IFRAME : //w.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-W88KZH
Visit the Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service
skip to contentskip to secondary navigation
beyondblue . Depression , Anxiety - logo
Search ( BUTTON ) Search
Beyond Blue Support Service
Support . Advice . Action
1300 22 4636
* 1300 22 4636
* Chat online
* Email us
* Online forums
my profile
Blue Voices
* my account
* log out
Join forum
Register Login
or
Login show
Login
Login
1 . Email / Username
Click to add
( ? )
2 . Password
Click to add
( ? )
3 . [ X ] Remember me
Login
Need help signing in ?
* Home
* Toggle visibility of main navigation
* Home
* Pregnancy and new parents
Current tab profile : Pregnancy and new parents
Check out our information for new and expectant parents , covering
everything from bonding with your baby to spotting the signs of
anxiety and depression .
+ Becoming a parent : what to expect
+ What to expect during pregnancy
+ Emotional health and wellbeing
+ What to expect from the birth
+ Getting to know your baby
+ Sleep and feeding
+ Adjusting to parenthood
* Maternal mental health and wellbeing
* Mental health checklist for mums
* What causes mental health conditions ?
* Perinatal anxiety
* Perinatal depression
* Bipolar disorder , postpartum psychosis and schizophrenia
* Seeking support
* Information for partners , family and friends
Dadvice : for new and expectant dads
* Take our stress test
* Becoming a dad : what you need to know
* Your relationship
* Work and family : finding a balance
* Looking after yourself
* Facing your new dad fears
* Getting involved
* Supporting your partner with anxiety or depression
* Anxiety and depression in new dads
New dads
Just Speak Up
( BUTTON ) Close
Age 1-5
Current tab profile : Age 1-5
It ' s a world of firsts when you ' re under five - from walking to words ,
relationships to raging in the supermarket . There are loads of fun ways
to practise social and emotional skills with your child . Have a read ,
then have a go !
* Social and emotional development
* Developing social skills
* Why emotions matter
* Developing friendships
* Understanding your child ' s temperament
Mental health issues
Seeking support for your child
( BUTTON ) Close
Age 6-12
Current tab profile : Age 6-12
From learning about emotions to helping your child manage anxious
feelings - when it comes to primary school kids , we ' ve got you covered .
* Raising resilient children
* Developing communication skills
* Encouraging independence
* Managing emotions
* Solving problems
* Dealing with bullying
Mental health conditions in children
* What to look for
* What causes anxiety and depression ?
* Child mental health checklist
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Support options for children
( BUTTON ) Close
Age 13 +
Current tab profile : Age 13 +
Our teenage years can be a confusing time - exciting , but a little
scary ( and hairy ! ) We ' ve got everything you need to support your young
person and work through issues together .
* Raising resilient young people
* Increasing autonomy
* Communicating with your teenager
* Managing emotions and stress
* Setting goals and solving problems
* Bullying and cyberbullying
* Alcohol and drugs
* Gender and sexuality
Mental health conditions in young people
* What to look for
* What causes anxiety and depression ?
* Complete our mental health checklist
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Suicide
* Eating disorders
* Self - harm
* How to talk about mental health
* Professional support and treatment
* Recovery and staying well
( BUTTON ) Close
Healthy homes
Current tab profile : Healthy homes
From improving resilience to coping with loss , we ' ve put together a
whole bunch of information to help you work through issues and improve
your family ' s wellbeing .
* Building resilience in children
* Build supportive relationships
* Focus on autonomy and responsibility
* Focus on managing emotions
* Create opportunities for personal challenge
Establishing boundaries
Resolving family conflict
Family break up
Loss and grief
* Talking about scary stuff in the news
Supporting healthy habits
Supporting study
( BUTTON ) Close
Seeking support
Current tab profile : Seeking support
If your family needs support for anxiety , depression or other mental
health conditions , a range of health professionals are on hand to help .
You can also have a chat in our community forums or get in touch with
the Beyond Blue Support Service .
