Terrible Morning

Right now, I should be at work making money for my family, but yet I find myself laying in my bed, thoughts racing like flashing images of an old film, and my feet without feeling because of the panic I awoke in. I can't keep doing this, my heart is growing weaker with every attack, my mind is slowly turning to mush, and I'm just overly exhausted by my "craziness". The woman ive been writing about, my mother, was normal and the older she got the worse things got for her. I fear that is the path that I am unfortunately on, and I am terrified that my wife will eventually give up on me and leave, because the stress will grow to be too much to take.

[Sober2007]

Hey man. I think I understand what you are going through. Waking up right into the anxiety, thoughts racing, overwhelmed by it all, hard to get going to work - everything compounding upon everything else with fear and a sense of guilt mixed in. It's very important for us to have a strategy to deal with this. Here's what I do based on what others have suggested:

1) I immediately use deep breathing exercises to calm my mind and body down. I breathe in through my nose slowly, hold it for a few seconds, and breathe out through my mouth. The important thing is to breathe from the diaphragm instead of the upper chest. This will help your mind and body know you are not in imminent danger. Look this up online to learn exactly how to do it.

2) While I'm doing this, I use positive affirmations to remind myself that I can and will be OK in a little while. I say things to myself like "I am a human being and God's child," "I am worthy of love," "I am capable of getting through this," etc. I also pray, asking for God to remove the fear and anxiety so that I can be more useful to others.

3) I get up and start doing things one at a time to the best of my ability, continuing to focus on proper breathing. I give myself enough time to take a walk before I head to work, because exercise is a very key component of feeling better. If you can do even more physical exercise, that's even better.

4) I use an app called Pacifica on my phone to check in about how I'm feeling, to do short meditation exercises, and to log my feelings and my progress. Most everything on there can be used for free. There are other apps out there as well.

5) I see a therapist for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) once a week to address my negative thinking and learn to change it. I also work on practicing mindfulness. I take my medications as prescribed and tell the doctor exactly what I'm experiencing.

6) I continue to visit this site regularly and learn as much as I can about my condition and how to address the symptoms. I have seen over and over again now that the symptoms will pass if I accept it for what it is, take a few simple actions to calm myself, and continue living my life no matter what. You can do this. I know you can.

I've found it very helpful to read and try to put into action what two other users have written about all this: Beevee and Jeff1943. Look them up, read their posts.

And spend an hour listening to this talk by Dr. Claire Weekes:

youtube.com/watch?v=MHr4a71...(Not working as expected?)

[healthkick1973]

Today we’re relaxing all of the pressure we put on ourselves on a daily basis and we’re awarding ourselves for the little things. Well done for acknowledging your panicked state this morning and there is nothing to be ashamed of when feeling overwhelmed! You’re recognising the condition that is paralysing your thoughts which is a great step to take.

You then panic about not being able to get up for work, provide, etc., BUT we’re not thinking about the future; we’re thinking about today and today alone.

You’ve found the strength within you to to not let it consume you entirely, and instead shared your thoughts this morning with us which is massively brave. I’m proud of you for getting this far, and by the looks of things your wife is very supportive and would not have married you if she felt burdened by your struggles. The truth of the matter is that sharing these experiences with her will bring you two closer; meaning you can overcome the anxiety together.

I’m thinking about you today, and just know that I’m proud of you. Keep doing the little things ❤️