Late night anxiety....
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Posts: 645
Late night anxiety....
I have always been an anxious person - before I started abusing substances.
Since giving up weed, i've been more anxious on a daily basis...Im finding now that at around 10pm, im prone to a little attack. Im not even sure if its anxiety - as its not necessarily a negative feeling - just one of restlessness and it irritates me particularly at a time that I should be starting to wind down.....I get up at around 8am every day and never get more than 8 hours sleep - always interrupted sleep may I add. Anyone else with this kind of regime would probably be falling asleep at this time?
Nothing in particular seems to trigger it, it just happens on its own. My doctor said that while im in withdrawal for marijuana that it is okay to take my serapax every night to stop the anxiety - but I dont want to become reliant on them so I dont. I stick to 2-3 times a week. I refuse to go through another withdrawal, and I reckon taking them everyday even if only for a few weeks, will lead to that. I abused valium while I was drinking, but because id always pop the pills while I was drunk, I never really knew how many or how often id take them, and didnt seem to go through withdrawal whenever they werent available. Guess I just drank more.
I am going to the doctor again in a few days so hopefully she might be able to give me a few more options. In the past I usually triggered my own anxiety attacks by thinking too much about things that werent even worth worrying about. I can listen to my classical music and go for walks at this time of course, but id really like to know I am feeling this way for no particular reason at all. Is this 'general anxiety' as opposed to 'self-induced anxiety'? Im hardly a mental health expert so am just taking wild stabs in the dark.....
Does anyone else experience this kind of thing late at night when your body should really be starting to relax naturally?
Since giving up weed, i've been more anxious on a daily basis...Im finding now that at around 10pm, im prone to a little attack. Im not even sure if its anxiety - as its not necessarily a negative feeling - just one of restlessness and it irritates me particularly at a time that I should be starting to wind down.....I get up at around 8am every day and never get more than 8 hours sleep - always interrupted sleep may I add. Anyone else with this kind of regime would probably be falling asleep at this time?
Nothing in particular seems to trigger it, it just happens on its own. My doctor said that while im in withdrawal for marijuana that it is okay to take my serapax every night to stop the anxiety - but I dont want to become reliant on them so I dont. I stick to 2-3 times a week. I refuse to go through another withdrawal, and I reckon taking them everyday even if only for a few weeks, will lead to that. I abused valium while I was drinking, but because id always pop the pills while I was drunk, I never really knew how many or how often id take them, and didnt seem to go through withdrawal whenever they werent available. Guess I just drank more.
I am going to the doctor again in a few days so hopefully she might be able to give me a few more options. In the past I usually triggered my own anxiety attacks by thinking too much about things that werent even worth worrying about. I can listen to my classical music and go for walks at this time of course, but id really like to know I am feeling this way for no particular reason at all. Is this 'general anxiety' as opposed to 'self-induced anxiety'? Im hardly a mental health expert so am just taking wild stabs in the dark.....
Does anyone else experience this kind of thing late at night when your body should really be starting to relax naturally?
Hooligan
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Snowy North-Eastern U.S.
Posts: 321
i have the same anxiety, self inflicted where when i am attempting to go to bed i just think. I have to convince myself it is not worth worrying about and just go to bed.
Or maybe trying working out/exercise hard, to tired your body out so when you lie down you will just fall right asleep
Or maybe trying working out/exercise hard, to tired your body out so when you lie down you will just fall right asleep
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Posts: 645
yea its not the self-inflicted type that hits me at around 10pm though - I just all of a sudden get restless and feel like I could run a marathon. I dont think its normal - considering how little sleep I get. I should be getting tired at that time.....and I go to the gym twice a day most days, and feel that I expel enough energy there.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Bristol TN/VA
Posts: 12,431
I have problems.
chamomile tea. wind down with a warm bubbly bath, avoid intense tv/movies or etc for an hour before bedtime, avoid caffeine from 2pm on, learn relaxation and deep breathing, talk to your dr.
chamomile tea. wind down with a warm bubbly bath, avoid intense tv/movies or etc for an hour before bedtime, avoid caffeine from 2pm on, learn relaxation and deep breathing, talk to your dr.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Great White North
Posts: 212
you sound like me, im usually fine all day, then when night comes and im trying to go to bed. WOOSH. there it is. takes me forever to fall asleep because of it and i get panicky.
have you tried listening to hypnothearapy tapes or anything? they usually help me because hearing someone droan on and on lulls me asleep and they are telling you good things.
thats what helped me anyways. everyone is different though i know.
have you tried listening to hypnothearapy tapes or anything? they usually help me because hearing someone droan on and on lulls me asleep and they are telling you good things.
thats what helped me anyways. everyone is different though i know.
