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Relaxation exercises, guided meditations, calming videos, sleep hypnosis


Nikki

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I'm learning how to sleep without drugs after taking various drug cocktails for misdiagnosed manic-depression for 30 years, starting as a teenager. Learning to sleep without drugs has proven to be very, very difficult. Insomnia and memory problems are my worst symptoms, followed by being in a dissociative state due to dp/dr. I have to work, plus I live in a crowded, inner-city housing complex, so there are multiple reasons why my insomnia is so bad and may not be simply withdrawal.

 

Since I'm finding success, I wanted to share with all of you in hopes that everyone here will get a well-deserved night's sleep. I'm currently 10 months off all drugs, and my sleep went from 0 - 2 hours a night for months, but now is around 5 - 7 hours almost every night. 

 
I really believe we get to create our own baseline, so my goal in learning how to sleep involves learning how to control my anxiety, set goals that keep me in a positive mindset and give me something realistic to dream about, and teach me healthy distractions to stay occupied on nights when sleep simply doesn't happen. 
 
I posted some videos on my Intro and someone mentioned placing the links here.  Plus I've added more for this thread. If you have some favorite videos that help you sleep, please add to this thread. I hope this is helpful and I wish you all a good night's sleep. 
 
______________________________________________________________________________________
 
I'm finding that taking a bath with Epsom salts helps. However, please note that some people have problems with this due to the magnesium, so do your research first. Going into a nightly routine as relaxed as possible seems to help a great deal. Reading, listening to soft jazz or classical music, gentle yoga, prayer or meditation, etc. will let your CNS know that it's "okay", even if life is telling you otherwise. 
 
If your mind isn't in a sleep mode, sometimes getting the body relaxed first can help. As the body relaxes, the mind follows. Here are two videos that help me, one for 30 minutes and one for 10 minutes (sometimes the akathisia and anxiety makes longer videos difficult).

 

          Jon Kabat-Zinn: Body Scan (approximately 30 minutes)

 

          10 Minute Guided Body Scan Meditation from The Meditation Coach (approximately 10 minutes)

 

 

Sometimes the mind simply won't shut off.  I've found my thoughts to be my loudest neighbors, but I have the power to lower their volume. I've found several Mooji videos to be very useful in helping me learn to let my thoughts come and go without inviting them in.

 

         Nervousness, Anxiety & Fear ~ Spoken by Mooji (approximately 10 minutes)

 

         Unbound Peace ~ Mooji (approximately 14 minutes)

 

         From Fear to Stillness ~ Mooji (approximately 9 minutes)

 

 

Once I've given both my body and my mind the time and space to quieten, I settle in with a guided sleep meditation. Here are my favorites so far:

 

         Relaxation Music - Night-time Drive to The Beach - ASMR (approximately 35 minutes)

 

         Guided Sleep Meditation Talkdown (approximately 30 minutes)

 

         Guided Sleep Talkdown - Gentle Rain (approximately 1 hour)

 

   

If you have loud neighbors, sirens blaring unpredictably, or whatever composes your current environmental soundscape, remember this is just other people's drama. It's not yours. And most importantly, it's not you. You are composing your own baseline. 

 

Also remember that this is temporary. Your journey is more than this one phase. I've never met a person worth knowing who lived an ideal and perfect life, and this is just the raw, imperfect, and jagged part of your own journey. 

 

And if you can learn to cope through this, all the rest will fall into place. Learning to get out of my own way is making this so much easier. 

 

 

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Hi Shep

Thanks for all this info and the links - really helpful. It's 2.5 years now since I came off meds cold turkey and sleep is still my biggest challenge - I have tried some of the stuff you mention, but not all, so will give them a go. There's always something new to try !!

First contact with psychiatrist in Jan 1997.

Since then given "diagnoses" of: postnatal depression, severe recurrent depression, bipolar disorder, dependent personality disorder & emotionally unstable personality disorder.

Treatment: various cocktails of psych meds including: imipramine, lithium, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, quetiapine, chlorpromazine, depot injections of clopixol, zolpidem and as a last resort ECT.

Taken off mirtazapine, venlafaxine and lithium cold turkey whilst inpatient on acute psychiatric ward in Nov 2013.

Challenging & agonising withdrawal process but getting easier now.

Human again !!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Shep

Thanks for all this info and the links - really helpful. It's 2.5 years now since I came off meds cold turkey and sleep is still my biggest challenge - I have tried some of the stuff you mention, but not all, so will give them a go. There's always something new to try !!

 

Hi, Freespirit. Sorry I missed replying to this, but I just came across your post.

 

There's a free online mindfulness course here - http://palousemindfulness.com/

 

It's too structured for me to go through right now, but it really looks like a great 8 week course. I plan on trying to get through it again once my concentration is better.