* Helping yourself and others
* Online forums
* Supporting children and young people
* Having the conversation
* Personal stories
* Helping yourself
* Order printed Beyond Blue resources
* Information for rainbow families
Professional support
* Support from health professionals
* Understanding confidentiality
* Psychological treatments
* Medical treatments
* Helpful contacts and websites
Mental health checklists
* Mental health checklist for mums
* Dad stress test
* Child mental health checklist
* Youth mental health quiz , 16 +
( BUTTON ) Close
beyondblue Support Service
Support . Advice . Action
* Give us a call
* Chat online
* Email us
* Visit our forums
my profile
Blue Voices
* my account
* log out
Join forum
Register Login
or
Login show
Login
Login
1 . Email / Username
Click to add
( ? )
2 . Password
Click to add
( ? )
3 . [ X ] Remember me
Login
Need help signing in ?
Support beyondblue
Please help us improve the lives of people affected by anxiety ,
depression and suicide
Make a donation
You are currently :
* Home
* Seeking support
* Helping yourself and others
* Online forums
Welcome to the Healthy Families forums !
This is a space to ask questions , share experiences and support each
other . Find a relevant thread or start your own !
Before you can post or reply in these forums , please join our online
community and have a read of the community rules . Forum membership is
open to anyone residing in Australia .
* share on Facebook
* share on Twitter
* Print page
* Email page
Complete your profile Join the online community Community rules
Forums / Anxiety / GAD all my life - nervous breakdown has left me with
anxiety based insomnia
Topic : GAD all my life - nervous breakdown has left me with anxiety based
insomnia
9 posts , 0 answered
Oldest first | Newest first
Save Cancel
1 . thesedaysarenotfun
thesedaysarenotfun avatar
13 posts
11 November 2017
Hi all , I am new to BB and I appreciate any feedback and advice .
About five weeks ago I suffered a nervous breakdown due to
overwork . There were warning signs in the months leading up to it
which I didn ’ t pay attention to and it resulted in severe anxiety ,
depression and anxiety based insomnia .
They don ’ t give you a lot of room here to go into detail so the
short version is that I can ’ t sleep atm without pills . I ’ ve tried
various things to mixed results . Im scared of going to bed . I ’ ve
been on an SNRI for 3 weeks which is starting to stabilise me but I
still can ’ t sleep . There has even been one night where I got no
sleep at all and then had to go to work . OTC sleep aids have
provided some relief but they don ’ t always work . Panic attacks and
brain zaps prevent me from falling asleep .
I should mention that I have also been undertaking CBT therapy with
a psychologist for my anxiety and sleep anxiety . The steps he is
asking me to take to combat my problem haven ’ t really worked so far
and after a night of no sleep like the last one my resolve and
confidence is badly shaken . I tell myself the right things , like it
isn ’ t the fact that I ’ m tired that make me feel like , it ’ s my
thoughts surrounding it . The problem lies in my subconscious and
how I ’ ve trained myself to think and react to stressors , it will be
ok etc . I ’ m trying to take one day at a time , I ’ ve dramatically
reduced my caffeine intake and changed my diet . I ’ ve cut out sugar ,
alcohol and tried to keep a sleep schedule . The only thing I can ’ t
stop is the cigarette smoking which has increased with all the
stress . I ’ m smoking 15 - 20 cigarettes a day at this stage . I ’ m
trying everything I can short of just stopping taking pills and
trying to suffer through something which feels like it will never
end . How do I function without sleeping ? Many times I ’ ve felt like
I ’ m at the end of my tether and can ’ t go on anymore and it scares
me . The anxiety passes of course , but comes back . I ’ ve been in dark
places before with anxiety but nothing like this . My sleep was
never effected before . If anyone has any advice or stories of their
own , particularly successful ones , then I am in much need of
hearing your experiences . Thanks !
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
1 person found this helpful
2 . Quercus
Valued Contributor
+ A special award for members who go above and beyond to support
others here on the forums
+ Community champion volunteers who are not currently active on
the forums .
