A Sleep Disorder With Benefits

     

 Healthy sleep is essential to maintaining overall good health.

Missing a couple of nights of sleep can render the best of us dysfunctional throughout ordinary daily activities. In treating any mental condition sleep must be addressed, because a problem here could be the root of whatever the presenting complaint is. The exact reason we require sleep has never been scientifically proven but it is reasonably believed that physiological and psychological restoration and repair occur during sleep. The nervous system is the most complex and interactive system of the body and during waking hours it must constantly be engaged with a constantly changing environment. These changes in the environment are representative of stress which is essential for us to thrive in life but can also be deadly if managed inappropriately or it exceeds coping capacity for too long.

Many people choose the escape of sleep to avoid or evade undesirable circumstances, while others find themselves unable to sleep at all. Lack of sleep is more detrimental to health, in the long run, due to excessive wear and tear on ones nervous system and tendency to worry constantly about things one has no control of whatsoever. At least with excessive sleep as the coping mechanism the individual can escape to dreamland and preserve the body's physiological function until the perceived threat diminishes to a conquerable level.

For many years I've experienced a condition known as sleep paralysis. I had an extended bout last night and feel  very unrested this morning. Sleep paralysis is much like waking up in your grave and being able to do nothing about it. Your body is prepared for sleep so you cannot move a muscle no matter how hard you try. You try to roll over enough to fall off the bed so you can awaken but that too is futile. You try to scream loudly but not a sound escapes your mouth except on occasion a brief random blurb may make it through. Your bed partner or anyone in listening distance will usually find it amusing or totally ignore you, dismissing your behavior as a topic for conversation at some later time. Meanwhile, you are laying there barely able to tremble despite using every ounce of physical effort you posses trying to signal them to shake the hell out of you so you can awaken from this torture. After a few years of experiencing this phenomena it becomes more so a period of dread than torture as you reach a semi conscious state of awareness of what is actually happening to you during the time it is happening. Fortunately, my dreams last night were about childhood friends, being misplaced with the bed spinning out of control, playground competition, and flying kites. The dreams were not especially pleasant but definitely were not nightmares. A nightmare would probably have pushed me over the edge if combined with the paralytic state which seemed to go on for hours.

Unfortunately, there isn't a cure for sleep paralysis. Should you suffer from this disorder, like my cat and me, your best bet is to 1) never sleep alone and carefully and thoroughly 2) train your bed partner to not ignore the situation should they witness you shaking or talking in your sleep. Instruct them to 3) shake you or firmly 4) slap you immediately, and not only will you not be upset with them, you will  owe them all of your gratitude. A sound facial slap in this situation is not abuse or domestic violence but, in my opinion, a life saving maneuver and should your partner harbor any resentment for any past misdeed you may have performed against them they have your full permission and your blessing to right that wrong at this particular time. It will be therapeutic for them. Make sure to get it in writing and make sure you instruct them to give you the opportunity to awaken before popping you again, for that  would be bordering on abuse if they didn't.

When you do awaken you will be so thankful for their action that you, in your semi-hypnotic stupor, will uncontrollably confess anything and everything you have kept secret from your partner. You then should be able to sleep with confidence and security of not being terrorized by sleep paralysis and your partner can be confident of your fidelity. In my never ending search for the metaphorical silver lining, here it must be that sleep paralysis could save your relationship.

Real Life and The Movies

 I try not to make as many entries when the content is likely to be of a depressive nature.

 Even though I'm finding every aspect of my life, at the present time, going in a bad direction I feel pretty good tonight. Maybe because of taking a five day vacation which has been rather enjoyable. My father has been in a hospice facility for the last ten days and I realize he will not return home. This is saddening but right now I'm thankful for these few extra weeks he remained alive. It will be shocking when I learn that he has passed. This I know even though it is expected at any time. I have found the slow dying process of many cancer patients to help with the grieving process more so than many of the rapidly fatal diseases. Part of me dreads returning to work tomorrow.

I spent the evening in the country sitting on the porch with my mother after visiting my dad. I know it was difficult for her to verbalize certain unavoidable topics related to my father's imminent passing. I've always dreaded the thought of having to step in and try taking over certain matters but I knew the day would eventually come. I must face the fact that though I am confident in my clinical skills as a psychiatrist, I have been less than successful in developing all of the necessary business skills to thrive in the world of private practice. I know it will be quite a challenge dealing with managing an estate settlement.

