Night terrors
 

Has anybody ever experience these? A night terror is when you wake up suddenly in an in between state. You are confused and panicking. For me I can't breath for about 5-8 seconds right after i wake up. I don't know where I am or who I am. When i start breathing and I come into a more awake state I go into a panic attack. The last one I had I thought I was having a heart attack and almost lost consciousness twice. My heart was racing. I had these often while i was drinking heavily and now that i'm sober i am still having them occasionally. I know my withdrawal period is long gone. I don't know what is wrong with my brain. I had one almost everyday for the last week. Last time i told my doctor about them he said it was from drinking but Ive been sober for 7 months now.

I've heard horror stories about these. I don't think your Doctor is taking you seriously enough. If he can't help you, or doesn't believe that this is a real problem for you, ask for a referral.

I agree. Ask for a referral so you can at least get a second opinion.

I had something many, many years ago that I always assumed were night terrors. These weren't related to alcohol or addiction. They only lasted for maybe two months or so and occurred once a week on average. They occurred as I was going through a big life transition.

I found them weird: I'd fall asleep and then a low whistling/siren type sound would gradually grow so loud it was deafening. I would then wake with a feeling of sheer terror. I was OK once I woke up, and they didn't really bother me much; more of a discomfort than anything. Once I realized what they were, I found them oddly fascinating (yes, I'm weird like that sometimes). They went away on their own and I haven't had them since.

Years ago when I first tried to stop I had sleep paralysis. That is some scary stuff!

I was awake and could not move. I thought I was dreaming at first. It only lasted like five or ten seconds but it seemed a LOT longer. I was finally able to switch my pinky and then boom I came right out of it.

Another time I woke half way across the room and screaming my fool head off. I have no memory of what had scared me so much in my dream state to cause it.

I think it scares us to think we are doing things or that things are going on around us while we are asleep and not in control. In some ways it the same as being blacked out from drinking. The control is gone and it scares us not to be in control.

You said the last time you asked your doctor he said it was due to drinking but have you asked him since you have been sober?

I am a few years sober, 40 years old and have night terrors too. Usually it correlates to stress in my life... I manage stress by attending AA meetings, prayer and acceptance, but have admittedly sloughed off a bit lately. Stress levels produce cortisol in our systems and perhaps that's what causes me to shoot up in bed swearing... Last week I jumped clear out of bed and grabbed my wife by the arm... I remember it vaguely, other times not at all. I'd e interested in hearing more of what you find out. I have certainly consumed enough booze in my time to have caused this, but it could also be unrelated... Also, look into sleep apnea... All the best :)

I have those too and it's horrible! I can't find an answer and I pray they will stop. It makes me afraid of going to sleep for the even worse nightmare of waking up. All I hope is to grind through it and pray that someday my body, mind, nerves, memory, whatever is happening will heal enough to stop. The panic is debilitating sometimes. God bless and good luck. I'd like to hear more, like does it ever stop....

Im going to record the audio while i sleep to see if a snore a lot. I want to see if sleep apnea is a factor..especially to the part where i can't breath. All the people that have slept near me during my life have never told me that i snore but i live alone and haven't had anybody sleep next to me in a while. I am going to make an appointment with my general doctor. I don't think this is an issue for a shrink. I will let you guys know what i find out

Good luck!! I do have sleep apnea but I found it harder to sleep with all the aparatus (sic?) they want you to wear. I don't know if it has anything to do with that or not. I hope it resolves itself for us one way or another.

The sound you heard is common in out-of-body experiences, and near-death-experiences. The Tibetan Book of the Dead mentions it.

Reil-Have you read the Tibetan Book of the Dead? I've always wanted to lay my hands on a copy of it! Someone told me that weird paralysis thing at sleep/wake was kundalini awakening. I don't know. I wish I could get past the anxiety to be able to find it fascinating. If my heart didn't feel like it was going to fly out of my throat, it would be fascinating. :c029:

I read the Tibetan Book of the Dead many years ago. I had a lot of issues with sleep paralysis, and out of body experiences, and what I believed to be demonic attacks.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, as I recall it, teaches that the terrifying things you may encounter after your death are your own projections, so not to be afraid of them.

I'm pretty sure that some of the things I've encountered have nothing to do with me, so didn't find this very persuasive, but perhaps it's not meant to be taken literally. It's unwise to expect to fully understand what is essentially a road-map of the afterlife for a very different culture from ours.

As for the Kundalini awakening a quick google search gleaned the following quote from a book by someone called Pan Andov:

"Disability of physical moving through which one’s whole body is
paralyzed but the consciousness is fully awake: The whole process is
followed by a strong zooming sound as a result of the Kundalini energy
rising. Although it is a creepy feeling, if the consciousness is not in panic
it can easily slip out of the physical body. (Fully conscious state that can
usually be induced if he or she is trained, but it can happen to him or her
naturally because of the momentary strong and vital consciousness or as a result
of some extraordinary circumstances on the astral plane near his or her physical
body)"

I'd never thought about it in quite this way, but sleep paralysis is indeed a time when you can leave your physical body as it happens when your astral body is outside it.

Riel, many thanks. I haven't thought about this stuff in a while, but it seems to becoming around again. Maybe if we can look at things objectively they don't seem so scary. I've had some weird issues starting from teenage years and I've thought demonic attacks may have been part of it. How do you cope? :thanks

Not night terrors, but when withdrawing I got the most savage of nightmares, vividly real and memorable. I guess I am not alone in this.

No, you are not alone. They suck. I start wandering into, why did I ever start this to begin with. Keep the faith. Thanks for sharing.

Alysheba, I struggled for years until I had a visitation from a higher being or angel. After that experience I've never had another demonic attack. I've encountered other non-demonic entities, some of which were disconcerting, but nothing terrifying.

There is a lot of flotsam and jetsam in the astral plane that can negatively influence you. Chances are that your problems aren't demonic in origin. In either case the best option is prayer, combined with abstinence and self-care. Alcoholics attract negative spirits while at the same time weakening themselves.

I experienced something through yoga and meditation. some would tell me it was a kundalini awakening. At the current time i do not know what it was and don't claim to. I don't disbelieve in ancient eastern thought on kundalini but i don't fully believe it either. i had a deeply spiritual experience with an altered state of consciouness for a week. its funny i think my night terrors started sometime after this episode. well one thing is for sure i can't bring up kundalini with my doctor. He will think im nuts

Probably wise to refrain from telling the doc about kundalini...:) I feel kind of weird even sharing it here, but it is what it is. Thanks for all.

Could you find a sleep clinic in your area? That might be useful. I had those as a child, grew out of them, and then they came back when drinking, waking up in panic and terror, rushing around my apartment. I attributed it to the drop in blood sugar you get after drinking a lot of hard alcohol. Up till this thread, I've never actually heard anyone else mention this issue. It was basically harmless though.

I agree...