself any different?

Please be encouraged Jim. You won't be stuck forever! As long as you persist, do what you need to do...anxiety and panic cannot win.

Hang in there! Please feel free to email anytime!
~Susan
Sound-Mind.org