Troubling sleep issue: Therapy questions and answers

As a therapist to people with chronic illness and chronic pain, I hear a lot of questions about sleep. While I hope to write more about sleep in future posts, I’ve answered one of these questions here today. And if you’re looking for a therapist for support with your medical conditions, sleep problems, or both, click here to get started working with me.

Question: Sometimes when I’m in bed, I see shadows out of the corner of my eye. Sometimes I see other weird stuff too, like sea creatures or giant spiders on the ceiling above my bed. While this is happening, sometimes I hear weird stuff too, like humming and buzzing. And a couple of times, it's felt like an earthquake or tornado hit while I was lying in bed, but then there was nothing about it on the news afterward. Do I have schizophrenia?

Answer: That sounds really intense, and you were probably pretty scared when it happened. I'm glad you're asking about it! And chances are good that you don't have schizophrenia. It does sound like you may be having sleep hallucinations (referred to as either hypnagogic or hypnopompic, depending on whether you're going to sleep or waking up), which are common and not necessarily problematic, even though they can be very alarming at the time. (You can learn more about them here.) Even though they aren’t dangerous, they’re usually not a lot of fun. One thing that usually helps is to make sure you’re only going to bed when you’re really, truly sleepy (meaning that you can’t keep your eyes open and you’re having trouble staying awake). If you feel fatigued (slowed down, heavy, and perhaps sore or achy), it’s often better to rest in a chair or on the couch until you feel better rather than going to bed to try to sleep. Sometimes eating or drinking can help to reduce fatigue too (although this is not true for everyone), but food and drink usually won’t energize you if you are actually sleepy.

Christy Reichert, MSW, LICSW/LCSW, is a feminist, disability-justice oriented therapist specializing in helping professional women who live with chronic illness and/or chronic pain in Oregon and Washington state. Learn how to become a client by clicking here.

Top 3: Therapy questions and answers

Hi, there! You clicked this link because you have questions about therapy, but you’re nervous about asking them. But chances are if you’re wondering, then someone else is too. In this post, I’ll address some of the most common questions I’ve heard over the years as a therapist. (Besides, of course, “where’s the bathroom?”—that one is pretty important too!) And if you have a question about therapy that I haven’t answered here, please feel free to ask here.)

OK, on to the questions!

Question 1: What am I supposed to talk about?

Answer: Anything you want! With the right therapist for you, there is no topic that’s off-limits. You will generally get the most out of your time in therapy if you address topics that affect you personally. And a skilled therapist can help you discover new insights about yourself while discussing just about any topic.

Question 2: Should I even be in therapy? Other people have it worse than me; I don’t want to waste your time.

Answer: You are absolutely not wasting my time! While, for various reasons, not everyone who needs therapy can access it, I believe that everyone who wants therapy should get therapy. For some people, that means sessions twice a week to get help for suicidal thoughts. For others, it means once a month to check in and keep yourself on track. Therapy can help people cope with serious problems, like psychosis or mania; with more “ordinary” things, like going through a breakup or starting a new career; and with everything in between. Going to therapy can be great self-care. Beyond problems related to access (financial, location, etc.), the only reason to NOT try therapy is because you don’t want to try therapy.

Question 3: What’s the point in coming every week and complaining? Talking about it won’t make my [chronic illness/disability] go away.

Answer: That’s true—no amount of talking can cure most diseases, and many conditions have no cure. Another truth: NOT talking about your pain won’t make it go away either. And sometimes, with the right therapist, talking about it can help a lot, even though it’s not a cure. Also, while you might think of it as complaining, what you’re actually doing is expressing your emotions. If you try keep them bottled up inside, they’ll find a way out anyway. By sharing them in a safe place with someone you trust (and that takes time to build, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t immediately trust your therapist), you can often use them to make something beautiful.

Christy Reichert, MSW, LICSW/LCSW, is a feminist, disability-justice oriented therapist specializing in helping professional women who live with chronic illness and/or chronic pain in Oregon and Washington state. Learn how to become a client by clicking here.