Sweat Archives

I am not sure what the problem is but here are my symptoms since I have been 13 years old. I wake up most nights covered in sweat only after maybe an hour or two of falling asleep and I cannot go back to sleep, there are times that I have lost hours out of the day and cannot remember what I did. Most of the time when I am driving somewhere I end up somewhere else and I have no idea how I was able to drive there. When I do sleep I have nightmares of being chased by a person. Upon waking I often see this person in my doorway (their shadow). I remember when I was young very bad things were done to me but I cannot remember what exactly. The person whom I often dream about tells me not to worry about it when I ask her. I dream about her a lot and the person who chases me. Sometimes I wonder if they are the same person. I often hear them throughout the day. Most of the time they whisper, sometimes I can hear the girl call my name snapping me out of whatever trance I was in. I have about two migraines a month and I sedate myself with large doses of Alieve to rid myself of them. I also get smaller sharper headaches during the day but I don’t remember when those go away. There is more but I will not bore you with all of it. I went to the doctor and a CT scan showed no tumors or anything wrong with my brain. I am going mad because since 13 I have only gotten maybe 10 hours of sleep a week. Sometimes I stay awake so long that my body just falls and passes out. I woke up on the gutter a few weeks ago. I know something is wrong and is getting worse and i am confused.

I have several recommendations all of which involve receiving both physical and psychiatric evaluations. You have been to one doctor who recommended a CT scan. I would suggest getting a second opinion. You should see a neurologist who can further investigate a possible neurological problem.

I would also recommend having a sleep study. A sleep study is a series of tests that assess what happens to your body and mind when your asleep. Here’s a link to information regarding sleep study clinical trials and other helpful sleep study resources.

It would also be advantageous for you to meet with a psychiatrist and a therapist. A psychiatrist may be able to prescribe medication to improve your sleep. Your lack of sleep exacerbates and complicates the problem.

A therapist could teach you stress relief and other coping skills. In addition, he or she can investigate your sleep patterns and analyze the content of your nightmares. A therapist could also act as a sleep coach. This may involve making changes to how you sleep. For instance, recommendations may include changing the arrangement of your bedroom, changing the time you go to sleep, engaging in a relaxing activity before bedtime, meditating, and so forth.

You currently self-medicate with large doses of over-the-counter medication but this can be dangerous. It is important that your medication regimen for migraines be monitored by a physician. The main concern is that the medication may harm you.

I hope these ideas are helpful. I would recommend exploring all of them. Chronic fatigue has been linked to psychological and physical health problems. It is difficult to function effectively when you’re not well rested and it is likely taking a major toll on your health and well-being. It is important that this problem be investigated thoroughly and as soon as possible.

I wish you the best of luck. Please take care.

Dr. Kristina Randle

I am very anxious when I talk to people, and tend to blank out, or just go mute. I want this to stop, please help! When I talk to somebody I get very anxious, my palms sweat, and I never can think of anything to say. I used to be a very outgoing person, now I seem to be unable to talk to anybody I do not know. I have tried many things, for example going out of my way to talk to people I don’t know, but either nobody responds, or I just go blank. I really want this to stop, I want to have friends like I used to have!

P.S: I also have major sleep problems and insomnia (if this might affect it in some away.)

I would have to know much more about you to know with certainty what is causing your problems but it seems as if you may have social anxiety. If I were able to interview you in person I would want to explore the change process that took you from being a very outgoing person to presently struggling with social interaction. Was there a negative event or series of events that may have led to your current anxiety? Something is responsible for your loss of confidence. You had it once and now it’s gone. In addition to anxiety you may also be experiencing depression. It is very common for anxiety and depression to co-occur.

Generally speaking, when interacting with others try to be yourself. Try not to worry about what others think about you because you cannot control what they will ultimately perceive. In every social interaction you should strive to be authentic, down-to-earth, and attempt to communicate with others in a sincere way. In other words, simply try to be yourself. Nervousness often occurs when an individual attempts to be someone that they are not or simply are guilty of “trying too hard.” If you focus on trying to be yourself, then the nervousness should diminish.

If this is an issue that you continue to struggle with then you may want to consider counseling. Counseling is a great way to improve social interaction skills.

Even if it is uncomfortable at this time, you should continue interacting with others. The more you interact with others, the more practice you will get and the more likely it is you will improve. A therapist can teach you valuable new skills in addition to their giving you objective feedback about your present interaction skills. If counseling is not an option, ask your parents if they may be able to assist you. They may be able to assess your interaction skills and give you tips about how to relax in social situations.

Your sleep problems should not be overlooked. I would recommend a therapeutic evaluation of your total situation: sleep problems, social anxiety and any other changes that you may have failed to include in your letter.

Good luck.

Dr. Kristina Randle

Sweat

Night Sweats, Tormented & Cannot Remember Things

Very Anxious About Social Interaction