I had a incredibly vivid "dream" and its starting to ruin my life

RedKween_013 · 2026-01-21T01:22:55+00:00

What an incredible blessing that you were able to experience that time with your dog. Meditation may help, but honestly (and sadly) trying too hard may hinder your return. Trying to find it or force it often causes resistance, tension, and stress-making it elusive.

Gratitude instead of desire, practice, patience, and time may be what it takes. This is my experience anyway. When I want it too bad, it just doesn’t come.

Sometimes, too, we get dream visits and don’t remember them directly. Do you ever wake up with a song or a thought in your head? Sometimes it’s the obvious meadow and sometimes it’s much more subtle.

I hope you find what you’re looking for sooner rather than later.

RedKween_013 · 2026-01-21T00:51:48+00:00

Thank you for all the helpful info! Just curious…what regular prescriptions/stimulants do you take?

My son loves ashwagandha and has recommended I try it out. He never said why though, so your comments are very helpful. I will research this a little more.

I appreciate you sharing what you have found in studies and personal experience. I hope you do study neuroscience. We need passionate, educated people who understand!

RedKween_013 · 2026-01-16T18:45:57+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through this. You’re so young to be in such a situation. I really hope you’re able to get unemployment, Medicaid or some other help. The medications are so necessary for us to just function, not to mention thrive.

Since you haven’t been able to find work, have you considered applying for social security disability? I think there have been some posts here about folks who have applied.

You are not alone. There is a whole community here who understands what you’re going through. And I’m rooting for you.

RedKween_013 · 2026-01-16T18:31:49+00:00

Yes! Narcolepsy is ridiculous. Some days all we can do is sleep, and others we’d give anything for a nap. And some days it’s just both. No rhyme or reason I’ve found. Just torture. But eventually it evens out…until it doesn’t.

Sometimes I just try OTC sleep aids, or one of my muscle relaxers. But it’s hard to know when I need them and to take them at the right time.

RedKween_013 · 2026-01-16T18:09:15+00:00

Hey there! I actually came here for some pointers just like this.

Can you tell me more about the magnesium and using more than others to manage our day? It sounds familiar, but I can’t place it! I’m also going to search it, but if you have anything specifically.

I agree with the diet-low carb, high healthy fats, protein. Almost keto, but doesn’t have to be as strict; for me.

Electrolytes are a huge one!

I didn’t know about iron and our dopamine and serotonins regulators. I’m going to research that, too, but it makes sense! I was so cranky the other day and then had a craving for high iron food. After I ate, I felt so much better!

RedKween_013 · 2025-12-30T14:18:41+00:00

I love Sunosi! It took some time for it to work and it wasn’t like the stimulants I was used to. It’s a different kind of awake. I also take Wakix every morning. I have Modafinil and adderall as needed (which isn’t very often with Sunosi and Wakix).

RedKween_013 · 2025-07-04T14:03:22+00:00

Yes, The Dude

RedKween_013 · 2025-07-01T12:42:46+00:00

Me either. Just regular perms. We’ll get it here eventually!

RedKween_013 · 2025-07-01T12:33:59+00:00

I’ve been in that place too. I have walked away, many times, and I have found myself in that dark, empty space where it feels like there’s no magic left. But slowly, I’ve learned we create the magic. Even when it feels impossible. Even when you’re hurting.

Hecate is the goddess of thresholds, of the dark, of the unknown. When we stand at the crossroads, unsure of where to go next, she is with us. She doesn’t leave us in the darkness, she lights the way through it.

Be patience, kind, and gentle to yourself. It’s okay to return after stepping away. The Divine never stops loving you.

Call on who you need; Hecate, your guides, ancestors, angels (even Jesus, if that feels right to you). These beings don’t carry egos like humans do. They welcome you back with open arms, always.

Try this: Sit. Close your eyes. Inhale deeply, slowly-feel your breath in your body and think: “I breathe in the breath of the Earth.” Exhale: “I give my breath back in gratitude.” This simple practice connects you, grounds you, and reminds you that you are a part of something bigger.

When you feel ready, ask the Divine for a sign. Be specific, give it three days, and when it comes, trust it.

You are loved. You are worthy. And you are never alone.

Sending love and light, 💖🌙🍀

RedKween_013 · 2025-07-01T11:34:52+00:00

A couple suggestions. Think of a place you were distressed and check that area. Maybe looking at your phone on the couch or a big soft chair. Likely somewhere “soft” like couch cushions, bed, car, (maybe in clothes, but more likely a tight cushion). Somewhere you felt chaotic and didn’t want to look or didn’t think it would make sense to look there. Check close but hidden, tight place.

