Please note I'm aware of the posting rules but hoping to offer some helpful insight. I'm currently low caffeine with hopes of getting to no caffeine. I noticed several people in this community complaining of caffeine-induced anxiety symptoms which I also deal with. I had some blood work done and my iron was extremely low. I started taking a supplement at the direction of my doctor and what I can day about that is I'm much more resilient. Less anxiety, less fatigue, sleeping better.
I've always known I'm borderline anemic but I guess I just didn't put 2 and 2 together on this one. I switched to a paleo diet last year and I actually think cutting out iron-enriched breads is what really threw
My beloved aunt is in the ICU after having a heart attack. Her recovery is slow but progressing. The idea of losing her is incredibly crushing but no matter what happens, IWNDWYT.
I wanted to provide an update and express my sincere thanks to those who gave feedback in my original post. Dealing with abusive people is truly a mind f*ck and I'm incredibly thankful that this community exists so that we can lift each other up. Very few people I know IRL would ever understand.
3 days after my post, I put on my big girl pants and called my mother, letting her know I hope she has a lovely holiday but please don't contact me ever again unless told otherwise :) I am back to more nightmare-free nights and I feel lighter. This is 100% what I needed. Deep sigh o
I struggle with chronic fatigue and it's really got me down today. I'm lucky to have had a nice few days off of work, but I feel like I've been a lazy bum for most of it. I've been busier than usual this month as is typical this time of year but I wish it didn't knock me on my on my ass the way it does.
I've talked to plenty of doctors about it but I personally believe the cause to be CPTSD related - just a general exhaustion from existing.
Unfortunately in the last year I've developed a caffeine sensitivity where just one cup of coffee in the morning can give me chest pains, anxiety, and insomnia. I'm down to one green tea in the morning and it just doesn't give me much of a boost. I'd lo
It was only for a couple of minutes and I don't remember all of it but it was really, really special. I was intensely focused on a jigsaw puzzle (almost trance-like) when she started gently asking me questions about her baby doll like, "do you like babies?" and "what's your favorite thing about babies?"
I have a lot of work to do but this gives me hope today.
So....it's a pretty ugly time in America right now as we all know. The divisiveness is heartbreaking and eroding my faith in humanity. I want to fight for social justice and stand up to the evils of the world. I think this drive in me is bolstered by my own lifelong pain and desire to change things for the better so fewer people have to suffer. I'm also in this minority of Christians who believe that people should actually be KIND to one another.
Reading the news stresses me out to the max. Engaging with people with opposing views usually means I get attacked. That's the world we live in now. Gone are the days of respectful discourse.
I take breaks from the news periodically for my own men
I'm halfway through the book The Body Keeps the Score and now I'm noticing a huge amount of overlap between Developmental Trauma Disorder (childhood equivalent of CPTSD) and Autism.
I'm 35f and have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 (formerly known as Asperger's Syndrome). I see a child psychologist because there are few therapists where I live who are trained in autism. Unfortunately, I don't believe she's cross trained to treat CPTSD, so often we're focusing on managing symptoms rather than getting to the root cause if that makes sense.
I've always wondered if it's possible my autism symptoms are caused by early trauma. My backstory is that around the time my mother found o
I had 2 friends tell me about really bad news in their lives today. In both cases I'm just kind of standing there shocked not knowing what to say besides "I'm so sorry". Later I'm thinking gee I could done/said XYZ--other people seem to be able to do this effortlessly like a reflex.
Similarly, once I saw a child tipping over a shopping cart next to me with a baby inside and I just froze and gasped as it fell over (everyone ok). I dont know why but I couldn't move. I feel awful that I didn't intervene.
I think when I'm presented with something surprising that's really sad or terrible, my brain just shuts off. It makes me feel like such a bad person like I don't care about others, but the tr
I grew up in a toxic home with addiction and abuse. Manipulation. Humiliation. Triangulation. So much fear and uncertainty. Gaslighting. Not being believed. The trauma in my family goes back generations. I used to cry myself to sleep on the regular and the only thing that kept me going was thinking about the day I would have my own life and my own things completely separate from my family of origin.
Flash forward to my 20s. I eagerly went NC with my parents despite lots of drama with extended family taking sides and them keeping my minor-aged siblings away from me (which had some unfortunate lasting impacts).
Which brings us to current. My parents got divorced last year and my mother has s
I relapsed a few days ago and tonight (thanks in part to some outside triggers) my anxiety is through the roof and I can't sleep. I know I need to quit. I can't do this anymore. My body is giving me signals loud and clear. The trouble is, even with tapering, my brain was so incredibly sluggish and spacey when I quit last time. Struggled to do my job--found myself just staring at the screen. Kept misplacing things. It scares me to be so foggy and I have a kid to think about.
I've been drinking caffeine for 20 years and I'm just seeking any reassurance that I can get past this stage. It's super depressing to feel like such a dumbass. But when the alternative is anxiety and insomnia it's like.
I tapered off caffeine slowly (no acute withdrawal currently) and each day is a little better. No caffeine since 11/14. But when I'm sleeping my dreams are really vivid and last night I had 5 separate nightmares. I did have a more stressful day at work than usual and I'm an anxious person. Is this normal? A sign that my sleep is improving?