Can't sleep. Anyone going to Warped in Milwaukee?

Support
1

I am so utterly exhausted. I must have a ton of cortisol rushing through my body at any given moment. It is almost midnight. And yet, as exhausted as I am, it doesn’t pay to try to sleep because I’m so hyped up on stress/cortisol. My body cannot settle down. Even if the thoughts stop, my body physiologically is so messed up from this stress, I still can’t sleep. I’m so sick of living like this.

I just want to look forward to Warped Tour. At the time I signed up to volunteer with Heart Support, I thought I might be living in the Milwaukee area, so signed up to volunteer there. (But it turns out I’m not living there.) And like I previously said, I’m going to make a weekend of it and hopefully see a friend who lives in Chicago who I think will drive up. I would be so much less stressed if I had done Minneapolis cause I am more comfortable driving there, I’ve been to the venue, you don’t have to pay for parking, and I know that finding a parking spot won’t be an issue cause there is enough parking for everyone to park in the festival grounds. (A friend of mine who lives near Milwaukee said parking is a hassle. If I can’t park close to the venue, I have massive anxiety about the possibility of having to walk to my car alone in the dark. Now I just feel more stressed that I have to navigate this situation, Now I have to figure out where a park and ride is - if there is one for Warped.) Plus Minneapolis is on a Sunday so even though it’s a big city traffic probably wouldn’t be bad. But then again, I have a free place to stay about a 35 minutes away from Milwaukee, so that was kind of the driving force to go to Milwaukee instead.

I can’t settle down.

If anyone lives near Milwaukee/has been to the venue and/or is volunteering with Heart Support there, maybe if you talked with me it’d help. Make me more excited than stressed and anxious.

There’s other uncertainties and stresses in my life as well. Which, just with the build up of everything, I think is making other stresses more stressful. (Including things that may not otherwise be, like Warped!) I just didn’t need something that is supposed to be awesome (and WILL BE once I’m there!) to be yet one more thing to stress me out.

These days, I seem to stress more and more about things that come to pass and end up turning out okay. I just wish my body and thoughts would calm down. I used to be so carefree, independent, and adventurous. But chronic anxiety/stress/anhedonia have stolen that from me…:cry:

2

Hey friend,

I’m sorry that you have to struggle like this, I know how hard it can be.

I know how it feels to not be able to sleep- and I think you are aware of that somewhat; the other day you were there for me when I was breaking down and couldn’t sleep and I truly appreciate that. That meant so much to me.

I am sadly not going to the Milwaukee Warped date- but what I will say is I understand how you feel, you are loved and cared about no matter what, you are important and valued. I believe in you.

Hold fast.

With love,
Lyss (your old pal Blurryface)

3

Hey @NomadicWanderer!

First off, thanks for posting here and volunteering for HS at Warped!
Sadly, I’m actually doing the Minneapolis date, but I’m sure Milwaukee will be awesome!

I completely understand you on the anxiety stealing the joy out of things most of the time.
Anxiety is the worst. One of the things my therapist taught me was 4-Square breathing- breathe in 4 sec, hold 4 secs, breathe out 4 sec, hold 4 seconds, repeat. It helps me a lot when I feel anxious. Maybe you find it helps you too.

I hope you have the greatest time at Warped!

Hold Fast,
-SJ

4

Hey @NomadicWanderer,

I just want to link you to my post on your other thread since it deals with a similar topic. :slight_smile: I hope it helps! You’re going to have a GREAT time at Warped! I’m so jealous!

-Eric