morning panel attacks

[Hoopster1A]

I have been waking up each day in a cold sweat. Today was different. I wasn’t initially feeling that way. I had prepared myself for the possibility that it was going to occur again. When I receive a text message from a close friend, it triggered an episode. I am trying to sit with it and understand what’s going, not running from it. Working to change my response to thought and worries, not immediately going into panic, but looking at the situation realistically. Work in process.

[LadyZen]

It sounds like you're trying to identify your triggers and manage them.

[Hoopster1A in reply to LadyZen]

and is that a positive approach?

[LadyZen in reply to Hoopster1A]

Sounds like a work in progress.

[Margaret_712]

This is really common, according to my psychiatrist, and from doing a bit of research online. Our bodies release cortisol in the morning to wake us up, and if we are out of balance/anxious, that bit of cortisol triggers a lot of adrenaline.

I experience this, too, and it is horrible. It has been really challenging to get a grip on it. One of the best things I have found is magnesium. I take an epson salt bath (2 cups) before bed (epson salts are full of magnesium), and take 2 magnesium capsules. It has helped.

It also sounds like what you are doing is very wise, and is the approach that many buddhists and therapists recommend: just notice, don't freak out, and try to think differently. Try counting backwards from 5, and then doing something with movement.

I hope you figure it out!

[designguy]

I'm assuming you meant panic and not panel and what you are describing is anticipatory anxiety which is very common when recovering from anxiety disorder. It's also common for it to be worse in the early morning when waking up. You might check out the DARE Anxiety youtubes about it and also the youtubes of Emma at Therapy in a Nutshell and Paige Pradko. The Anxiety Guy is another good resource.