Night Panic Attacks

Hi All,

I wanted to get opinions on night panic attacks and if anyone here experiences them?  If so, how do they deal with them?  I wake up out of a dead sleep with a pounding and racing heart, racing thoughts and sick to the stomach.  I end up having to take 1mg of Klonopin just to calm down, which keeps getting in the way of my taper.  Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with these? Or even better, make them less prevalent or severe?

 

Thanks for your help

 

Frank

Hi Frank,

 

I do not have the night time panic attacks any longer, but I used to get "a lot" of them years ago.  Something that helped me was to orient to time and place.  I would get up and out of the bed, put a comfy robe on, hold myself, walk around, and use a lot of self-talk to reassure myself.  "I am okay, right now" ... "everything is okay, right now" ... "I am 'actually' okay, right now" ... "my home is safe, warm," etc.  Sometimes, I would pace the house going over this kind of reaffirming self talk, maybe make a cup of tea or warm a cup of chicken broth, and sip it slowly, reminding myself that I am actually well and safe.  Sometimes, I even touched and rubbed my thighs and my shoulders/upper arms (kind of like hugging myself) in a soothing manner.  In the very early stages of coping with the night terror, it seemed there was little I could do but ride the storm out.  It eventually passed.  In time, I got better at the self-assurance.  In time, I knew that it really would pass.  In time, I learned to believe and count on my own reassurance.  I became my own helper/healer.

 

Occasionally, I still have something akin to a nightmare, when I am processing deep psychological and emotional issues.  But, now, all of me "knows" that my night time visitation is not what is real in the moment, that I really am okay right now ... and I very quickly orient to my sense of safety, peace and calm, in the present moment.

 

I believe most of "my" night terrors were PTSD symptoms.  It was all the fear my self could not afford to experience when enduring the traumas, because, at that time, I needed to survive.  I needed to be strong to go on, to preserve my self and my ego, the best I could, in the face of unrelenting adversity/trauma.  I could talk a lot on PTSD...

 

Perhaps others will also chime in with what helped them, but I wanted to be able to share with you how I relate to what you have shared.  I hope that my words at least convey to you that you are not alone and maybe give you some small idea of how you might approach your next night time panic.

 

Peace,

 

Cleerity

Hi Cleerity,

I really appreciate your response thank you.  It gives me great comfort to see that other people have had this issue.  Thanks for sharing with me how you coped through these attacks.  I have a tendency to just lay there and try to ride it out.  I might get up and move around, maybe make some tea, like you suggested.  I greatly appreciate your feedback, thank you again

 

Frank

Hi Frank 

 

You are most welcome! 

 

Yes, for me, it was (and remains) important to take action to reassure the fearful part of my self.  I personally believe (at least "most") anxiety has a root somewhere in our history/experience.  It was not always important for me to know ("see") exactly what the past experience was (in time, I came to see and understand).  But, it was (and remains) important for me to prove to my self that I care enough to comfort (reassure) the part of me experiencing fear.

 

I hope this doesn't sound too elementary, but if we have a buddy or good friend experiencing fear, we would maybe take them under our wing to reassure and coach them through it...that would be a compassionate thing to do.  I believe that we should do the same thing for ourselves!

 

May peace and calm be yours,

 

Cleerity

I have night terrors. Some of them I remember and some I don’t so my husband let’s me know how many I have during my sleep. I would suggest getting a sleep study as I did so they can monitor you and give suggestions on what your brain is doing. Mine always happen when I am falling asleep.

I have had this every single night for about 2 years now. Wake up out of a dead sleep feeling sick to my stomach with a rush or panic and body tension. It's been easing up over time, very very slowly. I hate it though.

Yes. These are very rough. I have had these attacks as well. I think that I keep going to bed later in hopes of avoiding a panic attack at 4am or 5am. Usually, I'll have nightmares and will awaken with panic but still feel sleepy enough to do much about it. It's a really difficult feeling. I normally keep a water bottle or a glass of milk by the bed, and it helps somewhat. At the very least, I get some fluids and change the sleeping position. Sometimes, I noticed that changing a sleeping position can break the very nightmare that induced a panic attack in the first place.