Sleep questions part 2:

[Bpyboy]

Guys, the last thread reminded me of going to the in law's for christmas! and
a bunch of you turned into a tribe of crap-flinging baboons!

Now knock that shit off double quick, and if you have some advice on bad
dreams, sleep disturbances..... let me know.

If you want to fling crap, start your own thread, ok?

i'm not taking any sides on anyone's arguments. I have none (a wise man once
told me "start no shit and there will be no shit"--ok, it was my dad).

anyways, you guys proved again that this thing is like a virtual disfunctional
family!

later
john

[Xanadu]

On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:42:40 +0000, Bpyboy wrote:

> Guys, the last thread reminded me of going to the in law's for christmas! and
> a bunch of you turned into a tribe of crap-flinging baboons!
>
> Now knock that shit off double quick, and if you have some advice on bad
> dreams, sleep disturbances..... let me know.
>
> If you want to fling crap, start your own thread, ok?
>
> i'm not taking any sides on anyone's arguments. I have none (a wise man once
> told me "start no shit and there will be no shit"--ok, it was my dad).
>
> anyways, you guys proved again that this thing is like a virtual disfunctional
> family!
>
> later
> john


I was getting rather pissed off at that some what. Your rather
interesting post/question, turned into a shit-sling fest.

You're asking for a bit of help/insight/whatever, and here's a few people
e-yelling at each other. Whatever I guess, it just got to me a bit.

[rosie read and post]

john,
what more do you want to know?


--
read and post daily, it works!
rosie

"deficit spending is an unconscionable form of fiscal child abuse."
...............................stephen moore

[debs]

Hi there

I have a lot of problems with sleep, some of it to do with having bipolar.
I do have to resort to meds to get sleep but like you the meds make some of
the sleep not too pleasant.
When my mood is stable I have to wean myself off the sleeping meds again
(probably about 8 -9 times a year) During this time I always have a nice
warm bath before going to bed and try to wind down slowly with a few
magazines (nothing heavy that requires much brain power to read)
I usually take a warm drink to bed and make the bedroom comfortably warm
(not hot) I never watch TV in bed in fact we don't have a TV socket in there
although there is one in every other room in the house.
I find that sticking to a routine helps so that my mind gets trainned as to
when to expect sleep. Even if I have a bad night I still get up at the same
time and never have lie-ins at the weekend.
Meds are notorious for causing bad dreams and extreem restlessness. Make
sure you are on the lowest posible dose to get some sleep. The sleep they
give is not ideal but then again neither is having no sleep at all.
As for the bipolar idea.......well you would need a pdoc to tell you that
plus it takes a whole bunch of symptoms to get a firm diagnosis. It would
be worth mentioning the family contection to it as it does run in families.
Abusing alcohol is very common with bipolars as they tend to try to self
medicate with it. That is what I was doing but I was causing a vicious
circle. For a while without the alcohol I had no mood swings and I was
beginning to doubt the bipolar diagnosis, but about 6 weeks ago my mood
became unstable......I have got it under control again, this time without
alcohol and it has been easier and with no hospitalisation.

Anyway hope that has been some help

debs

--
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
"Bpyboy" <bpyboy@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031015194240.06990.00000973@mb-m20.aol.com...
> Guys, the last thread reminded me of going to the in law's for christmas!
and
> a bunch of you turned into a tribe of crap-flinging baboons!
>
> Now knock that shit off double quick, and if you have some advice on bad
> dreams, sleep disturbances..... let me know.
>
> If you want to fling crap, start your own thread, ok?
>
> i'm not taking any sides on anyone's arguments. I have none (a wise man
once
> told me "start no shit and there will be no shit"--ok, it was my dad).
>
> anyways, you guys proved again that this thing is like a virtual
disfunctional
> family!
>
> later
> john

[Bpyboy]

now THAT is what i'm talking about !
Thanks a lot. Didn't mean to be a ball-bite about the last thread, but
........

thanks for the info debs. I appreciate it. I have been A LOT more honest with
the doctor since laying off the booze. apparently whacking down a 12er of beer
to go to sleep at night isn't my ticket to joy?

[debs]

No the booze is not a ticket to sleep.

I actually avoid sleeping tablets as much as possible for the same reasons
that you are citing with your sleep......really bad dreams.

Because I am diagnosed bipolar I have the choice of using other means to get
sleep. I have some anti-psychotics which make me drowsy. What they
actually do is shut my brain signals down a bit when my mood is racing. If
I take them in the evenings I can gradually shut down so that by the time I
go to bed my mind is not whirlng with thoughts.

