How can I be less paranoid at night?
I'm currently up paranoid about, well, everything. I can't get to sleep, and I have a feeling of being watched constantly. I have extreme depression and anxiety. I'd really like to not be this paranoid and go to bed. I've tried night lights, ambiance, and warm baths.
Kaileen McMickle, MS, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor
What kinds of things help you to feel safe? I think it's great you've already tried a few things to help yourself sleep, even if they don't work. Those methods of coping could be targeting something other than paranoia--which is maybe why you aren't finding those things are helpful. If you are really struggling, sometimes meds can help to calm the brain a bit. If you choose this route, make sure you give your prescribing doctor all the information about your symptoms so your meds can be as accurate as possible for what you're dealing with.If you have access, counseling could be beneficial as well. There are more and more counselors becoming available via telehealth because of COVID, so you could even find someone to help you right in the space you feel most paranoid about (given that space is private). Either way, talking some of those fears through could at the very least bring some insight, if not some relief.
Saat ini saya merasa paranoid tentang, ya, segala sesuatu. Saya tidak bisa tidur, dan saya merasa seperti diawasi terus-menerus. Saya mengalami depresi dan kecemasan yang ekstrem. Saya sangat ingin tidak paranoid seperti ini dan bisa tidur. Saya sudah mencoba lampu malam, suasana, dan mandi air hangat.
Apa saja yang bisa membuat Anda merasa aman? Saya rasa itu bagus bahwa Anda sudah mencoba beberapa hal untuk membantu tidur, meskipun mungkin tidak berhasil. Metode mengatasi ini mungkin menargetkan sesuatu selain paranoia—yang mungkin menjadi alasan mengapa Anda tidak menemukan hal-hal tersebut bermanfaat. Jika Anda benar-benar berjuang, terkadang obat bisa membantu menenangkan otak sedikit. Jika Anda memilih jalur ini, pastikan Anda memberikan semua informasi tentang gejala Anda kepada dokter yang meresepkan sehingga obat Anda dapat seakurat mungkin untuk apa yang Anda hadapi. Jika Anda memiliki akses, konseling juga bisa bermanfaat. Semakin banyak konselor yang tersedia melalui telehealth karena COVID, jadi Anda bahkan bisa menemukan seseorang untuk membantu Anda tepat di tempat yang membuat Anda paling paranoid (asalkan tempat tersebut pribadi). Bagaimanapun, membicarakan beberapa ketakutan tersebut setidaknya bisa memberikan wawasan, jika tidak ada sedikit pelonggaran.