Anxiety and depression worse in the morning

Hi...does anyone find that their anxiety and depression is worse in the morning? As the day goes on I feel ‘better’ and my the time I go to bed I almost feel normal. What is that all about? Thanks

[LilyAnnepuppy]

During my breakdown (when the depression/anxiety was at its worst, I woke up TERRIFIED of the day. My psychiatrist prescribed Xanax and I’d have to take one to get out of bed. Then the depression would set in severely and I’d end up back in bed in a fetal position. And, yes, around 7pm I’d feel somewhat better and hope the day was just a bad dream The next day it would start all over again. Thankfully through counseling and meds I am in the light at the tunnel’s end. Hang in there a day at a time. Keep posting and let us know how you’re feeling. Lynne

[Hidden in reply to LilyAnnepuppy]

How long did this last. I’m experiencing this now. I have multiple panic attacks before I have to get up for class

[LilyAnnepuppy in reply to Hidden]

It took a while for the psychiatrist to find the correct medication. And even when he did, it took 6-8 weeks to work. Hopefully you are getting professional help. I couldn’t have gotten better without it. Lynne

[Need2feelbetter2 in reply to LilyAnnepuppy]

Lily

Your posts to me in the last few weeks have been helpful. I am glad to know you are feeling better. It gives me hope. I pray for all the people going through this wretched illness.

Thank you for your previous message. I'm sad to see so many people going through this.

[LilyAnnepuppy in reply to Need2feelbetter2]

I’m sure they’re more than we can imagine. Mental disease stinks.

[Need2feelbetter2]

Return ,

Yes. I absolutely feel the same way. Mornings are my worst. I have major depression , anxiety and agoraphobia. This is my 4th bout of it in 23 years. I never wanted to be in this place of darkness again.

I'm on citalopram. - just upped the dose to 30 mg. Which worked the last 2 times. And I pray to God it does again.

I dont know about you - but I dont know what "normal" feels like anymore. I'm very scared to feel what normal is. Which makes no sense to me. You would think that feeling good would be something that doesnt scare me so much. But, maybe it's because I've been so down, depressed anxious, irritated for so long that I dont know how to handle not feeling that way. It was a way of life.

Please know you are not alone in the way that you feel. I know that doesnt take away the anxiety or the depression. But know there are people who can relate. I am one of them. Please stay in touch. There are alot of people here that support each other. Sometimes the people in our lives dont understand what we are going through. Many of us on here do. Everyone is at different stages in their illness. So someone can usually relate and the ones who are ahead of us un our recovery can and are a blessing.

[Hidden in reply to Need2feelbetter2]

You sound exactly like me! I don’t know what normal is and I am not sure I ever will. May I send you a personal message?

[Need2feelbetter2 in reply to Hidden]

I'm not sure if I ever will either. I'm trying g to figure out what it is. Trying to make it through each day and try to find some peace in my mind. The evenings are the only time I can find glimpses of peace. I try to play my online app word games on my phone to try to take my mind off of the depression and anxiety. It switches from one to another throughout the day. Are you taking any medication, Return?

[Hidden in reply to Need2feelbetter2]

Yes...I take Prozac and abilify. You?

[Jeff1943]

Returntonormal9, anxiety on waking is quite common. I used to believe that it was because levels of the hormone cortisol peak at about 8a.m. and too much cortisol can cause anxiety.

It is said that L-Thianine that is contained in green tea counters cortisol. I have tried it myself as green tea or concentrated in tablet form. The latter I found ineffectual, a cup of green tea on waking may be helpful.

However, the best explanation of early morning anxiety in my opinion was given by Claire Weekes who wrote that whilst asleep we are relatively calm and relaxed but on waking we are suddenly faced with the fact that another troublesome day is about to begin and anxiety kicks in.

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand because we get depressed about feeling so anxious.

Although morning anxiety is a horrible, even frightening, experience it cannot harm you physically. We think we've developed heart failure, stroke or cancer. Or we have strange feelings and thoughts. But it's only our anxiety working over time. Anxiety thrives on fear, the more fear we feed our anxiety the longer it persists.

Through understanding and reassurance you can lose your fear of anxiety. That's a major step towards losing your anxiety itself. So how do you restore your quiet mind and recover from the nervous exhaustion that anxiety brings?

If you agree to accept the symptoms of your anxiety for the time being, agree to co-exist with it for the moment, you generate less fear hormone for a start. Remember fear is what nourishes anxiety whatever time of day it strikes.

You stop fighting your anxiety if you agree to accept it: fighting only creates more stress and strain and makes things worse. Fighting your anxiety is the worst thing you can do.

The next worst thing is staying in bed stewing about the negative impact of anxiety. Make sure you get 8 hours sleep but then rise and get on with your day. The symptoms of anxiety will still be there so it gives you a chance to practice acceptance. Just switch onto automatic pilot and float through the day.

Instead of concentrating on the fake symptoms of anxiety (like health anxiety, social anxiety, agoraphobia, strange thoughts and feelings, derealisation, muscular tension, visual disturbances) concentrate on the cause i.e. the anxiety itself.

If you practice acceptance long enough then with persistence your sensitised nerves return to their normal state and your symptoms will resolve.

That means you will wake to greet the dawn, which is how it should be. So long as you take an active role in your recovery through acceptance 24/7.

You now have understanding, reassurance and a road plan for recovery. I wish you God's speed in your great endeavour to recover your quiet mind.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

Wooow

Just read your message

I so wish I could do this

I too wake with anxiety and panic which lasts till evening time

I am currently on citrapram 10mg was on 40 last year but anxiety came back

Inbetween I swapped to sertraline which didn’t help now back on sert and Diaz

I have lost weight and feel no pleasure in life

Feel so alone and scared xxx

[Jeff1943 in reply to Hidden]

Tyson1-3, I don't know much about meds but what I was describing is the method for respite and recovery from anxiety and depletion devised by Doctor Claire Weekes many years ago. It is based on accepting the symptoms for the time being thereby not adding second fear to the flash of first fear. It is fear that keeps our nervous system over sensitised, if we stop feeding our nerves with fear then the days of our anxiety disorder are numbered.

Doctor Weekes claimed that everybody could recover from anxiety disorder using her method if they were willing to practice acceptance with persistence and were willing to let time pass.

Weekes died many years ago and her biography has just been pubished: the title 'The woman who cracked the anxiety code' says it all. An emeritus professor of psychiatry at a New York University claims she helped "tens of millions to recover". She was nominated for a Nobel Prize for service to psychiatry.

She wrote many books but the first is the one that explains her method in easy language in one slim volume. Many people who read it feel that Weekes must have known then personally.

The book was published in the U.K. as 'Self help for your nerves" and in the U.S. as "Hope and help for your nerves" but it's the same book. It's available new or used from Amazon or used from Ebay for a few ďï. Tyson1-3, if you only read one more book in your life this is that book.

[Hidden in reply to Jeff1943]

Thank u I will do x

[GeGe2002]

i noticed i get up like that too where i got to force myself out of bed and now im starting a routine to help keep my mind track hope this help u too.... GeGe2002