The opposite of a relaxing shower

[HK3]

Hi, this is my first time posting here. I live with GAP, PTSD and Depression. A lot which developed from sexual assult, grooming and sexual harassment that finally ended over 6 years ago. I struggle a lot with sleep and have recently been trying to form healthier sleep rituals to help set me up for sleep. My problem is when I get in the shower I start to overthink that someone is in my house and going to attack me if I close my eyes in there or turn around and I end up more stressed than before the shower and sometimes even end up having an anxiety attack. Does anyone have any tips for overcoming this feeling and how to calm down after an anxiety attack to be able to sleep? Please. 

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear HK3,

A very warm and caring welcome to our forums,

I am so sorry you went through all that, and you’re struggling with having a shower that makes you feel relaxed and not trier you…

I also have PTSD from sexual and physical abuse…I can relate to not being relaxed when having a shower, and thinking someone was in the house wanting to hurt me….I ended up buying a lock and adding it to the inner side of my bathroom door and locked it when ever I showered as well as all my windows and doors….. I also got a dog that I felt would alert me to anyone else in my house…after a while I started relaxing while I had a shower….I since moved into a another home and didn’t feel the need to put a lock onto my bathroom door, I now have 3 dogs as well…

At night when I lay down to sleep, I listen to sleep stories which relaxes my overactive thoughts and directs them into the peaceful scenarios of the sleep story….it works for me and I know they don’t work for everyone but maybe it’s worth a try to see if it works for you..and help you  calm down from your anxiety attack….

Reaching out to your Dr. and explain what your going through might also be helpful to you, they will hopefully set you up a mental health care plan with mental health professionals that can help you through this by giving you some coping strategies…

Thinking of you dear HK3, with kindness and care, and hope you will continue to talk here when you feel up to it, we are all here for you…..you are not alone…

Grandy..

[HK3]

Thank you Grandy for you kind welcome, words and advice. 

I have been considering getting a dog for a while now, I just want to make sure I'm ready for the commitment.

Ive tried bedtime meditations which when in a bad head space I struggle to relax enough to get into. But I will definitely try sleep stories, thanks! I feel like they may be less work for me to try and concentrate on than trying to meditate.

I currently have an amazing psychologist, I just feel like I always have so much to get through each session and am about to start EMDR theropy with her which I know will be intense so not sure if my brain is also just starting to bring those memories up now because I know it's coming up soon.

Thank you again for your advise I will give sleep stories a try tonight. 

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear HK3,

I am so pleased you’ll give the sleep stories a try…I find meditation for myself never worked for me…with the sleep stories your mind will probably also wander away to anxious thoughts, but just gently catch those thoughts, throw them away and again listen intently to the soothing voice reading the story to you…

I am so happy for you, that you have an amazing psychologist, that seems to care for you…I’ve not tried EMDR, but through these forums have heard good things about it…I truely hope that it works for you…

Having my dogs around me daily has been so good for my mental health, living alone can get so lonely and they help me in many different ways…The biggest is me having to get out of bed each day to care for them…if I didn’t have them, I would more likely stay in bed, days on end….I feel your beautiful soul through your words of wanting to be sure your ready for that commitment…

Wishing you all the best for your upcoming EMDR, and am looking forward to how it goes for you…

Kind thoughts, and a warm hug (if that’s okay) Dear HK3..

Grandy..