+ A member of beyondblue ' s blueVoices community
Quercus avatar
3516 posts
12 November 2017 in reply to thesedaysarenotfun
Hello Thesedaysarenotsofun ,
I ' m sorry noone has replied yet . Sometimes a post slips through
unfortunately . My reply will bump your thread up so hopefully
others with suggestions will see it .
I wanted to welcome you to the forums . Personally I find the forums
a help when I can ' t sleep . Even if everyone in my house is asleep
there is almost always someone online and plenty to read to escape
my own thoughts .
Good on you for making changes . Have you tried any of the
mindfulness or meditation apps to manage your stress ? I like to
make the bedroom pitch black and cold and listen to headphones .
Nothing to focus on but the words / music .
I hope you can find some ideas here . There is a thread called SLEEP
which might be worth searching for . I will see if I can find it for
you .
Nat
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
3 . Quercus
Valued Contributor
+ A special award for members who go above and beyond to support
others here on the forums
+ Community champion volunteers who are not currently active on
the forums .
+ A member of beyondblue ' s blueVoices community
Quercus avatar
3516 posts
12 November 2017 in reply to Quercus
https://w.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-wel
l / sleep / page / 6 # qoG5SnHzvGGEbv8AAOnT A
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
4 . thesedaysarenotfun
thesedaysarenotfun avatar
13 posts
13 November 2017 in reply to Quercus
Thanks Nat , yes I have dabbled in a couple of apps . I ’ ve got one
called Breathe and a couple of sleep hypnosis ones as well . I also
joined mood gym online which uses a bunch of tools like mindfulness
as well . There ’ s definitely something to it in regard to just
understanding your triggers more and recognising the bad moments
for what they are . So far I ’ m at a stage where they haven ’ t helped
when things are desperate but I ’ m hoping that can change with
practice . Incidentally what are your main problems with insomnia ?
Are they anxiety related ? Thanks so much for the link .
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
1 person found this helpful
5 . Quercus
Valued Contributor
+ A special award for members who go above and beyond to support
others here on the forums
+ Community champion volunteers who are not currently active on
the forums .
+ A member of beyondblue ' s blueVoices community
Quercus avatar
3516 posts
13 November 2017 in reply to thesedaysarenotfun
Hi Thesedaysarenotfun ,
Did you find anything you could try on the sleep thread ?
To answer your question , my issues with sleep are part side effect
of the antidepressants , part poor routine and self sabotage and
part racing thoughts and dwelling .
I know my sleep patterns need to change but at the moment late
night is my only time to myself without small kids so I ' m not
really inspired to tackle it yet . Sleep or sanity 😊
My mum struggles to sleep . As long as I can remember she has " run
on empty " about 2 hours max .
Rather than fight it she has accepted if she goes to bed she won ' t
sleep . Rather than panic about it she embraced it .
+ bought a lovely comfortable couch and made the lounge
welcoming .
+ In the evening she will lay down and read a book , watch tv ,
use her tablet .
+ She has so many dvds just to have something to pass the time .
+ Drinks coffee at night does all the things docs say not to do .
+ Keeps a notebook and writes ideas out as they come to her .
Basically she has just decided not to do anything about her lack of
sleep . To let go of the anxiety about needing a certain amount of
hours . Since doing this she dozes .
It ' s a joke in our family that she cannot stay awake to the end of
a movie . The more noise , the more relaxed and safe she feels
( having my Dad making noise , hearing the dog barking at foxes ,
hearing the washing machine or my kids playing when we visit ) the
more likely it is that she will be out cold 😊 .
My point maybe the amount of effort you are putting in is causing
more anxiety ? What do you think ? When you have leave from work and
are not expected to do anything do you rest any better ?
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
6 . Restart321
Restart321 avatar
3 posts
13 November 2017 in reply to thesedaysarenotfun
Hi , I too had broken down due to work , study and the rest of the
negative things in life . But I look it as a restart in my life . My
mind and body are saying ... " warning , stop , stop what you are doing
and change " . Be patient for the therapies to work . I you cant sleep
change your area of sleep , look into feng - shui .
