Wim Hof breathing exercise + cold shower is good stuff! I think everybody should give it a try.
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I should try this, and meditation. Even Headspace or something would probably help. I haven’t found the time/patience yet in between work/family and all of the above.
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Crap, looks like my possible ADHD and winter depression cycle might cost me another relationship. Oh well, gotta move forward no matter what. But let me tell you, it ain’t easy being neuroatypical.
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Some actually helpful stuff here. Guided mediation recordings designed specifcally for mental health patients. Well worth a look.
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For me it is all about sleep
I thought 6-8 hours is enough
For a long time I slept less
Now I try 8-10 hours a day
I am a different person now
Fit, lot of energy and positivity
No alcohol (only beer in the weekend), no drugs, no sugar, and a lot, a lot of sleep
I studied psychology and now I do research in psychiatry. I like a theory about PIHIP (problem causing interaction pattern; in interaction with yourself , like my sleeping pattern, with your direct environment, like a bad relationship, or with the system.
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Alcohol is the worst. Even 1-2 beers will weaken your sleep enough to make affect your awareness the next day. I’ve more or less quit drinking myself, I mean i’m not a tee totaller but I only drink a few beers once a month or so, and get wasted maybe once a year now. It’s just so bad for your well being.
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This has been a killer for me this year. Only started to stabilise in the last <1month. Since January I’m lucky if I’ve had 4-5 hours a night. Generally I’ve been awake with a racing head from 03:00 or 04:00 every night. Really sucks the life out of you. The CBD combined with Happy Ears earplugs has really helped and now I’m managing 6-7hrs, and if I do wake up my head doesn’t usually stop me getting back to sleep any more.
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wish i could kick SSRIs. i haven’t been, by any measure, “depressed” for two or three years now but i still have to take the bloody things every day. they were useful during the time when i definitely needed them, but it bums me out that i’m now completely dependent on them
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Do you feel fine otherwise? I mean if you do it’s not different from taking blood pressure medication. You have a chronic illness that you keep at bay with medicine.
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This is what I tell people, you’re managing a neurological imbalance with medication. There’s nothing to be ashamed of and in fact you’re lucky that you have found a solution which maintains stability in your life. I often think ‘what would happen to me in a post-apocalyptic scenario if I no longer had access to my SSRIs?’ but honestly I think that would be the least of my problems in such a scenario.
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I have cut it out completely, apart from maybe 1 drink on every other weekend or once a month.
Just in case you find 17 minutes in your day, here is the video I am using. Add 2 minutes of cold shower to that and you are bound to feel a little better 
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I have found myself in somewhat of a hole that I do not like.
Last few weeks or so I haven’t been able to fall asleep at night, I’m always tired and I have no real desire to do anything. No drastic change to my lifestyle really although I have been looking for another job within the same company as I am done with my current role.
I have just had a week off and went on holiday with the GF and her kids which was a nice break but came back today seriously unhappy.
I’ve been working from home since March 2020 which I had a dip in well-being early this year but came round again.
I don’t know if it’s the job that’s making me not sleep but if it is I’m not noticing it having that much of an affect on me when I am done for the day. The sleeping thing came on pretty quickly with no gradual onset.
I just want to sleep and I fucking hate my job. I understand that there are people taking medication or in fact have it worse than I do, I’m not trying to out-do anyone here, I just want to say my piece and maybe get some advice from fellow Elektronauts.
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Are you not sleeping because something’s going round and round in your mind, or are you just laying there awake feeling quite vacant?
I have totally been there. I had a from nowhere bout of insomnia a couple of years back. Really from nowhere to no sleep. I ended up getting a short course of sleeping meds from the doctor, just to break the cycle and get some routine/rest.
It worked…for about 8 months, and then it came again. Another round of drugs. And then I was fine for about 6 months. At this point Doc said no more drugs.
I started using CBD, it really helped. I sleep OKish now. For me it seemed to be an anxiety/habit thing. Once I’d missed a few nights it become self-reinforcing. Had to change my lifestyle, answer some questions about myself too.
As for the job you hate…can you move on? (I did try that a few times, and then learned that the problem was me and try to change how I approach my job (identify with it less is the TL;DR))
But all of what you say does sound indicative of a need to visit a healthcare professional to get some help. Don’t minimise it, lack of sleep can be brutal.
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Probably this to be honest. If it is something going on around in my head I’m not noticing it.
I can move on for sure but having a mortgage now I am less likely to dive away from financial safety if you follow. Guess I am being precautious. I’ve always gotten bored quickly which can be irritating.
I get that. The GF came round today (she lives literally round the corner) and brought me lunch. Seeing her makes me smile and a lot happier which happened today. I might need to step outside more, go for a walk or something but it doesn’t seem appealing when your tired. I’ll go for a walk after work I think.
The catalyst was probably the holiday. It made you re-evaluate your life and its meaning. Its important you book another. It will give some control over your life and give you something to look forward to.
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Obviously you should take all of our advice with a large pinch of salt, but I’ve found that an annual mushroom trip does wonders for de-fragging my brain and dealing with bouts of insomnia, fogginess and other such things.
Whatever you do about it, it’s probably a good idea to do it early on, while you’re still somewhat motivated, as motivation is always the biggest casualty.
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@Menez lack of sleep is the most debilitating thing I’ve ever known (luckily I’ve been almost completely illness free for 48 years).
CBD and earplugs definitely worked for me. The earplugs stop little noises waking me up, and if I do the CDB stops my mind endlessly racing about everything. I use:
- Happy Ears earplugs Happy Ears Earplugs | Made in Sweden Since 2010
- Orange County CBD, 50mg day https://orangecounty-cbd.com
My sleep isn’t perfect still but whose is! I’ve gone from 3-4hrs/night to 6-7hrs in the space of a few weeks. My issue was slightly different, never had a problem getting to sleep, but waking up at the slightest thing, which then became habitual 3-4am. Also I had constant racing thoughts, unable to switch off from anything, rather than awake but vacant. I guess it’s different for everyone. Hope you find some relief!
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My measures for helping me sleep better are: ear plugs, valerian herbal pills and sleeping in separate beds. I have a condition that makes a good solid sleep even more essential than for regular people, and these help at that.
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