 

I'm still struggling with sleep, too, but hopefully we'll both see improvements soon. 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
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If you are currently in pain, whether emotional or physical, or just feeling very uncomfortable, this talk by Tara Brach may help. Tara explores the difference between pain and suffering and examines the most common, yet often unconscious, ways we resist pain. She teaches us how to find peace, even when in the midst of pain.

 

There are several short guided practices included as part of this talk.

 

Her voice is calm and soothing, so just listening to her speak can be relaxing.

 

Tara Brach - The Dance with Pain (approximately 1 hour)

 

 

 

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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Thanks for all the shares! Shep's suggestions brought me to this, which helped me sleep:

About 20 year history on and off SSRIs, beginning with Prozac 20mg (?)

then Lexapro (from which I unwittingly did a traumatic and disastrous cold turkey)

then last 14 years on Paxil 20mg, then 10mg, with unsuccessful attempts at cessation

Finally successfully tapered from 20mg to 0 over the last year. Last dose was on 12/11/2015.

I was also prescribed Clonazepam concomitantly for anxiety, to take as needed. I took about 0.125mg to 0.5mg, 0 to twice weekly (?). Stopped taking altogether beginning April 2016.

Overall my recollection of this timeline is scattered - lots of life and doctor changes, moves, poor record keeping on my part, and my memory has not been the best lately, but I am noticing improvements.

Also took antihistamines and decongestants for years for chronic allergies, all of which I also stopped Dec 2015.

Currently taking fish oil, pro-biotics, Vit. D for deficiency, and Magnesium (but only occasionally).

End of April 2016 started taking Trader Joe's "Calming Sleep Formula" which seemed to help; it is L-Theanine 200mg, 5-HTP 30mg, and Melatonin 3mg - but I read 5-HTP affects serotonin, so I am going to stop that also, and try only Melatonin instead.

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oh my gosh! TY <3 :) just found this and tried! blessings

Oct 99 started 25mg zoloft/day for anxiety not sure how long it was maybe a year or 2 before it went up to 50mg/day-was on that dosage for 16 years! also I was on Trazadone for sleeping 50/100mg/day but mostly 100 for oh say 14 years give or take.(I should say the start of zoloft was because I was in nursing school and undergoing a diagnosis of MS-hence the anxiety. I was not put on it for depression)

 

Last spring 2015 I weaned off the Trazadone first-that wasn't too bad-just had to pee ALOT!!  but that passed fairly quickly.

Weaning off the zoloft I had 25mg and 50mg so I just started reducing-say out of 7 days 1 day would be 25mg then the rest 50mg. then I just slowly replaced the 50mg with 25mg and then would drop the occasional 25mg day that sort of thing. It wasn't scientific but felt ok so just continued on...I guess I took a couple of months reducing the zoloft-I see now it wasn't slow enough probably. :( 

 

Mid July 2015 stopped all zoloft! Had the usual withdrawals-lots of crying, emotion, agitation, sweating, brain zaps..all that-for the acceptable amount of time-4-6 weeks I suppose.  Then the uncontrollable anger hit I guess it was early fall when that started-mid winter.

 

It has been 10 months with nothing-and the episodes are getting further apart-I can see that but....wow scary or what?!

 

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How great! :D
 
I also wanted to mention here this ASMR channel by a young woman I find very calming:
 
https://www.youtube.com/user/GentleWhispering
 
Whether ASMR works for you or not, I find the clips very soothing!
(Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response: a pleasant physiological sensation experienced when engaged with certain auditory and visual triggers.)
 
Also:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MassageASMR
and his relaxation meditation videos with Tibetan bowls ^_^

About 20 year history on and off SSRIs, beginning with Prozac 20mg (?)

then Lexapro (from which I unwittingly did a traumatic and disastrous cold turkey)

then last 14 years on Paxil 20mg, then 10mg, with unsuccessful attempts at cessation

Finally successfully tapered from 20mg to 0 over the last year. Last dose was on 12/11/2015.

I was also prescribed Clonazepam concomitantly for anxiety, to take as needed. I took about 0.125mg to 0.5mg, 0 to twice weekly (?). Stopped taking altogether beginning April 2016.

Overall my recollection of this timeline is scattered - lots of life and doctor changes, moves, poor record keeping on my part, and my memory has not been the best lately, but I am noticing improvements.

Also took antihistamines and decongestants for years for chronic allergies, all of which I also stopped Dec 2015.

Currently taking fish oil, pro-biotics, Vit. D for deficiency, and Magnesium (but only occasionally).

End of April 2016 started taking Trader Joe's "Calming Sleep Formula" which seemed to help; it is L-Theanine 200mg, 5-HTP 30mg, and Melatonin 3mg - but I read 5-HTP affects serotonin, so I am going to stop that also, and try only Melatonin instead.

