Probably the most thorough and methodically psychological insomnia video I’ve seen of on this page.. it brings me to the conclusion that we must all go on this journey, experience the the bad nights, good nights, okay nights, the fear/anxiety, the fatigue, the medications & supplements.. all of these phases are education to ultimately realize that self love and acceptance are the simple answers to a seemingly complex issue. Happy this page and these videos are out there in the world, it doesn’t only help guide people through insomnia, but also through life. Amazing stuff, please keep putting these videos out.
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@@Demnwezah of course it's still tough. But sometimes I feel like everyone around me is sleeping normally and I'm the only one with insomnia. Hearing such stories makes me realize that there is more of us, we just don't know.
I really enjoyed this story! Thank you Brady and Daniel! So many great questions and wise answers! Really related to where you are in your recovery Brady and the part about feeling guilty for suffering! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for your heartfelt comment! We want to assure you that your comments are seen and deeply appreciated. We're grateful that the message resonated with you and that it's contributing to a meaningful conversation. Your support means a lot, and we're glad it made sense to you. 💙
I love Daniel's take on medication. I got on Zoloft soon after my insomnia started, thinking it would be my solution. It turned out that my insomnia was an extension of health anxiety (googling of symptoms and constantly checking). The side effects of the medication made my insomnia much for worst. I was SO obsessed with whatever my akathisia was serotonin syndrome or my head pressures were a brain tumor. My therapist agreed I should get off, and I finally got a full 8 hours for the first time in months. Medication is great for some, but in my case, it was my thinking patterns that were my problem.
I can 100% relate! It became anxiety-provoking to differentiate between the different symptoms, which meant the medication was at best ineffective and at worst, making it worse
Hi Brady/Daniel. Thank you for this episode. Im about to watch your next installment, however wanted to pop a comment on, before moving on. There were numerous points that resinate with my own current experience. I was prescribeds Sertaline in August of last year. This was off the back of strugglinf with anxiety, low mood, a general sense if feeling so overwhelmed. Looking back, this was around the time my insomnia started. I also struggled with the notion of taking medication. Ive taken it in the past , however this time I wanted to take a different path, that meant not taking sertraline. At times it became a struggle to know whether to 'give in' and take the medication, however ive persevered with my approach, which has been learning more about who I am and how i relate to my own internal world and the world around me. Ive found it really helpful to not only focus on acceptance of the unpleasant experiences associated with insomnia, but also my wider struggles, so the question you often ask Daniel about whether the individual has applied the knowledge and approach in a wider sense is something I can completely identify with. We continue to learn and progress whilst totally accepting that the journey is not linear. I wish everyone peace in their lives
Ian!! I'm sorry I just saw this comment now. How are you doing?? I can 100% relate to your weighing decision of taking medication or not. And your courage and bravery to seek solutions within yourself. I truly believe we have the power to heal ourselves and become 'immune' to insomnia, anxiety, depression etc. Insomnia not being that we don't experience these, but that we accept them. If you have questions or need someone to talk to let me know.
