The Main Cause of Insomnia?
Copyright 2005 Wendy Owen
Well in my opinion the main thing that keeps us tossing and turning at night is worrying about not going to sleep.
Sure there might be other reasons for sleeplessness; chronic pain, restless legs syndrome, partner disturbance, too much coffee….
But at the end of the day you’re lying there worrying about how you’re going to get through the next day if you don’t get to sleep *right now!*
Worry and the stress it causes, are by far the main causes of sleeplessness, and the sad part is, the more we worry, the more wide awake we feel. But what can we do about it?
We have to empty our conscious minds of worrying and stressful thoughts (yeah right! Easier said than done!)
Stress and worry can affect your sleep quite dramatically. It can be an isolated stressful incident which keeps you awake for a few nights, or the stress and worry may be chronic. Once they becomes a habit, certain situations will then always cause you to become stressed.
Worry in particular can become a habit and like any habit, is very difficult to break (just ask us smokers, um… ex smokers out there!) But it can be done. You have to train your mind to either let go of a thought, or replace one thought with another.
If you suffer from insomnia, whether you’re having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep, stress could be the cause. Your sleeping problems can then cause more stress which in turn makes it even harder to sleep. How can you stop worrying and stop this vicious cycle?
The most important thing is to try and work out what you are telling yourself when you are worrying about something. We talk to ourselves all the time whether we are aware of it or not. What thoughts are going through your mind that are causing your bad feelings?
For example, you may be sitting in a traffic jam thinking, "I’m going to be late for work if this stupid traffic doesn’t start moving soon. Then I’ll be rushing around all day trying to get everything done! Which means I probably won’t have time to buy a proper lunch and I’ll have to grab something quick and greasy! Well there goes the diet …….."
Enough! Why torture yourself with this rubbish? Make it a habit to stop these thoughts as soon as they start. How? Just substitute them with better thoughts! Have a list of thoughts that make you feel good and think about them instead! This will reduce stress significantly and with practice, it will get easier and easier.
If you’re having trouble doing this, try doing in in two steps. When you catch yourself worrying, say "STOP!" Picture a big red stop sign right in front of you. Concentrate on this until it breaks you train of worrying thoughts.
Then you can start thinking your pleasant thoughts, a movie you enjoyed, a present from your children, whatever makes you happy!
Your mind is extremely powerful - put it to work for you and not against you!
I cant find the main cause of my mental problems?
I dont know what the route of my mental problems are. I feel that i worry about things to much(to many little things) and this makes me depressed and hopeless and cant sleep at night. people always seem to think that i have ADD because i always zone out and forget what im doing and forgetting appointments and cant organize anything. So i don't know if i have Anxiety, Depression, Sleep insomnia, and ADD. I Cant figure out what causes me to have the symptoms of all these. I'm not on any medications for any of these problems right now and haven't ever been(only some over the counter sleep meds and they seem to help like melatonin and simply sleep ).(such as while i am writing this i have thought about 20 other things and forgotten what i was writing…
Go to a Mental Health clinic where you can be properly diagnosed. Why ask the crazies on YA?
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go top a clinic und get some therapy./….
its nothing to be ashamed of, dear…
it shows you are a thinking intellegent person
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is it a combination of all three.
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I would say you have Anxiety and Depression. Anxiety can trigger rapid cycling thoughts and depression can trigger memory problems. Both of them can screw up your sleeping schedule.
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The only way you are going to get to the root of your problem is see mental health-care professional. be sure to check what school of psychology they are in(IE fruedian,jung,etc.) this is important as it will dictate how they evaluate and help you. PS Freudian always blame mother.
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the only way you will know is to go see your physician or a psychiatrist to get a diagnosis. You cannot self-diagnose yourself. If you are dealing with anxieties, you definately need to be on medication to control these symptoms. The depression also would most likely be treated with medication and counselling as well. Good luck
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Sounds like depression and anxiety (can seem like ADD) to me. I'm a psych major but not even close to being able to diagnose someone. Not even a person with a PHD can diagnose from this information. You should really try and see a therapist and they can tell you if you need to see a psychiatrist etc. If you have insurance its not too expensive. If you don't many will see people on a scale depending on income. GOOD LUCK! PS i know it is hard to get the motivation to see a therapist but it is worth it! Bypass your regular MD because they are usually not trained enough to properly help you.
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Sounds like your motor is stuck in overdrive…
How long has it been since you've had a vacation?
See the source below…and schedule an appointment with a counselor to discuss how you feel…or e-mail me and I will attempt to help you sort things out… the difference is professional v. amateur listening…
Face to face v. annonymity
Are you associating with someone that you work with or a family member who has recently been diagnosed…? Someone with whom you relate to … who has sought and received treatment? Sympathetic symptoms are occasionally brought about in someone who is learning about new terminologies via a friend with similar symptoms.
Check out the information below and if you feel terribly ill, find a psychologist or psychiatrist to confide your feelings… just remember that you and you alone determine 'how' you will deal with life's ups and downs. No one is ever 'up' all the time…and some stress is healthy. If you are suffering from economic stress…seek financial counseling; emotional stress…family counseling; physical stress (fatigue)…family physician. Sometimes our old family physicians would listen to our main complaint and either explain it or prescribe something.
Happy hunting…(source below)…let me know which one or ones (yes, there may be more than one at once) you believe fit your circumstances…
Get well soon…try walking at least 2 miles per week … outside, inside, or treadmill… known to reduce stress, build self-esteem, and improve circulatory and respiratory health!
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http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec07.html