Also when you are laying in bed write down on a piece of paper
what ' s keeping you awake , and put it away , the following day and do
that thing without hesitation .
Also you said you have tried everything ? ask yourself whats the one
thing that ' s so boring to watch , read , to do ... and do that . This
puts no pressure on you , and usually when something is really
boring , we tend to nod off to sleep . Also don ' t sleep during the
day , if you do make sure they are only 20minutes . Set your alarm
and get body clock in order . Also dark rooms , not lights ( including
phones / laptop ) . When its completely dark your brain releases
melatonin .
I suffer from anxiety and use to toss and turn in bed and my heart
would race . The feeling I had to get up and do something . I also
found running helps me and surrounding myself with people who are
healthier and have balanced minds . I have learned to focus on what
I want , not what I don ' t want . Right now I ' d like balance restored ,
peace and clarity . One step at a time and patience .
Hope this helps .
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
1 person found this helpful
7 . thesedaysarenotfun
thesedaysarenotfun avatar
13 posts
14 November 2017 in reply to Quercus
Oh absolutely 100 % . My anxiety goes into overdrive when problems
arise and I worry and troubleshoot like crazy . Before I got
diagnosed with GAD about five years ago I thought this was normal
and it definitely is not . It ’ s also counter productive to healing I
have no doubt . This is the issue with anxiety in general I think
and while I am no way aware of this pattern I have yet to get a
grip on it . With this new issue of sleep disturbance it ’ s only now
thanks to ADs that I find I am spiraling into hopelessness a lot
less , but in the first few weeks I was inconsolable . Emotional
meltdowns over the issue because I wasn ’ t able to find answers were
a daily occurrence . It ’ s a day by day thing . I ’ m trying not to beat
myself up over it and blame myself but when my brain spirals it can
get amazingly distressing . Thanks for your story and advice Nat ,
it ’ s most appreciated . The idea that this will never change is
something that I try and push to the back of my mind these days . A
year ago I was sleeping in my own bed with my partner and
functioning in day to day life quite well . Over a period of months
things got worse , finding myself having to sleep in another room to
avoid noise and movement in bed and whilst overworking myself and
having mood swings and depression . One day it all came to a head
and I just stopped sleeping . Anxiety attacks in bed , negative
thinking at 3am would hit like a colossal wave and I just broke
down and couldn ’ t cope . I see another pattern where I will get
reminded of things from the past and automatically find myself
remembering that I was sleeping without a care in the world at that
moment in time and wishing to be able to go back to in time . But
that ’ s counter productive as well . I can ’ t go back , only forward .
Acceptance of this has been hard as all I want to do is to get back
to that life . Thanks again for your kind words and understanding .
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
1 person found this helpful
8 . thesedaysarenotfun
thesedaysarenotfun avatar
13 posts
14 November 2017 in reply to Restart321
Thankyou . Yes I agree with all of what you have said . Once I gained
understanding of the negative effect of blue light from phone
screens etc I immediately put that into play . My big problem is my
smart phone and I now place it on airplane mode first thing in the
evening . It stops the phone from being used and it becomes
literally an alarm clock and that ’ s it . It also preserves battery
life which is a plus . I am definitely going to try and be more
consistent with writing my thoughts and feelings surrounding the
day on a daily basis as I think this is an excellent tip and
something that I haven ’ t tried properly . Yes you are right , I
shouldn ’ t say I have tried everything when that isn ’ t strictly true
and it is also still early days in my recovery . It ’ s been about six
weeks since my initial breakdown and in that time I have been on
ADs for three weeks and had five CBT sessions with my psychologist .
