It's been a few weeks, but I think I found something important that could help treat anxiety.

http://articles.merc...ing-method.aspx

It's called the Buteyko Breathing Method. I haven't read the whole article at the time I posted this, but it seems absolutely vital in treating anxiety symptoms. It's even covered in the Linden Method manual.

This part of the article should be of interest:

Breathing Exercise to Quell Panic Attacks and Anxiety

 

Another breathing exercise that can help if you’re experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, or if you feel very stressed and your mind can’t stop racing is the following: Take a small breath into your nose; a small breath out; hold your nose for five seconds in order to hold your breath, and then release to resume breathing. Breathe normally for 10 seconds. Repeat the sequence: Small breath in through your nose; small breath out; hold your breath for five seconds, then let go and breathe normally for 10 seconds. This sequence helps retain and gently accumulate carbon dioxide, leading to calmer breathing and reduces anxiety. In other words, the urge to breathe will decline as you go into a more relaxed state.

Last night I went to the gym, got home, unplugged both my laptop and my TV, and went to bed. Not only did I sleep well, but my dream was surprisingly coherent. I wonder what helped me sleep better, the gym or just unplugging stuff. I am more likely to lean towards to gym, but the lack of any electrical activity in my room might have helped the quality of my dream too.

I just read somewhere that it is not enough to simply turn off electronic appliances, but you have to unplug them as well. Apparently this is because some appliances still emit electricity even when they're turned off, which is why they are given the term "vampire appliances". Does anyone know if this is true, and if so, how much does it affect sleep?

At this point, it's no secret that I suffer from insomnia. Even when I do get any sleep, it's never deep enough to feel truly restorative. For any dreamers on this forum, what do you do to promote better sleep? I tried melatonin pills, but that didn't work. I also make sure to turn off all electric appliances in my room, but that doesn't dent my insomnia much. Any chamomile tea I buy isn't potent enough to put me to sleep, so I often have to use three or four bags in one cup. What other methods should I try to promote better sleep?

I can barely get any quality sleep at all, let alone lucid dream. Even when I go to bed at a good time, I still wake up too early to have any real dreams, and then I can't get back to sleep. I have a dream journal, but how can I use it to record dreams when I barely have any at all? As I type this, it's 5:30 in the morning, and I went to bed at midnight. I should create a thread for better sleep.

You can find the videos on YouTube, just type Charles Linden in the search bar and you should see them. Between you and me, you can also... ahem... "torrent" the Linden Method, but you won't have access to the support staff to help you with the material. I'm sure there are cheaper programs out there, but the Linden Method is the most promising one I see so far. I also hear there are books by Claire Weekes that could help, but I only heard about her just today. If I find any useful PDF files, I'll be sure to post them here.

It's good to get a proper diagnosis, but be aware that most therapists will simply prescribe medication to you, which isn't the first solution you should try out. I believe the first things anxiety sufferers should try are cardiovascular exercise and dietary changes. Cut out the caffeine and eat foods that support feelings of good health for your body and mind. Foods I would recommend are complex carbohydrates and foods rich in antioxidants. I hear chamomile tea is very good for anxiety too, but I have only tried cheap brands you can find at various supermarkets. I don't know how effective specialty brands are, so feel free to give them a try if you have the money.

Also keep in mind that uncertainty about your condition is in and of itself a sign of an anxiety condition. Anxiety breeds uncertainty, and uncertainty stints your ability to fully articulate your feelings. If you get an anxiety diagnosis from your therapist, refrain from looking for further confirmation of your condition and actively look for solutions instead. Most therapists have never suffered from an anxiety disorder, so all they can do is just give you "coping" techniques instead of a permanent solution.

Ex-sufferers have a better chance at understanding our condition more than therapists do, and ex-sufferers do exist. I know anxiety and panic attacks are treatable, I just haven't found the solution yet. I see a lot of promising looking programs created by ex-sufferers, but most of them cost money for some reason or another. The Linden Method, for example, seems to be popular with a lot of people, I just haven't been able to afford it. Charles Linden seems to know what he's talking about though, so I would give his videos on anxiety a look.

Hmm... I don't want to alarm you, but you could have an anxiety disorder. It's either that or you simply have problems with your self-image. Then again, maybe that's the root of all anxiety disorders.