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  • 3 weeks later...

There are free meditations (mindfuless and visualisation) on excelatlife.com, written by a psychologist. I've been using them for ages now and I love her voice. Try the cityscape mindfulness and the log cabin meditations! I also love Jon Kabat Zin.

Citalopram: Feb 2016 to May 2017. I tapered over 2 weeks under the supervision of my GP.

Dosage: 20mg pd.

Tapering: 20mg every 2nd day for 1 week, 20mg every 3rd day for 1 week.

Reason to quit: Mitral valve prolapse - disturbing palpitations and chest pain which resolved off meds; weight gain.

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  • Altostrata changed the title to Train Yourself to Sleep: Guided Meditations, Calming Videos, Sleep Hypnosis
  • Administrator
8 hours ago, Dabhob33 said:

....

****Started new online Sleep course called Go!to Sleep through the cleveland clinic.   Tracking sleep and using CBTI.  I’m meeting with creator of program Dr Drerup on 8/29/18 for sessions.   But others not in cleveland can use the online / remote course.   Might be something for others to consider who are having sleeping issues.   Here’s the link - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/-/scassets/8881218339914257bc112d6cb986b4e3.ashx

....

 

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Thank you Alto!  Just was reading a post and realized that perhaps sleeping 2 hours at time isn't the new me as I age. Thank you again for posting this link! 

-Nardil 1976 < year, stopped. React to AD's. Klonopin .5BID 1990, 2.5mg til 2016

-Klonopin doubled Jan '16. Taper to 2.25mg May to Nov '16. Bad react to Lexapro, stop. React to Prevacid too, taper off. 

-November '16 Tapered .25mg Klonopin in hospital. Jan '17 started Viibryd, 20mg from Feb to June '17,     

-20mg to 10mg Viibryd from 3/25 to 6/10 2017, 12/15 10% Viibryd taper...back up next day

-Clonazepam 2mg to 1.85mg 4/14 '17 to end November; taper to 1mg Clonazepam in hospital 9/1 tp 9/14 '17

-Feb '18 Amiloride .25mg  5/18 off Amiloride d/t react. Clonaz compounded  

-4/27 '18 Viibryd 9.5mg, 6/11 9.0 mg, 1/27 '19 Viibryd 8.75mg, ; Clonazepam .2mg 530pm and .7mg 1130pm, Premarin .3mg 830PM CARAFATE QID 2/27/19 to 3/5/19

-July 6'19 1/2 10mg Claritin 230pm, stopped it about July 18, started Oct 11 '19, 

-7/27 Viibryd 8.5, 8/29 8.25, 10/24 8.0, 12/19 7.75, Feb '20 7.50, 3/20 7.25, 5/20 7.0, 6/20 6.75, 7/20 6.5, 8/20 6.25, 10/2 20 6.0, 11/25'20 5.75, 1/9/21 5.5, 2/23 5.25

-1015 AM Viibryd, vit D 4,000IU 130, 415 Clonazepam .2mg, 815 Premarin .3mg, 1015 Clonaz .7mg,

  1115 3t fish oil+D 1145 Castor Oil 650mg(4) 1230 Carafate 1/2GM,Methylated B Vit  1/week,Reacted Mag prn

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  • Songbird changed the title to Relaxation Exercises, Guided Meditations, Calming Videos, Sleep Hypnosis
  • 2 weeks later...

My husband had some sleep issues during his taper off of Risperidone and was greatly helped by listening to relaxing guided meditation at bedtime. A man named Michael Healy has a whole series of them free on YouTube and they are the best! I'm a firm believer in using every possible resource to overcome these meds.  I've linked some below: 

 

 

 

 

Husband's Med History:

2mg Risperidone 2009 - 2017

Risperidone taper from 2mg - 0.. 08/2017-07/01/18

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Relaxation exercises, guided meditations, calming videos, sleep hypnosis
  • 3 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

My favourite relaxation video:

 

 

2001–2002 paroxetine

2003  citalopram

2004-2008  paroxetine (various failed tapers) 
2008  paroxetine slow taper down to

2016  Aug off paroxetine
2016  citalopram May 20mg  Oct 15mg … slow taper down
2018  citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg  18 Nov 3.8mg
2019  15 Mar 3.6mg  21 May 3.4mg  26 Dec 3.2mg 

2020  19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg

2021   29 Aug 2.4mg   15 Nov 2.3mg

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  • 1 year later...

Hi, I came across this guided meditation recently and it works really well for me. I never used to be able calm down with meditation. I never looked forward to doing it. But this one calms me and cheers me up, I sometimes giggle but can still relax and let stress go. 

 

It's called H*nest Meditation.

