Topic: anxiety

Question: How can I wake up without having an anxiety attack?
I have these dreams of men, and they always seem to try to hurt me. It's gotten so bad that I first wake at 4:30, then 4:45, and finally stay awake by 6:00. I'm always the last one to fall asleep and the first to wake. I hate falling asleep. The longest I've went without sleep is three days.

Answer (from Kaileen McMickle, MS, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor):
No wonder you are scared to sleep if this is what you are going through.My first thought is that it's possible your dreams are your brain's way of trying to process something that scares you or has scared you.  There's not a lot of research on the purpose of dreams, but one theory is that stuff you don't want to deal with consciously is able to come through via your unconscious brain as a dream (or nightmare).  Another theory is more of Gestalt nature, where all your dream figures represent a part of you--for example, the part of you being attacked would be the side of you that feels weak, whereas the attacker is the side of you that you feel is bad or evil.  Either way, your reactions are definitely legit because nightmares tend to flood the brain in a pretty emotionally raw form.I am also curious if you had trouble sleeping before you started having these dreams. Is it because of these nightmares that sleep is an issue, or have the sleep issues been a part of your life longer than the dreams?  It may not mean a whole lot no matter what order they came in, but it would be interesting to know if the catalyst was actually the dreams to begin with.  The big question here is if not having these nightmares would improve your sleep and lessen your anxiety about sleeping, overall.As for the anxiety attacks, there's a lot here you can try.  Your brain is seeing sleep, nightmares, or both as a threat.  The way to signal safety to your brain is to practice some relaxation techniques--mindful breathing can be helpful or if you find it hard to sit still, you can do some walking mindfulness.  Maybe you've heard of the Calm app--it's so great for sleep issues.  They have sleep stories and soundscapes, as well as guided breathing exercises.  This is speaking more to the thinking process, but remind yourself that the dreams aren't real and they can't hurt you.  That doesn't mean you won't have anxiety and you have to fully believe it, it just means that you don't have to get caught up in the fear response.  You also mention that they "try" to hurt you.  Have you ever done things to fight them off? Or do you run?  It's OK if your response is to freeze--I'm just curious how you view yourself in that dream.  If you are feeling powerless (which would be normal) it may be worth your time to imagine how you want to fight them off.  What weapons would you choose?  What would escape look like?  Imagining you in charge may help change your experience of the dreams.Also remember that even though panic attacks feel awful, they won't hurt you.  It's a really terrifying feeling to be trapped in your body during an attack, but the response is meant to get us out of danger even though there is no real threat.  If you do a google search for panic attack help sites, there's so many that detail more of this response and how to move through an attack.  Of course, seeing a counselor might be beneficial if you are sensing that there's something bigger underlying the dreams.  Sometimes just having someone listen and understand can ease some suffering.I hope that helps and you find something that works for you!