Doctors never take me seriously! I've been suffering unnecessarily

[~Trish~]

Oh my goodness, I had no idea it happened to other people too! I have had what Hoobley and Lulu described happen to me numerous times. I have "woken" to feel an unseen force holding me down and I am paralysed and can't call out, a week or so ago I thought DH was holding the doona over my head and I couldn't move to push him off. I just scream and scream in my head until I snap out of it. I didn't realise it has a name!

I hope you get to see the sleep specialist, I'm really interested to know what they do for you. Sorry you have been going through it for so long and have been ignored .

[Lenny]

I can't believe that the doc didn't refer you - that's just cr@p. Do they think you would go to all the bother of getting an appt and going in and waiting to see them just for giggles. Especially when wiating to see a dr means exposing yourself to a whole bunch of sick people.
I really hope that the clinic can help you, it sounds awful.

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

I had no idea this was so common!! WOW!! Maybe ya'll have narcolepsy too

This Dr was a real piece of work, I told her that I co-sleep with DD and she goes "Well that's a problem in itself" wtf? I'm going to make a complaint against her, I rekon.

I used to have ways to snap myself out of it, Lulu, but they all stop working after a while. Holding my breath used to work but it doesn't seem to much these days. When I try to move or do anything, I tend to *think* i've woken up, then try to get up and realize i'm still alseep. It keeps happening over and over again, like a dream in a dream in dream. Or I'd think I was making slight movements but I actually wasn't, I just thought I was. I used to find tensing my body my body as much as I could would help too, but not anymore.

Since I can't usually wake myself up, I tend to try to stay calm, remind myself that it's just a dream, and think positive thoughts. Like I imagine a bright light around me protecting me, or if there are nasty things attacking me, I imagine myself fighting back. I used to always be terrified that I'd never wake up.
I had a particularly bad one last night, I dreamt that I was being slapped in the face repeatedly. I've had that one before, and I knew what it was, so it wasn't SO bad.

edit: Oh and when I think it's going to happen (like I feel like i'm falling asleep too quickly) I deliberately move a bit to wake myself up. Sometimes I don't realize it until it's too late though.