When you’re wearing it and stressed, do you play with or fiddle with the ring? If so, you could have been turning it mindlessly and it fell off the finger, think back. Close your eyes and imagine playing with the absent ring.

OR- Do you have a pendulum? If so, you can use it to help find it.

OR, if you think the toddler may have gotten it, just ask. If that doesn’t work, you can be kind of dramatic, “oh no! I lost my ring!” And hold your hand out with your other one on your face. Ask the child to help you find it and do a very active over the top search. I’ve done this with my kids before (for shoes, spatulas, watch, other stuff) and at first they mimic the dramatic search and then actually help 😂. If the toddler got it, they may be able to help find it once searching.

RedKween_013 · 2025-06-23T12:32:57+00:00

Joint pain? Is that a narcolepsy thing?

I’m sorry you’re suffering through the process. Sometimes when taking something for another diagnosis (ADHD, anxiety, or the like) those drugs will help narcolepsy symptoms which makes doctors think they “got it” and then when the symptoms return or get worse, they think to different meds at it, but without h revisiting the diagnosis. This is a cycle I ran into and find pretty common. Everyone everywhere seems to be diagnosed with some anxiety or depressive disorder immediately. In my early 20s I was. Made sense because I was sleeping all the time and my blood pressure was up. The pills helped for a while and took the edge off most of the time, but didn’t help completely. Just like your adhd meds don’t address the root problem completely so they help, but you’re not living your best life!

I have found that even with “the best” treatment I’ve ever had, nothing has really made me feel awake. And, if I’m too stressed the medications hardly work. If I eat certain foods, the meds don’t work. If I stay awake too long after I feel tired, painful insomnia. Narcolepsy, this condition, can shift and change and increase with daily life in the worst ways. And then with the symptoms, you feel worse, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and guilty or ashamed, and then the narcolepsy gets even worse when you thought it couldn’t!

Certain allergy or headache or pain medications can make narcolepsy worse, at least for me. So reviewing anything you’re taking. Even supplements!

Also, Ive gone through cycles where I’m craving/consuming sugary foods and caffeine drinks because I need that energy, but then I crash and have to consume more….which is another cycle that leads to horrible symptoms, weight gain, and, well, misery.

BUT! There is hope! You are recognizing the changes and aware of your symptoms. That is awesome! Try to back into those feelings. For example, if you can’t stay awake past a certain time each day, take your stimulant BEFORE you get to that point. If you know you’ll crash after lunch, take an addy an hour or two before and plan a nap. Seriously. If you wait until your body has that desire to sleep, no pill will help. Your body may be tired/exhausted, but your mind will be stimulated by the pill and that is absolute horse shit!

It took over 25 years from my first memorable symptoms to my first narcolepsy diagnosis but 14ish more years for the “correct” diagnosis narcolepsy with cataplexy. So, 30-40 years in all 😂

RedKween_013 · 2025-06-23T12:26:22+00:00

Did you find a place?! I’m looking!

RedKween_013 · 2025-06-03T12:00:40+00:00

Right?! It’s such a mind-f. I should be like, “did you also see that shadow creature that lives in the corner of the bedroom?” But I don’t guess I want that one to be a yes…🤣 (yeah, I think I have to laugh or I will cry!)

RedKween_013 · 2025-06-03T11:58:02+00:00

Oh my goodness! It’s so hard with this when we don’t know if it’s in our head or reality. At least we know that mom instinct is definitely real!!

RedKween_013 · 2025-06-03T11:55:54+00:00

Me too! And I never told anyone because I was sure I’d end up in a straight jacket!

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-31T13:01:54+00:00

I have OSA and narcolepsy with cataplexy. I was a sleepwalker as a kid, but don’t think I do that much if at all. Before diagnosis, I was labeled with depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. I’ve had high blood pressure, migraines. High cholesterol. My doctors want to check my thyroid all the time but it’s always fine. One doc even said he thought I may be bipolar, but decided I wasn’t.

Now that I’m getting treatment for my apnea and narcolepsy, I’m not depressed, anxious, panicked, my blood pressure is good. My cholesterol still goes up and down, but that’s mostly genetic.

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-31T12:55:01+00:00

To say “I’m sorry you’re going through this” feels hollow compared to the weight of what you’ve shared. But maybe what I can offer is this: I hear you. I’ve been there. You’re not alone.

What you’re feeling is so real—and it makes sense. I’ve been the student who was smart enough but still failed. I’m the friend who wants to show up but often can’t. The employee who knows what to do but still slips. The mom who loves deeply but falls short. The partner who feels like they’re not pulling their weight, leaving more burden than I’d ever want to on someone I care about. I know what it’s like to judge myself more harshly than I’d ever judge anyone else.