From what I can tell from your post, you are articulate and you have great empathy for others, not wanting to dump your problems unto everyone else. I know people don't often want to hear about other people's problems, but the world is so full of problems that it's impossible to ignore. I say that if we want to stop hearing about problems, then we should do everything in our power to fix them first. It's as simple as that.

Out of curiosity, what sensations do you experience during panic attacks? I mostly experience shortness of breath and racing thoughts. Everyone experiences different sensations during panic attacks, so don't be worried if your sensations aren't the same as mine.

What about Eggman? While he's portrayed as a goofy villain, he's not stupid nor slow. Then again, Puffy might be Eggman if Christmas NiGHTS is anything to go by.

I decided to make this thread with TRiPPY's permission because I'm often too weary to talk about my problems online. I'll make an exception here because this could be a learning experience with those who currently suffer from an anxiety disorder. Whether it be generalized anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, insomnia, or everything in between, I'm sure we can all engage in meaningful dialogue about our condition.

Personally, I've been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks for the past three years, and I have found little relief. I have only been able to find short term relief through intense exercise, and that's it. I tried a couple anti-depressants but they didn't work at all, and while benzos such as Xanax provide temporary relief, they don't get rid of the problem entirely. Plus, they negatively affect your digestive system, so it's not recommended to stay on them for too long.

Does anyone else here have any experience with anxiety? If you are a current or ex-sufferer, please feel free to share your thoughts or advice.

I've had some good, some bad. I've been going to college and raising my GPA out of hope that I'll get a job at the college. I think Lab Student Aid would look good on my resume, don't you think. As for anything else, I'm thinking of starting a YouTube gaming show, but I don't want to do just standard Let's Play videos. I'd like to do something new and funny that would express my love for games and how they enriched my childhood. I'd also like to master lucid dreaming one day because, while video games are good, I need something deeper in my life right now. I'd like to go on new adventures that go beyond the restrictions of software programming and hardware limitations.

As for the bad... well, to put it short, I've been suffering from an anxiety disorder for three years and I have yet to find the solution. I tried medication, supplements, exercise, talk therapy, yoga, as well as just ignoring it, but to no avail. I'm not sure if this is even the place to talk about such things, but I would appreciate any advise from current or ex-sufferers of anxiety. Should I create a new thread about this here, or should I keep it to PM?

Could this be Jackle's first appearance in anything ever since the original NiGHTS into Dreams, or has he made cameos in various Sonic games along NiGHTS himself? I think he's on one of the NiGHTS pinball cards in Sonic Adventure.

The way Sega paired each Nightmaren with one of the Deadly Six confuses me. For example, why does the fat yellow one get Wizeman and not the red leader guy? I guess green girl and Clawz makes sense, as does the blue goth kid and Jackle, but I think the tall purple guy would go better with Jackle given their manic personalities. Also, who is Reala going to get paired with if not one of the Deadly Six? Perhaps Eggman or some other foe in the game. If it's Metal Sonic or Shadow, I'd be fine with that too.

LOL Duplex, your nag made me feel superguilty to get this done this week. SO give yourself a thank you from me, thank you. All bloody day me and Myst have been at this haha. But it's all up now, so I'll just let people get homely again before I start tweaking the rest

*boogie*

 

I'm still needing to get a wired controller so i can play my copy of NiGHTS on Steam.

 

.... I wonder if there's like a seperate league for NiD Steam keyboard users.

If you have a PS3 or Xbox 360 controller, you can just download a program that let's you use those controllers on your PC, provided it has USB ports. I'd recommend Better DS3. Just don't bother with MotioninJoy's DS3.

I know I'm reviving a dead topic here, but I'm interested in keeping a dream journal for the purpose of having lucid dreams in the future. Before I do so, I have a couple questions I have to ask.

1.) Can dream journals be digital? I ask because I can type much faster than I write. I often have things to do in the morning, so I barely have enough time to write things down.

2.) If I am to go digital, where would be the best place to keep a digital dream journal? I'm wondering if there's a good website for that, or if I should just create a new Word file and go from there.

Out of curiosity, did something I say in the frontpage comments contribute to this forum's return? If so, I feel just a bit awesome right now.

I'm happy to see that this site is still active. I admit, I stopped visiting it once the initial hype for NiD HD wore off, but my renewed interest in lucid dreaming has caused me to come back. The Sonic Lost World news also helped matters. I'm also digging the background, it's quite nice.

To many complaints about the controller issue...I lived just fine trough it and so can you.