I learned something today called Busy Woman Syndrome or something like that.
Insomnia is a common problem for people battling anxiety and depression. Very common. Sleep disturbances of various kinds just compound the mental and emotional whirlwind. I know. I speak from experience here.
I'm right with you, Chai. I've been expecting this, too.
Crazielady, you're gonna crash and burn very quickly if you don't get this straightened out before you add to your work load.
There are lots of us out there who have made it through what you're dealing with. We all needed medical help to do it. So stop making excuses and inventing conditions. Just call a therapist first thing in the morning and make an appointment for as soon as possible. If they can't fit you in within a week, dial another number. Find someone who can see you QUICKLY. The longer you wait, the worse you will feel.
Eva is speaking more good sense.
Please let us cheer for your progress.
Hold your dominion.
I wonder where she is this morning.
Just watching, chilling, I am always around
I think I'm a bit like you crazielady where doctors are concerned. I have always been of the opinion that if I'm not on-the-ground-dying, doctors are not on my radar. I've mostly taken care of the little ills or bumps myself along the way. I have had many PCPs who I've never met because frankly I just can't get an appointment with them - they are so busy and scheduling a doctors visit 6 weeks in advance when it is an immediate need is just not going to work for me. So I generally get fobbed off with nurse practitioners who have less than 5mins to spend with me since they are running around handling a dozen patients or so at the same time, so I just don't go.
That is until I was rushed to the ER with chest pains and trouble breathing. As usual I ignored the symptoms and felt sure some pain pills and tums would remedy whatever ailed me. Unfortunately it was time for me to have something that I cannot cure myself and that I really did need expert medical help with. I have changed my thinking about doctors. They are necessary. The ER doctors were fabulous of course but when I called my PCP to schedule a follow-up visit, I was told the soonest they could see me would be 8 weeks. Hello? I told them I had BEEN TO THE ER WITH CHEST PAINS!!!!! If they couldn't schedule me in sooner than that as an emergency appointment then there was something wrong here. I called any PCP on my medical plan to see who could take me soonest, changed my PCP and made an appointment with the new doctor. If she does not appear to be competent then I will select another doctor but I am hopeful to find one who will suit me.
YOU need to do the same. Check the doctors on your insurance plan. Call them. Select one and make an appointment. It may take a few tries before you find the one who is right for you, but there are some out there who really do know what they are doing. If you need to take time off work to go then what is the problem? Employers are supposed to give their employees time off for medical/dental visits. What does your boss say about this? And what about you being a couple hours late to work here and there? Does you boss get on you for that? If not, then he shouldn't mind you taking a couple of hours off to make you better so you aren't constantly late and unable to work properly due to tiredness.
I know you are saying you will go (to shut us up) and you really and truly don't want to go or feel doctors are of no use to you, but don't wait until you are having a heart attack due to stress and exhaustion. You may be young but with a problem heart already, this lack of sleep is hurting you physically.
Heeven wrote:I think I'm a bit like you crazielady where doctors are concerned. I have always been of the opinion that if I'm not on-the-ground-dying, doctors are not on my radar. I've mostly taken care of the little ills or bumps myself along the way. I have had many PCPs who I've never met because frankly I just can't get an appointment with them - they are so busy and scheduling a doctors visit 6 weeks in advance when it is an immediate need is just not going to work for me. So I generally get fobbed off with nurse practitioners who have less than 5mins to spend with me since they are running around handling a dozen patients or so at the same time, so I just don't go.
That is until I was rushed to the ER with chest pains and trouble breathing. As usual I ignored the symptoms and felt sure some pain pills and tums would remedy whatever ailed me. Unfortunately it was time for me to have something that I cannot cure myself and that I really did need expert medical help with. I have changed my thinking about doctors. They are necessary. The ER doctors were fabulous of course but when I called my PCP to schedule a follow-up visit, I was told the soonest they could see me would be 8 weeks. Hello? I told them I had BEEN TO THE ER WITH CHEST PAINS!!!!! If they couldn't schedule me in sooner than that as an emergency appointment then there was something wrong here. I called any PCP on my medical plan to see who could take me soonest, changed my PCP and made an appointment with the new doctor. If she does not appear to be competent then I will select another doctor but I am hopeful to find one who will suit me.
