People suffering from anxiety often feel worried, nervous, uneasy or foreboding on a day-to-day basis, and these feelings can interfere with them living and enjoying a normal day-to-day life.
After suffering ongoing insomnia for eight months and having tried numerous herbal/over-the-counter/prescribed medications with no relief, 44-year-old Joe* from Perth searched online for natural insomnia remedies and discovered Blissiree Pty Ltd – which ultimately changed his life.
With assistance and support from BWS, Joe was able to uncover the root cause of his insomnia (anxiety), and seek freedom from the suffering of ongoing insomnia and anxiety. Joe shares with us his story below.
What was the biggest trigger of your mental health issues (anxiety, depression, anger or something else)?
My biggest trigger for anxiety started about a year after a long term relationship break-up. I was in a 15-year relationship which ended abruptly without warning. A few other issues also contributed, such as a car accident and some workplace incidents.
What issues in your life do you feel most contributed towards your emotional wellbeing?
My family and friends are a big support in my life. However, during my relationship, my friendships diminished. Moving away from family may also have contributed to having a lower sense of emotional wellbeing. I like having people around me and being able to get feedback from those around me.
Which area of your life was most affected by your mental health? What did it stop you from doing or achieving?
When my anxiety started, it caused insomnia which lasted up to eight months. I was able to function at work, but the lead up each day to going home was painful. I found it difficult to actually go home knowing that when I did get home to an empty house it was going to be tough, which in turn increased my anxiety. The anxiety increased my thoughts about not being able to sleep, which made my heart pound.
I suppose after fifteen years of living with someone and then it ending was hard going. I basically felt the grief associated with the loss of someone in my life, and was trying to rebuild and move on but didn’t know where to start. It was difficult to do simple things at home, such as clean the house or cook a meal. These are the things that my anxiety stopped me from doing. Going to work was my release – six to eight hours of not having to be all alone or think about home life.
Can you describe the feelings and thoughts you experienced?
I had mixed thoughts and feelings, but my best description would be a sense of loss, pretty much the same feeling I had when I lost my father. Heavy grief at the loss of a relationship, a companion and a lifetime. ‘A waste of time’ (fifteen years) was my initial thought process, but I have since been able to be more positive. I felt emptiness, hopelessness and what is the point in doing anything when this cycle is a constant with no end.
What was the tipping point that made you speak up about how you were feeling and seek professional help?
In the end it was the insomnia. I was sleeping up to only one hour per night, night after night, for so long. I couldn’t bare it anymore after trying so many other options. The constant brain chatter at night and the feeling of doom leading up to bed time. The horror associated with insomnia, the emotional torment and the thought of evil within me, that I was such a bad person that didn’t deserve to be happy ever again.
How did you hear about BWS?
As most people do, I looked to the internet for remedies for insomnia. I was having a concoction of different things from herbal tea, ashwagandha, magnesium, Sleep Ezy herbal tablets, relaxants, OTC sleeping medication, prescribed medication and so on. Nothing helped at all. I googled natural insomnia remedies and came across the BWS. As I was looking on the site, an automatic chat box popped up. I thought ‘What have I got to lose?’ – so I started the chat with the consultant, I was ready for anything. Within an hour, someone from BWS called me and we discussed my options.
What questions did you have before first contacting Terri / BWS?
Basically I only had one question and that was simply ‘How can I sleep?’
Why did you decide to try and give BWS a shot?
After trying everything else including prescribed medication to sleep, I made a commitment to give BWS a go and hopefully have a release from this nightmare (well there was no nightmare in fact, as I wasn’t sleeping).
Can you explain the process of going through the BWS Emotional Empowerment Program from the first session until now?
With no medication or shock therapy, the process was simple:
- Answer some questions on some forms and find out where you are at mentally and emotionally.
- Relax and listen to music while the therapist does their thing in the background.
- Shift from the mental and emotional state you are in to a better, more controlled state.
Basically that is it. From the first session till now I grew emotionally. My anxiety started to lift immediately, I was relaxed, my heart stopped pounding, my head stopped chatting and I actually changed my way of thinking. It took ten sessions in total, but I must admit I knew it was working for me from the get-go. I’m a pretty sceptical person, but I truly believe that in a remarkable way, the BWS has since changed me 100% without a doubt.
How did you feel after your first BWS session?
From the first session, I felt liked a changed person. I was relieved of the pressure I had surrounding me. In actual fact, I couldn’t even remember why I went to BWS in the first place. The awful thoughts in my head started to diminish and it was quite difficult to access them in my head after the first session. It was like the top of my head was lifted, the evils were removed and I was closed up again without being able to find them once more.
How did you feel after each session? Did you experience different emotions / feelings / relief after particular sessions?
After each session I got better and better, to the extent that I fell asleep on many occasions at the sessions. There were a couple of sessions that I was able to have clear or no thoughts while relaxing. I was just able to think about what I wanted to think about and not the past.
How many sessions did it take before you felt the real impact?
I had impact after the very first session. In fact, that very first night, I slept the best I had in six months. I slept more than five hours, after running on zero to one hours of sleep before my first session.
Did you feel additional affects in the days or weeks after you’d completed the program? Please describe any.
After completing the program, I have been able to stay on top of my thoughts and emotions. I only react if something affects me and I need to react. I am sleeping amazingly well right now – up to seven or eight hours per night. If I do get a bad night, then I don’t allow it to affect me, I just let it go and don’t get stressed. I think I have learnt a new way to deal with my stress and anxiety. I don’t even have any at the moment.
What specific tools, lessons or techniques has the program taught you that have helped control your mental health and emotional wellbeing?
I have been able to let things go, not take things to heart. One major technique I have learnt is to say to myself: ‘How does this issue affect me? Does it directly affect me?’ and if it doesn’t, then move on. I am honest with myself and take the time to reflect on things I’ve said and done.
What would you say to anyone suffering from what you suffered?
‘Call BWS’ is what I have recommended to anyone that is going through something similar to me. It’s worth a shot, and if it doesn’t work, then you will find something that does. I now know that my relief from insomnia came from BWS, my insomnia was a symptom of my anxiety and my anxiety was caused by my trigger. So it makes sense to work backwards and end up with relief.
What would you say to someone sceptical about whether a program like BWS can help them?
I would say ‘Hey, I’m the biggest sceptic, I gave it a go after trying everything else and it 100% worked for me. Before it’s too late, call BWS, it will change your life’.
It is not uncommon for sufferers of insomnia to be struggling with an underlying mental health illness such as anxiety, and conversely, anxiety symptoms can worsen with a lack of quality sleep.
Observing that you are struggling and reaching out to family and friends for support is a great place to start. However, going a step further and seeking professional help is very important in your journey to recovery from mental illness, and can help you to get to the root of the problem, as was the case for Joe with the cause of his insomnia. Contact Blissiree Pty Ltd today for friendly, professional help for insomnia and/or anxiety.
*name changed for privacy purposes