I have problem staying asleep and anxiety

[mona1989]

Since my dad passed away, I seldom have a good night sleep.  I normally go throught the night with 2-3 hours.  Sometimes I wish I have more than 24 hours a day so I would have more time to accomplish my tasks.  The only time that I slept well was when we were on vacation..( near the beach).  My pattern of sleep has changed for about 7 years.  I usually got up with a bad headache and neck pain for a while..Recently my doctor prescribed Zestril 10mg once a day and it does the job; I do not wake up with headache and neck pain.  Recently I had a few episodes of panic attacks and had to pull off the freeways to calm down.  I am on Xanax 0.25mg every other day and seems to control my anxiety...I can get back on the freeway.  Nature relaxes me.  I would feel trapped in places like Costco, warehouses and festival event....and I have been avoiding these places.  My friend recommends a visit to a psychiatrist for treatment and I don't think I am crazy.  I know what I have, panic disorder, stress and may be depressed for a long time since my dad passed away.  I am very closed to my father.  My husband does not seem to understand and thinks it is normal for a woman at my age, 45, to go through this stage...and he suggest to continue taking Xanax until I feel better.  I do not like to rely on medications, especially Xanax, Klonopin or any antidepression medications until i try other choices.  Please advise.

[mona1989]

Thank you Wendy. The Xanax really helps.  It works like a magic pill.  I was able to stay asleep longer.  Over the weekend, I spoke to a friend who had the same problem and she advised me to work on gardening.  It is very therapeutic for my anxiety.  So far for two days, I am able to sleep and feel rather relax...I did not take any pills for the past two days..Hopefully I wont' need to tomorrow.  

Best wishes and hope you feel better everyday.

[WendyLady03]

I was having horrible problems sleeping after I started having panic attacks. For one full week I only slept maybe an hour or so a night, and one night I was only able to sleep for 15 minutes. I had a fear of meds, a fear of getting addicted to them, and just a plain 'ol fear of having to rely on them to be "normal".

Eventually though I realized that the meds were there to help me restore some balance, and now that I'm sleeping better and feeling better I can look into weening off of them. I know meds aren't for everyone, but they did help me.

I also found just talking to a psychologist helped immensely. I've never lost a parent so I don't know how it feels, but I can imagine that it's completely horrible and it must be really hard to deal with along with anxiety and depression. Talking to someone might help you deal with everthing that's going on, and it in no way means you're crazy. We all need extra help from time to time, and I've found that just being able to freely talk to someone about my thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment has done wonders for me. I've learned a lot of relaxation techniques, as well as other ways to deal with distressing thoughts. I've become obsessed with thoughts of death, or actually a fear of death, and talking to my therapist has helped calm a lot of those thoughts. It's nice to hear from someone that you're not alone with anxiety and everything that comes along with it.

Good luck, I hope you are doing well!