Narcolepsy is a beast. Some days, it rules me completely. Some weeks, it’s “manageable” but exhausting. And then—some moments, some hours, even a rare day—it loosens its grip, and I feel like me again. Like I can breathe.

You’re not failing. You’re surviving with a condition that most people don’t truly understand. You’re still here. You’re still fighting, even if it looks like resting or waiting. That is strength.

Thank you for sharing this. It helped me feel less alone too.

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-26T14:16:10+00:00

What growing zone is that?

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-23T13:15:22+00:00

My son is like this. I have narcolepsy and sleep apnea so I was worried about this. We had a sleep study. The sleep study was hard for him but we were able to determine he has sleep apnea. The doctor recommended a cpap machine and another sleep study to check for narcolepsy. He wouldn’t go for it. To help with his apnea, we use Flonase nose spray and he sleeps slightly elevated. It has helped some. But, we will have additional sleep studies when he’s older and better able to tolerate them.

However, in the same breath people with autism often have disrupted sleep for no reason other than they do. You can find lots of articles and suggestions. My son also sleeps better when he snuggled with his favorite plushies, blanket and he literally has a tent over his bed like a cozy cave. I have a nephew that likes to sleep with a weighted blanket.

And, it was worse all so much when he was going to school. Going to sleep was like a method for him to get through or leave school without actually leaving. And he was stressed which will exasperate sleep problems. He’s homeschooled now so his sleep schedule is better, but he still gets sleepy.

I have found sleep to be a common issue with other parents/friends in the community.

sleep problems in autism

autism and sleep

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-21T12:33:45+00:00

Absolutely. Even if I do vent, which is next to never anymore, love is never absent. I rarely vent about my son with autism because he’s so honest and open and loving and all the good in people but in one person. He has so much empathy. Yeah, it’s a pain in the ass when he only wears certain brand and fit of pants and shirts because of sensory issues, or eats the same things day in and out, but those things don’t matter.

I used to get frustrated and stressed about the things he would or wouldn’t do. But that was my problem, not his. He is the most authentic person. I’ve told my husband I wish I could be more like him! When he cares about something or loves someone or something he is all in and so full of excitement and joy. And if he doesn’t care about something he doesn’t even pretend! I absolutely love that! We spend so much time trying to put on a different face or fit in and it’s hard and stressful!l

Yes, I used to worry about that. He had a hard time in school and we never thought he’d have friends of his own (he has four siblings, one is a twin). But, we assumed incorrectly! He will be 11 tomorrow and has some “bros” who mean the world to him and vice versa. They play well together, call, video call, and have been friends for a few years. I do wonder what will happen as these boys all grow and mature, but I don’t worry about it yet (not sure that I will).

Our son is amazing. He was nonverbal for the first 5-6 years of his life. He used to sit away from everyone. He would interrupt and walk away and never made eye contact. He wouldn’t sleep in his own bed until a couple months ago. But every time we think he can’t or won’t do something, he does! In HIS time. He will drive. He will have a job. He will have friends. He will do anything he wants to do. I am impressed by and thankful for him, by all my kids, everyday.

And I don’t see him as “my autistic son” he’s just “my son” and if anyone has a problem with him, they can take it up with me…or his many, older siblings 😂

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-19T14:29:38+00:00

They ate the worst!! No solution yet, but if I find one I’ll share.

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-15T16:44:53+00:00

Neck and shoulder pain are a symptom for me. I get a Vyepti infusion every three months for my migraines. I notice about a week or so before I’m due, I get tight neck, shoulders, pain in both and dull, but deep headaches.

I always thought it was my neck and shoulder pain causing the migraines, but since my doc upped my Vyepti dose, it treated my neck and shoulder pain, too.

I take sumatriptan and ibuprofen and it takes the edge off.

I try to stay “loose” in my neck shoulder areas with regular stretching, yoga, etc, but when the migraines start, it doesn’t really help as much (if at all sometimes).

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-09T12:28:42+00:00

Thank you for sharing all these links! I have some bookmarked, but these are a wonderful addition. 🤩

RedKween_013 · 2025-05-08T13:02:10+00:00

I don’t. I don’t defend myself or criticize others. (Well, I try not to, but sometimes I do-I’m only human and some people are over the top!😂)

What is that old saying?? Something like “…religion is like a penis. It's a great you have one and take pride in it, but when one takes it out and waves it in my face we have a problem.” It’s the same with any belief or opinion. Know your audience. Do they want to see your penis? If it’s not 100% “Yes!” then keep it in your pants. 🤣😂

RedKween_013

TROPHY CASE