To change the subject, I saw Evan Almighty at the movies yesterday. For a comedy flick I thought it embodied a deep message. I found it to be entertaining and a good family flick. To really appreciate this sequel it's important to have seen the initial Bruce Almighty with Jim Carey and Jennifer Anniston which was more of a love story. Evan Almighty involves the second coming of Noah's Ark with Noah being an extremely reluctant self consumed Congressman who won his campaign on the theme of changing the world.

Once again the role of God is portrayed by veteran actor Morgan Freeman. My favorite parts involved him enlightening certain characters that our prayers are not answered by us receiving literally what we ask for but by opportunities that allow us to experience that which we seek or create it ourselves. The three sons of Steve Carell's Noah found themselves liking the so called crazy behaving Ark building dad much better than the workaholic congressman dad who never spent enough time with them and rarely kept his promises to do things with them due to work obligations. His wife found herself finally happy when she stopped judging him and decided to support him fully, even if there was a chance he could be nuts. The secret to changing the world was revealed by God to be the ARK. Acts of Random Kindness performed one person at a time.

I must honestly admit that I went to the theater to see Michael Moore's Sicko but since it wasn't playing Evan Almighty was my second choice. I have no regrets since I found it to be thoroughly entertaining and worth the ticket price.

Just Thoughts

I'm a bit late making an entry this week due to personal circumstances.

My father has somehow managed to hang on a bit longer under hospice care. I'm able to see this as a bonus since it wasn't expected and I suspect it has been the prayers of others responsible. Work seems to have brought an increase in cases of troubled teens and cases influenced by childhood sexual abuse, neglect, or abandonment. How any man could yield to such behavior is a mystery to me. Nothing troubles me more than seeing a child in distress because of the behavior of an irresponsible adult. At the top of my despicable list will always be unremorseful repeat sexual offenders, deadbeat dads (or moms), and sociopathic crack users. Such behaviors are inexcusable and unacceptable, and in my opinion not part of what is considered mental illness because of such a strong voluntary component to the behavior.

My age has started to show relative to the evolution of thought content and closer consideration of certain views in general I've become accustomed to over the past twenty years. Somehow, my competitive nature has been tamed as the intellectual side has grown more mature. Yet, I still suck at the practical side of the basics of life such as maintaining relationships, house keeping, paying bills on time, etc... It often amazes me how difficult it can be to practice simple principles of living that I often find myself helping others become more enlightened to. My unspoken disclaimer for many patients is to do as I say, not as I do.

It is important as a psychotherapist to maintain the objectivity by keeping your personal life out of sessions. On occasion, with the appropriate patient, I will interject a little humility from my own experiences just to remind them that we all face trials and tribulations in this life and no one is exempt. The only mysteries are when such events shall arrive and what the duration will be. No amount of money, fame, or worldly success can circumvent this fact but such can on occasion temporarily distract ones attention from reality. With age, those of us who choose to accept the accompanying wisdom acquired eventually learn that it is the pain and losses we face in life that deepen the value and meaning of the experience.

There is no proof of what exists on the other side but I believe there must be something so profoundly great that its concealment is required to assure we maintain enough patience to complete our earthly missions. I'm convinced of this through the reality of the existence of eternity and infinity which too require faith because of the finite nature of the human mind. The imaginative potential of the human mind is contained within eternity and infinity making all things indeed possible. Even the most intelligent scientists have begun to accept that a common point exists between the unknown or spiritual world and the discipline of science. For every known fact there are a billion unknowns. Therefore, all facts are relative.

I realize that this discussion could go on indefinitely and still there would be those who would refer to this form of thought as crazy or senseless to them. All are entitled to select their own versions of reality and if I start to care what the doubters and skeptics think then I believe it is at that point I myself do become crazy. My conclusion is that in this life it is really the cumulative effect of our actions and behaviors that have the most value and importance, ultimately. Those actions and behaviors are synonymous with an epitaph that can become immortal for the duration of humanity on earth.