It is good you are honest with your doc now. For a long time I was not and
even though the docs were aware of my drinking it was a none subject between
us. Once I tackled the issue and became honest life was much easier and my
support could be better directed. I signed an agreement that I could be
breathalised at random and that my doc could do a blood test for alcohol
along with my normal medication blood test. Happy to say no one has yet
found the need to breathalise me and the doctor has always reported negative
blood alcohol levels.

I really hope that you start getting the sleep you need. I know that some
will say that no one ever died from the lack of sleep but it can affect your
concentration levels and these are crucial for every day tasks......driving
being one.

best wishes

debs

--
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
"Bpyboy" <bpyboy@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031016160627.23654.00000411@mb-m20.aol.com...
> now THAT is what i'm talking about !
> Thanks a lot. Didn't mean to be a ball-bite about the last thread, but
> .......
>
> thanks for the info debs. I appreciate it. I have been A LOT more honest
with
> the doctor since laying off the booze. apparently whacking down a 12er of
beer
> to go to sleep at night isn't my ticket to joy?

[rosie read and post]

> I really hope that you start getting the sleep you need. I know that
some
> will say that no one ever died from the lack of sleep but it can
affect your
> concentration levels and these are crucial for every day
tasks......driving
> being one.
>
> best wishes
>
> debs
>


thanks for sharing deb........................
not being able to sleep through the night happened to be one of the
symptoms of my depression after about five years of sobriety.
it is VERY common symptom, and needs to taken seriously, as you have
pointed out.
rosie

[rosie read and post]

"Bpyboy" <bpyboy@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031016160627.23654.00000411@mb-m20.aol.com...

> I have been A LOT more honest with the doctor since laying off the
booze.

congrats to you........................."healing" physically is VERY
important in recovery, and as you know, almost impossible when
drinking/drugging is going on.


>..............apparently whacking down a 12er of beer to go to sleep at
night isn't my ticket to joy?

LOL!
right after i quit drinking, i TRULY thought i would never get to sleep
again.
WINE was my sedative, and without it, there was NO "passing out" at
bedtime.
falling into a NATURAL sleep and sleeping through the night, did
eventually happen for me in early recovery, after i started some
exercise, and eating properly.
hang in there and keep reading and posting, it works!

rosie

[Bpyboy]

thanks guys, I still don't sleep worth a crap, but have a medical sleep study
coming up early in the week, so i'm just going to suffer until then.

Still, i'm "between jobs" right now, and so my schedule allows me to sleep when
i'm tired and get stuff done when i'm not. no real "schedule" at all!

I came into a little money from my dad's passing, and so am not even TOO
freaked out about money. (not a lot of money, but enough that I can live for
some time on it). So that helps too. Money is and always was the single most
troubling thing in my life. When I had some, it was burning a hole in my
pocket, when I was broke, it was terrible.

So, now, without spending TONS of money on booze, and with a little bit more
coherent thinking, it should get me past this troubling time. And I promised
dad at the service that I was going to get well. (and that is SERIOUS
medicine--you don't make a promise like that lightly, not even to a cremations
urn!)

so, we'll see what comes of the sleeping studies. the thought kind of worries
me, but i'm in a position now that I might be able to do something about it.
And i'm sober now, so my guts aren't taking the beating that they have seen in
the past, and off the coffee, which was "choice 2" when I couldn't drink booze.
so that helps the sleep, and the guts heal up.

I'm only asking because I can see where the insomnia would be a function of not
drinking in the early days, but we are going on a couple months here. And
really DEPRESSION just saps my energy, and I nod in and out of sleep, but don't
really sleep.

So the issue is sort of confused, as some of it is a function of recent events
(losing a loved one, losing a job, getting literally fucked out of a PhD), but
a lot of it seems to be some cross-wiring in my brain too.

that all needs to get sorted out.

I DO know that drinking until I just don't really care anymore isn't the
answer, and that it never was.

but there are some medical problems going on here, and the creepy dreams have
been a real bitch of thing to try and get past. I mean, with enough sauce, I
could sleep right through them. So it adds a whole new dimension to "1 day at
a time", as the anxiety and sleeping troubles keep telling me "you need sleep,
go get ya' a 12er and get some sleep", but my sober mind is saying "you KNOW
where that is going to end up--dumbass"

so, that's the state of things as we stand. I'm going to do the sleep study
(i'm a techno-nerd, dyed in the wool--might be kind of cool to see what happens
when i'm asleep?) and see if there is a medical problem, mainly a
psychological one, or both and straighten this shit out for good.

later guys. have a fine day, alright?
John

[rosie read and post]

> Still, i'm "between jobs" right now, and so my schedule allows me to
sleep when
> i'm tired and get stuff done when i'm not. no real "schedule" at
all!

imo, getting a job......................."of any kind" seems to really
help those without a "schedule".............boredom? thinking too much?
can be real dangers for us alkies!