He ’ s very popular which is a good sign that he knows what he is
doing but the downside is I cannot get to see him weekly as he ’ s
booked solid . I get to see him every two weeks and so much happens
in that time that I find we have to dedicate a lot of time in our
sessions for me to info dump on him haha . Sorry I ’ m rambling , but
yeah I really appreciate your reply and I think all of your advice
is really positive which is exactly what I need right now . The
other step I need to take is blacking out the room I am sleeping
in . It ’ s mostly dark but the windows need blocking . I ’ m putting up
alfoil ASAP as summer has hit here in Perth and it will block out
the heat somewhat as well as the light that spills in from under
the curtain . Thanks again . Feng shui you say ? Another great tip .
Looking into that as well .
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
1 person found this helpful
9 . Quercus
Valued Contributor
+ A special award for members who go above and beyond to support
others here on the forums
+ Community champion volunteers who are not currently active on
the forums .
+ A member of beyondblue ' s blueVoices community
Quercus avatar
3516 posts
15 November 2017 in reply to thesedaysarenotfun
Hi thesedaysarenotfun ,
Oh don ' t get me started on the sun . I ' m a westie too and it is
going to be a killer summer if this spring is any indication . Best
thing we ever did was put a roller shutter on our bedroom window .
Both of us used to work night shift and it was a necessity . Alfoil
works or blockout curtains from Spotlight . And aircon . Cold and
dark . Shame we didn ' t do the kid ' s rooms because they wake with the
sun ( I hate Summer ) .
It really does sound like you ' re working hard to make changes . I
understand not wanting to look long term . I am the same with my
autoimmune disease ... Dreading the future isn ' t helpful . But being
desperate to get back to " normal " isn ' t helpful either I ' ve found .
When I wasn ' t managed I was desperate . And scared of accepting this
is something I have to manage now . Dwelling on what was makes me
frustrated and sad . It took time though to accept this . . I don ' t
know that I fully have even now . What helped was to ignore the past
and the future and focus on now only .
I hope you can find things that work . Restart321 had some good
ideas to try I agree .
[ bd88fe8e - e9e8 - 4009 - aeca - 5013f9efef23 heart - white . png ]
Mark this post as helpful
Close
Stay in touch with us
Sign up below for regular emails filled with information , advice and
support for you or your loved ones .
Sign me up
Your session is about to expire . You have 2 minutes left before being
logged out . Please select ' ok ' to extend your session and prevent
losing any content you are working on from being lost .
Talk it through with us , we ' ll point you in the right direction
* Call 1300 22 4636
24 hours a day / 7 days a week
* Chat online
3pm - 12am ( AEST ) / 7 days a week
* Email us
Get a response in 24 hours
* Online forums
24 hours a day / 7 days a week
Find beyondblue on :
*
*
*
*
Make a donation
Pregnancy and new parents
* What to expect during pregnancy
* Emotional health and wellbeing
* What to expect from the birth
* Adjusting to parenthood
* What causes mental health conditions ?
* Mental health checklist for new and expectant mums
* Information for new dads
* Just Speak Up - share your story
Preschoolers : one to five years
* Social and emotional development
* Developing social skills
* Why emotions matter
* Mental health issues
* Seeking support for your child
Children : six to 12 years
* What to look for
* What causes anxiety and depression ?
* Complete our mental health checklist
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Support options for children
Teenagers : 13 years +
* When should I be worried ?
* What causes anxiety and depression ?
* Complete our mental health checklist
* How to talk about it
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Suicide
* Support and treatment
Healthy homes
* Building resilience
* Establishing boundaries
* Resolving family conflict
* Family break up
* Loss and grief
* Supporting healthy habits
Seeking support
* Online forums
* Supporting children and young people
* Personal stories
* Support from health professionals
* Understanding confidentiality
* Psychological treatments
* Medical treatments
* Helpful contacts and websites
Beyond Blue is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities
and Not - for - profits Commission ( ACNC ) . Eligible tax - deductible
donations have Deductible Gift Recipient ( DGR ) status with the
Australian Tax Office . ABN : 87 093 865 840
Copyright © 2020 Beyond Blue Ltd
* Contact us
* Sitemap
* Terms of use
* Privacy policy