Dealing with Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks at Night

Hi! I seem to have bad anxiety at night too. But it's before I fall asleep. I cry and cry about anything and everything and feel like everybody is going to die the next day. I was taking Trazadone to go to sleep but I have a 17 month old and newborn so I can't take it or I won't wake up when the baby is hungry. Ativan is the only thing that helps me and when I panic. I take 0.5mg 3 times a day as needed.

Also- I’m not sure if you’re in therapy but it helps. Work on developing good coping skill, either with a therapist or on your own. Deep breathing, relaxation & grounding techniques can help a lot with panic. Helpguide.org, has some great articles that include audio to walk you through using these exercises.

I also responded poorly to SSRIs. I had taken gabapentin many years ago for an unrelated condition & noticed my anxiety improved. I brought this up to my psychiatrist when I was finally ready to address my anxiety & have been taking it ever since. It’s not one of the most traditional methods to treat anxiety, however it is being used more frequently. I take 300MG 3x a day & use klonopin as needed (usually once a day .5mg). Maybe talk to your doctor about trying something a little outside the norm, but still shown to be effective.