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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Posts
    1

    Unhappy Help needed, not able to sleep

    Hi all, I'm new to IES so I may be doing this all wrong. BUT-
    I'm only 15, and have always been slightly emetophobic (in the sense that I've gotten scared when people around me have gotten sick) but just recently my emetophobia has reached an entirely new level. Over the past few weeks getting sick is all I can think about, and it bothers me the most at night- my amount of sleep per night has been reduced to a maximum of 5 hours, and on nights like tonight, I am unable to sleep at all. At night I become aware of any possible symptoms I may have which could possibly lead to getting sick and obsess over the last time I was sick, trying to match up symptoms and determine whether I will be sick or not. I am so terrified of getting sick that I would probably rather break a limb, and anything that might suggest the possibility will keep me up for hours. I need some way to know if I am going to be sick, or I'm never going to be able to sleep. I've tried meditation and reading books and thinking of a peaceful place but nothing seems to distract me from my obsession over whether I will be sick or not. Please help, I really would love to be able to get some sleep before I graduate.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Help needed, not able to sleep

    Ugh, I am so sorry you're experiencing this. I know exactly what you're going through. I managed to work myself up to such a state and missed out on so much sleep that I ended up in psych emergency. I was prescribed 5m of ambien to help me sleep. So far I have only taken two and I took them a week apart from each other. The first time worked great, it helped to relieve a lot of my anxiety and made me sleepy almost instantly. I got a full nine hours of sleep on it. The next time I took it didn't work so well but that's only because i psyched myself out worrying about v**** and being nauseous as a result (which didn't happen by the way). I would recommend talking to your doctor about possibly being prescribed a low dose of a sleeping pill to help get a full 8 hours of sleep. You can also ask for an anti-nausea/v****ing medication if you are worried about those as a possible side effect, which is highly unlikely to begin with. The one that I am currently taking is Zofran, and it works great! You may not even need to take it, but just having it there as an option is a great comfort. You may also want to look into setting up a consultation with a therapist to work on this issue. Having someone to talk to on a regular basis is a great relief. However there are several other options to consider as well if that's not the route you wish to go. You can try melatonin, which is over-the-counter and very benign. I'd recommend starting out with 3mg to start to see if that helps you sleep and if not I'd bump it up to 5mg. There also a few over-the-counter anti-nausea medications such as Dramamine (which also has the added bonus of making you sleepy), or Emetrol (not the best tasting but still an option worth considering), even Benadryl works great! Other remedies include acupressure bands, the most common brand is Sea Bands which come highly recommended and are used all across the board (I got mine on Amazon, but I'm sure you can find them in-store as well). I own a pair and am never without them, they are constantly on my person except when i am in the shower and I never leave the house without them. Peppermint essential oil is another great option, you can either use it topically or diffuse it. I like to dab a small drop underneath my nostrils as well as on my wrists and behind my ears. Even chewing on peppermint gum or sucking on an actual peppermint can be helpful. Tea is also another great option and a nice way to end the day/prep for bed: there's chamomile, mint, lemon balm, ginger, turmeric, the list goes on and on. I'd also recommend identifying your triggers and figuring out which ones you are willing to start trying to cope with. It's hard getting out of your head, believe me I know. If you don't have anyone you can talk it out with, I recommend journaling or even jumping on here to talk to people who know exactly what you're going through. Reading and meditation don't help me either, I have to engage in something relatively mindless and yet also requires some level of concentration. It is a fine balance, but I've recently taken up puzzle making and it has been a great help to me to distract myself, but you can try whatever intrigues you. Anyway, I apologize for bombarding you with all this information, Just remember that you are not alone! I wish you luck. I promise it will start to get better as you find ways to cope. It may not happen soon or even 100% but it can become manageable. I hope at least one of the things I mentioned helps you, take care!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    28

    Default Re: Help needed, not able to sleep

    I know it's been a few days since you've posted this, but I felt very compelled to respond.
    I am so sorry you've had trouble sleeping recently. It's miserable having to go to school groggy and tired. This anxiety can be so crippling sometimes. I don't know if you've thought about seeing a counselor, but that is such a crucial step to conquering this anxiety. This person will give you specialized instructions on how to deal with your fears. I see a counselor for my phobia and every session does wonders! Things that help me when I'm most anxious are listening to music that I love, watching videos on how to make recipes (I'm an emetophobic that admittedly loves food, weird, I know), or even coming to this website. I am so sorry that you are struggling right now. It's hard, but I promise you that once you understand your anxiety, you'll know how to handle it.

 

 

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