ive been having these really terrifying dream like things. and idk what to do. its happened like 3 times. but this time it was sooo scary. i stayed at my cousins house by myself, well i had a friend over. and i was up unitl about 6:30 and from 6:30 to 8 am i was in a horrible nightmare. i dont think i was all the way asleep. becasuse a) i hadnt taken my geodon (bipolar med) and i cant sleep if i dont take it. and b) i was still aware of my cousins kitten biting my hand and sometimes my leg. and i was aware of the change in lighting (the sun rising) and aware of my friend in the next room.well anyways. the first 2 times this happened all i heard was voices. these were on two seperate occasions when i had taken my meds, and the voices stopped once i fell asleep. ive been in a half asleep state everytime it happens. well this time, it was longer, and i could open my eyes and see the room around me and the kitten biting my leg and i was hearing horrible voices and seeing scary scary things.so terrifying i cant describe it. and it was like i was having emotional seizures. my whole body would freeze up and id feel an instant wave of pain, or anguish or terror.. only really extreme really horrible emotions. and it would last a few seconds and stop and id open my eyes and look around. and be too scared to get up. or do anything. and in my head i was thinking "oh god whats wrong with me? God please stop this, i cant take any more" then i heard this baby crying. apparently my aunt and her boyfriend were home and apparently her bnoyfriend brought his baby. the crying pulled me out of the state i was in because i was scared for the baby, i jumped out of bed a ran to find the baby. which was safe, his daddy just hadnnt heard her crying. and i was so white and shaking so bad. and so i got on here to tell you guys and ask for advice? is there something wrong with me? should i schedule an immediate appt with my psychiatrist?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain
I believe in true happiness. but at the same time...i look around and dont see it anywhere.
pretences are a way of life. we fake it. to keep each other going.
i think i know whats wrong. but what kind of doctor do i see?
Sleep paralysis
FEW WANT TO MENTION IT
That's exactly why these are so frightening, because the individual is virtually unable to ascertain at what point reality is leaving and dream imagery is coming.?
DR. MARK MAHOWALD
Neurologist
There were no evil spirits in possession of her body, and no disease eating away at her brain. Leslie suffers from what?s called sleep paralysis, a frightening but usually benign sleep disorder that a surprisingly large number of people have. The most recent estimate is that 6 percent of the public has suffered from sleep paralysis at least once in their lives, but the event seems so crazy to most people that like Leslie, it becomes a dirty little secret.
Dr. Mark Mahowald is a neurologist and director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorder Center. He says in most cases sleep paralysis is not a symptom of any psychological, psychiatric, or neurological problem.
'We?ve had a number of our patients misdiagnosed as having psychiatric or psychological problems on the basis of these,' he says. 'What?s happening is a combination of wakefulness and dreaming from sleep all occuring at the same time.'
According to the scientists, in dream sleep, also called REM sleep, the brain is busier than it ever is in a waking state, turning out vivid dreams. When that?s happening, the body is completely paralyzed. That?s perfectly normal, a safety mechanism to keep people from thrashing about and acting out their dreams.
Now ordinarily when a person awakes, the REM dream-machine gets shut down and a switch is thrown telling the muscles it?s OK to move again. Normally, this all happens in the blink of an eye - and in sync.
When it gets out of sync, people experience sleep paralysis. The brain is still dreaming away - still ordering your muscles not to move. But here?s the catch - part of the brain is also awake.
Welcome to the 'Twilight Zone' between sleep and waking.
A person experiencing sleep paralysis can still see the actual room, but they also may have visions similar to Leslie. 'Your brain puts it together, so you have dream imagery occurring in the real world,' says Mahowald. 'And that?s exactly why these are so frightening, because the individual is virtually unable to ascertain at what point reality is leaving and dream imagery is coming.'
In other words, your brain may be generating creepy and convincing special effects - like Leslie?s ominous figure - and yet you?re awake.
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain
I believe in true happiness. but at the same time...i look around and dont see it anywhere.
pretences are a way of life. we fake it. to keep each other going.
Yep I agree hon that would be your first step. It might be worth keeping a diary of your experiences related to this to help your doctor make a diagnosis quickly.
Hope it works out hon, it must be terrifying.
Kiran
xx
You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you wish to make.
I agree that you should talk to your doctor. I have been on meds before that have really screwed up my dreams, and my doctor took me off them! A lot of people get those dreams where you think you are awake but are asleep, and there is something threatening in the room with you. I have had two and they are without a doubt, the scariest things I have ever experienced!! (Yes, yes, I've had an easy life!). In the dreams you can't move, you can't speak, you can't do anything to escape this danger. Is this similar to what you experienced? Sorry, maybe I'm completely off. I do think speaking to your doctor is the best thing to do *hugs*
yeah sleep paralysis was the first thing that came to my mind. i've had it before. it's scary. i don't know if there are treatment options. it may have to do with your meds.