Dismember
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: The Mitten, USA
Posts: 1,641
My anxiety is more episodic and not regular, but I do get it at night, sure.
Live said what I would. Do calming things, self-pampering things, distracting things, etc. I also do a lot of deep breathing and the ex-Buddhist in me still likes meditation. Rarely do those things ever get rid of my anxiety but it does bring it down in degrees.
And you might ask your doctor if there are medication options without dependency that you can take. The clear and rational rules of this site prohibit me from saying what a doctor did for me, but ask for yourself and see what they say.
Live said what I would. Do calming things, self-pampering things, distracting things, etc. I also do a lot of deep breathing and the ex-Buddhist in me still likes meditation. Rarely do those things ever get rid of my anxiety but it does bring it down in degrees.
And you might ask your doctor if there are medication options without dependency that you can take. The clear and rational rules of this site prohibit me from saying what a doctor did for me, but ask for yourself and see what they say.
2nd chance at a 1st cl*** life
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: San Jose, Ca
Posts: 492
The only withdrawls I've ever experienced from weed is cravings a few days after I stopped smoking it, not being able to gall asleep at night and loss of appetite; but that was only for the few days after quitting. Occasionally if I smell it I'll get a craving. Even when someone runs over a skunk and I smell that it will spark craving, but I'm pretty successful as far as shaking the cravings.
I feel you though Ainslie cause those were some tough cravings to shake in the beginning. Not being able to sleep makes it tough too, cause it'd be really easy to take a few rips to get yourself tired. Keep up the good work and stay strong. We dont need the tweeds anymore.
I feel you though Ainslie cause those were some tough cravings to shake in the beginning. Not being able to sleep makes it tough too, cause it'd be really easy to take a few rips to get yourself tired. Keep up the good work and stay strong. We dont need the tweeds anymore.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Posts: 645
Thanks everyone 
I havent tried hypnotherapy tapes, that is a good idea....but the problem is that I dont want to go to sleep at this time - I usually retire around midnight, I just want to wind down naturally like other people. I could go back to nightshift, for some reason I sleep better during the day. LOL probably all those years of drinking all night and sleeping all day - my body is more used to that than the last 2 years of sobriety and being a 'day person'......prior to giving up weed id be falling asleep on the couch at around 10-11pm.
When im in these moods, the only thing that seems to get my mind off it is actual physical movement. But then if I exercise, it just wakes me up more. I should maybe learn some deep breathing techniques. Id like to fix it without medication, or hitting myself over the head with a brick. I really dont want to be one of the 10% with a cannabis induced mental illness. But its seeming more likely as the days go by.
I havent tried hypnotherapy tapes, that is a good idea....but the problem is that I dont want to go to sleep at this time - I usually retire around midnight, I just want to wind down naturally like other people. I could go back to nightshift, for some reason I sleep better during the day. LOL probably all those years of drinking all night and sleeping all day - my body is more used to that than the last 2 years of sobriety and being a 'day person'......prior to giving up weed id be falling asleep on the couch at around 10-11pm.
When im in these moods, the only thing that seems to get my mind off it is actual physical movement. But then if I exercise, it just wakes me up more. I should maybe learn some deep breathing techniques. Id like to fix it without medication, or hitting myself over the head with a brick. I really dont want to be one of the 10% with a cannabis induced mental illness. But its seeming more likely as the days go by.
Dismember
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: The Mitten, USA
Posts: 1,641
Here's a trick with deep breathing: to get the most out of taking deep breaths you want to use your diaphram (a muscle under your lungs) to move air in and out rather than your chest. The easy way to know if you're doing so is to breathe so that your stomach goes in and out with the breaths (easier to do if you've got a beer gut like me.)
Otherwise, deep breathing really is as easy as just taking deep breaths. Just get into a comfortable rhythm. You'll know it when you get it.
Both the cheesy, pop psychology activity therapists in psych wards I've been in and thousand-year old Buddhist texts all suggest focusing on your breath while you do it. Feeling the air move, thinking about inhaling/exhaling. It doesn't work well for me, but having some sort of rhythmic and repetitive thought to accompany it.
Otherwise, deep breathing really is as easy as just taking deep breaths. Just get into a comfortable rhythm. You'll know it when you get it.
Both the cheesy, pop psychology activity therapists in psych wards I've been in and thousand-year old Buddhist texts all suggest focusing on your breath while you do it. Feeling the air move, thinking about inhaling/exhaling. It doesn't work well for me, but having some sort of rhythmic and repetitive thought to accompany it.
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