@@bradyfaught Hi Brady, thank you for responding, I certainly wasn't expecting you to reply, however its much appreciated. I'm doing OK. I'm trying not to monitor my sleep to closely, however I've been having atleast one difficult night per week, some weeks more. Last night and Friday I experienced being awake all night. I was due to go out with a friend on Saturday and I think the thought of not wanting a difficult nights sleep on the Friday had the effect of planting the seed. Unsurprisingly, I was awake all night. I really struggled to befriend that episode of wakefulness and became really annoyed with the fact that I couldn't sleep. However, on the plus side, I went out with my friend (in the past I have cancelled following a bad night's sleep) and had a really good day. I think I have a good approach to the day following a bad night's sleep so from that part I'm doing really well. Last night i was more relaxed about not being able to fall asleep and if I can achieve consistency in being ok with not sleeping then im sure that will speed my recovery. It's hard not to wish that I was further down the path and achieved Immunity status / just being totally non attached to the outcome, however I can recognise that I've made progress over the past six months. I had considered the option of accessing extra support via the Sleep school programme, however there is a part of me that feels I can (and am) making progress just by reading the books / watching the educational content and success stories in the RU-vid videos. I've noticed recently that I'm paying less interest to online insomnia content /stories (I didn't want to rely on watching online content to either reassure or accelerate my recovery journey, which I know is counter productive). Sorry, that was a long winded response, but wanted to give you some context around my doing OK reply. I do appreciate your offer of support and I know having contact with someone who has navigated insomnia and come out the other end would I'm sure be a help, particularly when I experience periods of doubt (which I still do). I do tell myself to trust in the process and that these doubts, ongoing fears , thoughts are my brains way of problem solving being awake. I'm acutely aware that having the knowledge of how insomnia takes hold and then becomes a self feeding loop through being afraid of being awake/being fearful of feeling anxiety/fear, is not enough on its own to get me to a place of being free. I have to live the experience and show my brain that there is ultimately nothing to fear (but fear itself, is that a famous quote from an American president). On a final note, I'm sure you mentioned that the night before doing one of your videos with Daniel, you experienced a very difficult /unsettled night, so I know it can still present itself at any point. I guess it's just being OK with any future experience, if and when it may happen. Thank you, Ian
@@ianquigley5070 Thanks Ian for the great update! It's amazing how similar our story sounds - I also hesitated joining the coach school, but also speaking to others really helps. My video might lead some people to think that I'm fully recovered and 'immune' but I'm still in the same place you describe - residual fears and still needing occasional speed bumps (it seems the brain needs so many of them!!) but otherwise living my life and not letting insomnia dictate my life in any way. It feels like a much smaller 'annoyance' now in the background that pops up, and I get nervous feelings when night time comes around, but the fear of 'going back there' is gone I know I can get through a bad night and the next day fine. I do really think it takes a long time, and that maybe there really isn't this "finish line" but rather it just slowly fades away, inch by inch. Keep up the great work Ian, and reach out if ever helpful! We're all in this weird experience together.
There seems to be interest from a few people I've talked to in the comments that are in a similar stage of recovery, to have a virtual meetup to just chat. If you're interested let me know
Amazing story Brady thank you. I see a lot of myself here . I also took Mirtazapene not for sleep but to try help my anxiety which I’m not sure if it has but I’m also weaning down which is tough! I feel like I’m grasping a lot of this but I’m just still struggling with letting go and just accepting the fear . I start a new job next week and I’m nervous but I’m telling myself like Brady said if I’m just at 50% for a while then that is how it is I can’t always be 100%
Thanks Sarah! Glad it resonated, and way to be courageous to wean off the Mirtazapene. It's not easy - make sure to have lots of self kindness and patience, it does get better. I agree, 'letting go and accepting' really make sense to me, but still to this day I get thoughts of "but I REALLY don't want to experience it again." I find writing down these thoughts and thought-challenging really helps. We've made it this far and been OK, we'll be OK going forward. It seems like the brain just needs many iterations of proof that it's okay. In the meantime, acceptance that we can be 50% for a while. Take care, and to peaceful sleep.
@@mustafavarlk2078 how long did it take you to get off it and did you get the withdrawal insomnia that everyone online mentions? I’m trying to use all that I’ve learnt from Daniel’s teaching to wean down. I’m down to 10mg but stuck now . I do get alot of inflammation and gut problems so thank you I shall look to improve them
Good question - I think it helped dampen the intensity anxiety, and give me some room to breathe. But the side effects also caused some anxiety, so it's really hard to say if overall, it helped me! I'm completely off the medication now, and I'm better at accepting my anxieties and letting them go. But if medication helps others filter thoughts, then it's a great tool
I am taking zolpidem 6.5 mg. I don't face side effects tho but it doesn't cure Insomnia, it just makes you sleep for that particular night just to manage symptoms. But my doctor says otherwise he says you will be treated with medicine. I don't know how
