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Evening anxiety attacks..


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Anybody have any advice/hints how to tackle end of day anxiety/doubt attacks?  I always find that by 4-6pm or so I start twitching and my mind tries to ruminate or cast doubt heavily, even on good days.  I get so mentally exhausted I feel like going to bed right then and there in an effort to escape my brain.  I've been sleeping fine but still feel like I could easily cry every night if I let myself.  Thanks in advance. 

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Yes, I usually am, more time to think I guess.  I find some evenings I just can't be distracted at all, like my brain just won't shut up no matter what I try.  My POCD thoughts have been none-stop since the morning, like their angry at competing for attention with my concern for my mom's health issue, almost feel like screaming right now.    I start CBT on Tuesday and am really hoping it'll help.  God I hate this, like just enough already please :(

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If you've got nonstop intrusive thoughts then you are feeding the thoughts with compulsions. That's the way it works. The more compulsions you do, the more thoughts you'll have. Try to figure out what compulsions you're doing and see what you can do about slowing them down.

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I think I know what my compulsions are.  When I was in the hospital yesterday, I just couldn't stop worrying about it, about possible loss of attraction to adults, to feeling uneasy around children, to reacting intrusive images, to ruminating.  I've tried to stop these thoughts or not react to them but its just been so damn hard recently.  I've also admittedly conjuring up the thoughts of how my future will also be absolutely miserable and that I can't ever be a normal, happy, functioning human being.  I had a few good days but now I feel like I'm spiraling down again and now feel I'm back in an emotional hell.  I'm just feeling so lost again. 

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Are you watching your physical health? Eating properly? Exercising? People often get a sugar low around mid afternoon - I certainly get twitchy and anxious when I haven't eaten and it's much harder to steer yourself away from ruminating. A low GI diet with frequent , smaller meals can help stave off sugar lows.

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The core problem is that you are giving meaning to the thoughts and engaging with them by doing compulsions. This is what you need to work on. 

Practice dismissing the thoughts as irrelevant. Realize that they are just thoughts and do not speak to who you are as a person. 

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I've been trying to think of them as irrelevant and to dismiss them as such but there are times where it just seems like not matter how hard I try, I simply can't.  I know who I am but my mind doesn't want to let me be that person and its driving me nuts.  I hate that they always seem to be in the back of my mind the second I'm not distracted.  I'm seriously worried I'm going to loose my will to live one of these days despite everything.     

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Hi Zazoo, 

These things are just harder to deal with when we're tired aren't they? Would explain why your anxiety peaks in the late afternoon/evening. And stress can be a big trigger, so make sure you are looking after yourself and doing things to relax yourself. I know exactly what you mean about the intrusive thoughts competing for attention, when ever anything stressful is going on in my life they rear their ugly head and shout over the top of everything else. My mother was ill in hospital, and when it was all going on I was getting the same intrusive thoughts as usual but 10 times stronger and more often, and I felt so guilty that that's what was taking up my brain space, but at the end of the day we do not choose to think these things and the anxiety / intrusive thoughts do not stop just because something else is going on.

I don't really have any special advice for you right now, as this is still something I'm working on myself, but I just want you to know that you're not alone 

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I appreciate the support.  I do feel guilty a bit, my mom has been my main support for this whole POCD issue and now that her cancer has returned, I feel bad because my mental health shouldn't take priority over her failing health.  I spent almost 8 hours in the hospital emergency yesterday and the entire time I felt like I was battling my thoughts (no triggers there either) while making sure my mom was getting the support she needed.  The worst part is the uncertainty about my OCD and how long she has, it could be months or years depending.  I'll admit I'm feeling overwhelmed and am almost tempted to take an increase in my drugs in order to deal with this.  The suicidal thoughts have also unfortunately made a reappearance after a few days break. 

This is how the last few months have felt for me :rateaux: Like me and my family just can't catch a break. 

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