There is a video of a sample on YouTube. I downloaded the app for a longer version. Warning: This may not be suitable for everyone due to being a bit offensive 

 

2005-2018: Sertraline 50mg

Jan 2018: Started taper from 50mg

Jun 2018: 25 mg

July 2019: 20 mg. Switched to Microtapering

Spring 2020: Tetanus vaccine and a course of rabies vaccinations. 

July 2020: 16 mg. Hold.

During 2020, I was forced to change manufacturers(of generic Sertraline) 4 times due to supplier issues. I didn't write the dates down. 

1st Oct&4th Oct 2020: IV drip with Metoclopramide, ranitidine, hyoscine butylbromide in hospital

26 October 2020: 17 mg

1Nov: 16mg

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  • 1 month later...

I wanted to add to this thread. To me Michael Sealey meditations are the best in terms of variety, various lengths themes and the hypnotic affect. They are not challenging or a chore and they stay in a lane that just seems to eventually calm soothe and put me to sleep. When I’m really bad I need meditations with soundscapes and spoken word that last for a long time so I don’t feel pressured to start calming and going down right away. 
 

Michael Sealey. YouTube 

 

1998 -2000 started and stopped several SSRIs because of bad reactions, Zoloft, Paxil, Wellbutrin
2004 to 2006 Prozac 20mg

2004  Klonepin(daily 15 days)VERY bad cold turkey reaction after 15 days of use. 
2012, rehab inpatient alcohol, marijuana (sober since)

2012- present trazadone 50mg (At bedtime) tried twice to stop. 
2012-2017 Prozac 20mg, stopped Prozac CT without many problems. 

12/16/20- present lexapro 10 mg

12/27/20 started rapid lexapro taper 2.5mg every 2 days after only 11 days of use. Drug interaction problems with  trazadone suspected. 
1/2/21 last day of lexapro
1/321 now trying to stabilize on trazadone enough to begin taper. I was not using the trazadone in a consistent  way starting in late October and it thru me into wd  like symptoms. I was taking it at wildly different times each day because my sleep schedule (bed time) would fluctuate. 

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 8/6/2013 at 5:38 AM, aileene said:

For sleep, try listening to this video.  It works better than a pill!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqLzR7gLQmw

 

Another video for self-healing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvF7m4gUi3o

 

If you don't feel like hearing words, this is part of a you tube mix of relaxing music.  The photos in this one are very relaxing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRhoWQX2OF8&list=RD02TZMoS2QBc8U

 

Another relaxing (spiritual) music video with beautiful photos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiHP0C4EEdA

 

Rest, relaxation, and quiet are very helpful in healing mental illness.

 

 

 

 

 

Sleep hypnosis and other meditation hypnosis scare me!

-1994 Paxil 20 mg -2010 Paxil 40 mg

-November 2020 Wellbutrin xl 150

- April 2021 begin Paxil taper. Drop 5 mg every two weeks per psych :(

-April 2021 Wellbutrin xl 300 perpsych 

-March 2021 start Primidone, increase @ 2 wks to 50 am/pm for ET -

July 2021 final Paxil, Terrible WD

-October 2021 30# lost, terrible depression/anxiety, almost to ER

-January 2022, begin Wellbutrin xl 300 taper to 150 for 2 wks. Then 75 IR 2x/day for 2 wks, then 75 IR am/ 37.5 pm for 2, 18.75 Wellbutrin per psych

-February 3, started Effexor 37.5 stopped February 11, bed 3 days, hot throat

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/6/2013 at 5:38 AM, aileene said:

For sleep, try listening to this video.  It works better than a pill!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqLzR7gLQmw

 

Another video for self-healing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvF7m4gUi3o

 

If you don't feel like hearing words, this is part of a you tube mix of relaxing music.  The photos in this one are very relaxing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRhoWQX2OF8&list=RD02TZMoS2QBc8U

 

Another relaxing (spiritual) music video with beautiful photos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiHP0C4EEdA

 

Rest, relaxation, and quiet are very helpful in healing mental illness.

 

 

 

 

 

Sleep hypnosis makes me very nervous! I’m afraid to turn it on 😕

-1994 Paxil 20 mg -2010 Paxil 40 mg

-November 2020 Wellbutrin xl 150

- April 2021 begin Paxil taper. Drop 5 mg every two weeks per psych :(

-April 2021 Wellbutrin xl 300 perpsych 

-March 2021 start Primidone, increase @ 2 wks to 50 am/pm for ET -

July 2021 final Paxil, Terrible WD

-October 2021 30# lost, terrible depression/anxiety, almost to ER

-January 2022, begin Wellbutrin xl 300 taper to 150 for 2 wks. Then 75 IR 2x/day for 2 wks, then 75 IR am/ 37.5 pm for 2, 18.75 Wellbutrin per psych

-February 3, started Effexor 37.5 stopped February 11, bed 3 days, hot throat

 

 

 

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