YOU need to do the same. Check the doctors on your insurance plan. Call them. Select one and make an appointment. It may take a few tries before you find the one who is right for you, but there are some out there who really do know what they are doing. If you need to take time off work to go then what is the problem? Employers are supposed to give their employees time off for medical/dental visits. What does your boss say about this? And what about you being a couple hours late to work here and there? Does you boss get on you for that? If not, then he shouldn't mind you taking a couple of hours off to make you better so you aren't constantly late and unable to work properly due to tiredness.
I know you are saying you will go (to shut us up) and you really and truly don't want to go or feel doctors are of no use to you, but don't wait until you are having a heart attack due to stress and exhaustion. You may be young but with a problem heart already, this lack of sleep is hurting you physically.
I am looking into finding a new doctor... about taking time off of work, I work at the front desk, so when I call in or miss work, everyone in the building gets pissed because they need to answer the phones, so it is a big problem if I call in and then I get reamed for it later... but i have seen people call in 2 3 days a week and not a word is said because they don't need anyone to cover... I am one of the most underappreciated employees here and the youngest full time day employee... so they like to walk all over me
funny thing is, The last 3 weeks can't sleep and it isn't like I have been worrying, my mind has been pretty clear... so last night I had a bad night and I was like I am gonna be up all night worrying and I am never gonna sleep... got home last night, hit the bed and passed out!!! I got 7 hours of sleep last night and I feel so much better today, sleep wise that is....
But ya'd think the one night I have so much to think about, I'd be up contemplating it, but nope that was the night I passed right out!!
I agree w/ Heeven.
I hate hearing things like, "oh, you'll have to try a few different whatever's until you find one that works for you" Unfortunatley, it is SO true, especially regarding health care.
I never want to feel like a doctor is "doing" something to me.
It's really necessary I be part of the team.
I had a doc when I first moved to Tx that was fine for my annual paps, flu, fell and hurt my knee sort of thing. But, looking back, he wasn't looking at ME, just a knee or a case of the flu. Funny he was really friendly though.
Then, I started feeling, well crazy, panic attacks, all that.....when I would tell him about it, I felt blown off.....like I couldn't even figure out my own body.
I ended up calling the mental health hotline through my insurance carrier at work, and CL, I have to tell you, it was absolutely the best thing I ever did for myself in my life. I didn't see that at the time of course, I just knew I couldn't take this any longer.
I got a therapist, and fortunatley we clicked. I have a real problem with taking medication. I always had a fear it would make me out of control, even aspirin! So I knew I didn't want to just go to a doctor and get "drugged" Because of the panic attacks, I didn't feel much control of my life anyway, and needed to hang on to what little I could. I was becoming a prisoner from life, really. I never knew from one second to the next if I could handle something.
It took me a year of theraphy to get to the point of accepting I need some type of medication in addition to the talk therapy. THAT was the scariest thing I can remember doing.
What turned the key for me was the fact that a couple years before that a friend and I decided we would go to Italy together at some point in the next few years.
The talk therapy cleared my mind enough where I could think "even with all this, I'd NEVER be able to sit on a plane for hours and hours, flying over the ocean"
For me, that did it. I decided no matter how scared I was, I wasn't going to let this "thing" (I could really see it as something alive) preventing me from living one of my dreams.
I tell this story CL, to let you know that you are truly NOT alone. I can so feel for you right now.
And yes, it's very hard and scary, but you know you have us to listen.
You can get through this. You can be better.
Things will happen that are beyond your wildest dreams.
Chai Tea wrote:I agree w/ Heeven.
