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Hi, To Summarize A Bit About Myself I Am A
Question: Hi,
To summarize a bit about myself I am a lifelong hypochondriac who gets very anxious and worried about anything that could compromise my health. I'd like to think I've gotten better about this with most areas lately but I still get very worried about mental illnesses and things like that.
So last Sunday I had a mind pop and googled it and saw schizophrenia as a cause. I freaked out about it and it caused bad sleep for a couple nights. I had a bad stretch of insomnia last March for which I went to the doctor for. After a month I managed to kick it out naturally with just a couple nights of OTC sleep aids. I sleep from 8 am to 4 pm typically so it's a weird schedule. But for the last year I've slept very well consistently and had no issues. But after last Sunday, it's been a nightmare for me. All day every day I'm anxious and almost depressed thinking about my sleep and worried if I could have any mental health issues despite being a healthy 26 year old with no family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It's ruining my days as I worry and feel sad about it. I then go lay down 4 hours earlier than usual to hope I can fall asleep but instead I have an anxious stomach and very overactive mind that's constantly dreaming while I am dozing off about bizarre things that cause me to snap out of it and wake up. I've been averaging maybe 3 to 4 hours of sleep for the week.
My question is should I seek treatment for the anxiety/sadness portion of this or is it clearly being stemmed from lack of sleep and worrying about sleep/mental health. I've been as happy as I could be for a while now and things had recently been going great for me. Now since last Saturday I dread thinking about sleep and my health all day long, google symptoms and worry about the medication (temazepam) I've been prescribed. I'm scared to take it.
Should I be treating and resolving the insomnia somehow or should I be looking to go on anxiety or depression medication for this? I don't know what to tell people closest to me as I'm always high energy and happy. They know I have sleep issues but not the problems it causes me.
To summarize a bit about myself I am a lifelong hypochondriac who gets very anxious and worried about anything that could compromise my health. I'd like to think I've gotten better about this with most areas lately but I still get very worried about mental illnesses and things like that.
So last Sunday I had a mind pop and googled it and saw schizophrenia as a cause. I freaked out about it and it caused bad sleep for a couple nights. I had a bad stretch of insomnia last March for which I went to the doctor for. After a month I managed to kick it out naturally with just a couple nights of OTC sleep aids. I sleep from 8 am to 4 pm typically so it's a weird schedule. But for the last year I've slept very well consistently and had no issues. But after last Sunday, it's been a nightmare for me. All day every day I'm anxious and almost depressed thinking about my sleep and worried if I could have any mental health issues despite being a healthy 26 year old with no family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It's ruining my days as I worry and feel sad about it. I then go lay down 4 hours earlier than usual to hope I can fall asleep but instead I have an anxious stomach and very overactive mind that's constantly dreaming while I am dozing off about bizarre things that cause me to snap out of it and wake up. I've been averaging maybe 3 to 4 hours of sleep for the week.
My question is should I seek treatment for the anxiety/sadness portion of this or is it clearly being stemmed from lack of sleep and worrying about sleep/mental health. I've been as happy as I could be for a while now and things had recently been going great for me. Now since last Saturday I dread thinking about sleep and my health all day long, google symptoms and worry about the medication (temazepam) I've been prescribed. I'm scared to take it.
Should I be treating and resolving the insomnia somehow or should I be looking to go on anxiety or depression medication for this? I don't know what to tell people closest to me as I'm always high energy and happy. They know I have sleep issues but not the problems it causes me.
Brief Answer:
Get treatment for health anxiety
Detailed Answer:
Dear friend. I can clearly understand you are experiencing health anxiety. At present your present complaint is sleeping related anxiety and related depression.
First of all let me assure you that you have health anxiety and in every case of anxiety, negative compulsive thinking, related stress, further anxiety, related depression and many tingling or crawling or popping sensations inside or in the skin of the body etc are symptoms. There are many more weird symptoms like choking, gurgling inside body,heavy pulse on head, empty stomach feeling etc. None of these symptoms may not be having anything to do with your physical health if you already have anxiety. These are the symptoms of anxiety.
Second, important, anxiety or health anxiety, for that matter, never leads to or convert itself to schizophrenia or psychosis or bipolar disorder, even though anxiety sometimes present derealization or depersonalization or hallucinations. Here, these symptoms are considered to be due to extreme anxiety. Again I am reiterating, anxiety or health anxiety, for that matter, never leads to or convert itself to schizophrenia or psychosis or bipolar disorder.
You need treatment for your health anxiety and related depression, not for any other psychological problems.
Insomnia is another symptom of extreme anxiety. Your sleep hours odd and you need to amend it. Your body has a natural rhythm called circadian rhythm and any disturbance in it can cause worsening of anxiety and further related depression.
Physical exercise plays an important in part in both health anxiety as well as insomnia. I suggest for one hour of rigorous physical exercise daily so that it can help both. You are just 26 and I am sure you should be able to do it.
Second is meditation and breathing exercises.
Third is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Your psychiatrist and psychologist will combine medicines and these therapies. I am sure that your health anxiety, insomnia and any other psychological disturbances can be cured completely. Have trust in your doctor and medical system. Take care
Get treatment for health anxiety
Detailed Answer:
Dear friend. I can clearly understand you are experiencing health anxiety. At present your present complaint is sleeping related anxiety and related depression.
First of all let me assure you that you have health anxiety and in every case of anxiety, negative compulsive thinking, related stress, further anxiety, related depression and many tingling or crawling or popping sensations inside or in the skin of the body etc are symptoms. There are many more weird symptoms like choking, gurgling inside body,heavy pulse on head, empty stomach feeling etc. None of these symptoms may not be having anything to do with your physical health if you already have anxiety. These are the symptoms of anxiety.
Second, important, anxiety or health anxiety, for that matter, never leads to or convert itself to schizophrenia or psychosis or bipolar disorder, even though anxiety sometimes present derealization or depersonalization or hallucinations. Here, these symptoms are considered to be due to extreme anxiety. Again I am reiterating, anxiety or health anxiety, for that matter, never leads to or convert itself to schizophrenia or psychosis or bipolar disorder.
You need treatment for your health anxiety and related depression, not for any other psychological problems.
Insomnia is another symptom of extreme anxiety. Your sleep hours odd and you need to amend it. Your body has a natural rhythm called circadian rhythm and any disturbance in it can cause worsening of anxiety and further related depression.
Physical exercise plays an important in part in both health anxiety as well as insomnia. I suggest for one hour of rigorous physical exercise daily so that it can help both. You are just 26 and I am sure you should be able to do it.
Second is meditation and breathing exercises.
Third is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Your psychiatrist and psychologist will combine medicines and these therapies. I am sure that your health anxiety, insomnia and any other psychological disturbances can be cured completely. Have trust in your doctor and medical system. Take care
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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