What makes you most anxious?
As I have PTSD from being attacked, I suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. This presents as anxiety when faced with reminders, reliving the trauma and nightmares. I developed coping mechanisms for the wakeful parts of my disability, self care, internal scripts to reassure myself and avoidance. This has been hugely successful and EMDR techniques really work well. However the dreams cannot be conquered and sleep anxiety is very real. Ask any man I have shared a bed with, they witness the real impact that the attacks had on my unconcious life. A fews years back I woke at my boyfriends house in the middle of the night. I was terrifed that the rapist was going to turn up at the house so I got up dressed and left. I drove to my house thirty miles away. He was so confused he phoned a 5 am asking if I was ok. Then a few years later I was staying with an ex colleague, I woke in the night and there were not lights and blackout curtains. I woke in the night and was convinced the rapist was in the bed. I experienced a massive anxiety attack, unable to breath and crying unable to speak. His darth vader impressions certainly assisted me to calm down. However it is a very real anxiety. Most recently after giving evidence in the court case i was waking every night and covinced that he was at the door of the apartment . Trying to break it down. I woke at the point in the dream where I was pressing my whole weight against the door trying to keep him out. This brings anxiety as I have no control over it. It is terrifying and more than unsettling… It makes me anxious because the dreams are so vivid and it feels as though he is there. the terror is overwhelming….