I hate hearing things like, "oh, you'll have to try a few different whatever's until you find one that works for you" Unfortunatley, it is SO true, especially regarding health care.
I never want to feel like a doctor is "doing" something to me.
It's really necessary I be part of the team.
I had a doc when I first moved to Tx that was fine for my annual paps, flu, fell and hurt my knee sort of thing. But, looking back, he wasn't looking at ME, just a knee or a case of the flu. Funny he was really friendly though.
Then, I started feeling, well crazy, panic attacks, all that.....when I would tell him about it, I felt blown off.....like I couldn't even figure out my own body.
I ended up calling the mental health hotline through my insurance carrier at work, and CL, I have to tell you, it was absolutely the best thing I ever did for myself in my life. I didn't see that at the time of course, I just knew I couldn't take this any longer.
I got a therapist, and fortunatley we clicked. I have a real problem with taking medication. I always had a fear it would make me out of control, even aspirin! So I knew I didn't want to just go to a doctor and get "drugged" Because of the panic attacks, I didn't feel much control of my life anyway, and needed to hang on to what little I could. I was becoming a prisoner from life, really. I never knew from one second to the next if I could handle something.
It took me a year of theraphy to get to the point of accepting I need some type of medication in addition to the talk therapy. THAT was the scariest thing I can remember doing.
What turned the key for me was the fact that a couple years before that a friend and I decided we would go to Italy together at some point in the next few years.
The talk therapy cleared my mind enough where I could think "even with all this, I'd NEVER be able to sit on a plane for hours and hours, flying over the ocean"
For me, that did it. I decided no matter how scared I was, I wasn't going to let this "thing" (I could really see it as something alive) preventing me from living one of my dreams.
I tell this story CL, to let you know that you are truly NOT alone. I can so feel for you right now.
And yes, it's very hard and scary, but you know you have us to listen.
You can get through this. You can be better.
Things will happen that are beyond your wildest dreams.
Where do I find the mental health hotline number?
Does your health insurance company have a website? I'd start there.
Or, look at the back (or maybe the front) of your insurance card.
The way mine worked was you called the hotline and they found where you live and a very general idea of what the problem is.......
they gave me 3 or 4 names of people nearby for me to call......I knew I wanted a woman, so that knocked one off there.
I called the others, and I can't remember why, but picked Sarah.
The insurance covered something like 2 or 3 visits so the therapist could establish what you needed.
Like I said, we clicked so I stayed with her, although I had the option of trying someone else.
For the next year I saw her at the very first twice a week, then within a month cut it down to once a week. I just had to pay a co-pay. She took care of the referal process.
I was really afraid of calling the hotline. At that point I had trouble ordering food in a restaurant, and was afraid they would rush me and ask me questions that would confuse me more.
The truth is, they were so wonderful. At one point months later I had to contact them regarding some insurance matter, and I remember telling them that if it wasn't for their patience and ability to explain things in simple terms, I never would have gone through with it.
Ok, I just checked out the website and found many many many psychologists in the area... now all I have to do is sort through them all and figure out who has the best schedule and what type of therapist I am looking for because there are so many kinds, I talked to my mom and told her that this is what I need... but now that I have two jobs, I am unsure if I will have the time... :-(.... But I printed them all out, 11 pages, 10 miles radius from my house... some of them are literally right down the street....
So here I go, time to make things right
Good going, crazielady. If you find a hotline number, go ahead and call it as they can often make recommendations that will cut that list down a bit.
Quote:But ya'd think the one night I have so much to think about, I'd be up contemplating it, but nope that was the night I passed right out!!
Perhaps the decision to get help contributed to your sweet dreams?
One thing you could do that would take out alot of the foot work is write a simple generic letter about what is going on with you.
Give details, but not personal ones.
And send it to each and everyone of those councilors and ask them what THEY would to to help you and how can they -
1) fit your schedule
2) what is their success rate with similar cases?
3) how long have they been in said field
4) how soon could you see them..
then let them respond.
