Posted by FrequentFryer on June 22, 2006, at 21:00:33 [reposted on June 23, 2006, at 9:53:15 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Have you tried behavior treatments? They work » FrequentFryer, posted by Racer on June 21, 2006, at 22:55:05
Cool, what kind of behavioral treatment self help e-book type things should I search for.
Sometimes I think about sexual fantasys :/ hehe but that dosnt help. I try & wake up early, ALWAYS exercise, stay out of bed during the day, watch a boring movie before bed.
I still have a hard time controlling my racing thoughts though.
But yeah what kind of behavioral treatment self help e-book type things should I search for?Thanks!
> > Behavior treatments?
> > I eat well, exercise heaps & do all those little natural things but it dosn't help.
> > Or do you meen like psychology? doubt I could afford insomnia psychology.
> >
> >
>
> I do mean psychology. There are behavioral techniques that help a lot with insomnia, and might be less likely to create dependency and tolerance. ;-)
>
> Here's the thing -- I really and truly do know how hard it is to hear someone say that, especially because it's usually said at a time when you're feeling pretty yucky. Let me start out by saying, "I have experienced severe insomnia, and it is horrible. I have also experienced tolerance with several drugs given me for sleep. And I've experienced withdrawal from them, too. I hate that I'm writing something to you that you probably want to slug me for bringing up..."
>
> Anyway, now that that's out of the way, the behavioral things have to do with specific things you can do when you go to bed to help you get to sleep. What would work best for you depends on what happens when you can't sleep, and I only know what works for me, but I do know that there are books and internet articles on things that work. You wouldn't necessarily have to see someone.
>
> One of the biggest benefits to using this sort of thing -- for me, at least -- is that it reduces a lot of the anxiety about getting to sleep. I have a lot more faith that I will get to sleep, and that helps ease me into it, too.
>
> I do have my Ambien, so I know that I will sleep, but you know what? I maybe take it once every six weeks or so now, compared to nearly every night.
>
> What works for me is to make up a 'dream' I want to be in, some sort of fantasy, and then go through the story. If I can stay in the fantasy, and not bring in too many outside distractions, it usually puts me out in minutes. And if the distractions come in, I can usually stop myself and refocus on the good stuff.
>
> Compare that to being up all night, without being able to turn off all the bad thoughts I had about msyelf, how horrible everything was, etc. Just circling around and around, never finding anything to help me out of it. Drowning in anxiety and self-loathing. (I never just couldn't sleep -- it was racing thoughts of horrible things. Waking nightmares, if you will.)
>
> Hope that helps. I'm sorry for being so short earlier -- I've been having some hard times lately, and am just kinda able to communicate in shorthand...
poster:FrequentFryer
thread:660553
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060623/msgs/660558.html