>................. Money is and always was the single most
> troubling thing in my life. When I had some, it was burning a hole in
my
> pocket, when I was broke, it was terrible.

some of us are fortunate to not have money worries, but STILL very prone
to "too much worrying".
imo, having too much time on my hands is AS BAD as not having enough.




> And i'm sober now, so my guts aren't taking the beating that they have
seen in
> the past, and off the coffee, which was "choice 2" when I couldn't
drink booze.
> so that helps the sleep, and the guts heal up.

sounds like your taking all the right steps!




> really DEPRESSION just saps my energy, and I nod in and out of sleep,
but don't
> really sleep.



when my serious depression started (5 years of sobriety) my sleep
patterns became VERY interupted!
i would wake almost every hour or so.......................go back to
sleep and then wake again.
my days, were quite difficult to get through, having had my sleep so
interupted during the nights!



>
> So the issue is sort of confused, as some of it is a function of
recent events
> (losing a loved one, losing a job, getting literally fucked out of a
PhD), but
> a lot of it seems to be some cross-wiring in my brain too.
>
> that all needs to get sorted out.


...............and you will!





>
> later guys. have a fine day, alright?
> John


thanks john, i will!

rosie

[Moonraker]

"rosie read and post" <readandpostREMOVE@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Cjykb.58550$832.13755@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>
> imo, having too much time on my hands is AS BAD as not having enough.
>

So you inundate Usenet with 30,000 inane posts, eh?

[debs]

hope the medical stuff goes OK for you.

It is good that you are able to have some time during the day to rest. It
does sound very much like you have an underlying depression.

You mentioned your Dads passing away that could have something to do with
it. My Mom passed away suddenly aged 58 three years ago and I reckon it has
taken me all that time to really come to terms with it. I only noticed last
week that I am no longer blaming docs ect for how she died so I think I am
accepting things at last.

The blame thing ate away at me for ages and yes......it did cause me a lot
of depression....but I am moving on. I am not religious but I would like to
think that if there is something after she can at last look down on me and
be proud of what I am striving to achieve.

Anyway enough of that....best wishes to you and keep yourself well

debs

--
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
"Bpyboy" <bpyboy@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031019111856.13958.00000713@mb-m13.aol.com...
> thanks guys, I still don't sleep worth a crap, but have a medical sleep
study
> coming up early in the week, so i'm just going to suffer until then.
>
> Still, i'm "between jobs" right now, and so my schedule allows me to sleep
when
> i'm tired and get stuff done when i'm not. no real "schedule" at all!
>
> I came into a little money from my dad's passing, and so am not even TOO
> freaked out about money. (not a lot of money, but enough that I can live
for
> some time on it). So that helps too. Money is and always was the single
most
> troubling thing in my life. When I had some, it was burning a hole in my
> pocket, when I was broke, it was terrible.
>
> So, now, without spending TONS of money on booze, and with a little bit
more
> coherent thinking, it should get me past this troubling time. And I
promised
> dad at the service that I was going to get well. (and that is SERIOUS
> medicine--you don't make a promise like that lightly, not even to a
cremations
> urn!)
>
> so, we'll see what comes of the sleeping studies. the thought kind of
worries
> me, but i'm in a position now that I might be able to do something about
it.
> And i'm sober now, so my guts aren't taking the beating that they have
seen in
> the past, and off the coffee, which was "choice 2" when I couldn't drink
booze.
> so that helps the sleep, and the guts heal up.
>
> I'm only asking because I can see where the insomnia would be a function
of not
> drinking in the early days, but we are going on a couple months here. And
> really DEPRESSION just saps my energy, and I nod in and out of sleep, but
don't
> really sleep.
>
> So the issue is sort of confused, as some of it is a function of recent
events
> (losing a loved one, losing a job, getting literally fucked out of a PhD),
but
> a lot of it seems to be some cross-wiring in my brain too.
>
> that all needs to get sorted out.
>
> I DO know that drinking until I just don't really care anymore isn't the
> answer, and that it never was.
>
> but there are some medical problems going on here, and the creepy dreams
have
> been a real bitch of thing to try and get past. I mean, with enough
sauce, I
> could sleep right through them. So it adds a whole new dimension to "1
day at
> a time", as the anxiety and sleeping troubles keep telling me "you need
sleep,
> go get ya' a 12er and get some sleep", but my sober mind is saying "you
KNOW
> where that is going to end up--dumbass"
>
> so, that's the state of things as we stand. I'm going to do the sleep
study
> (i'm a techno-nerd, dyed in the wool--might be kind of cool to see what
happens
> when i'm asleep?) and see if there is a medical problem, mainly a
> psychological one, or both and straighten this shit out for good.
>
> later guys. have a fine day, alright?
> John