Onset of panic/anxiety upon waking

[kama24]

A very quick question. Does anyone (besides me) go to bed without feeling panic/anxiety, but as soon as they start to wake in the morning "it" overwhelms them? I am so desperate to try to get this under control.

[sunnyg]

When my eyes open and my brain starts to work, I immediately "check" my body for signs of this awful disease, and it's there so I panic. It escalates as I get ready for work and I leave for work shaking, weak, sick, and praying to make it. So yes, the mornings can bring much anxiety.

[kama24 in reply to sunnyg]

thank you for sharing with me. I am retired and do not work, but just getting through the day often causes great distress. You are a very brave person. I so would like to know why it just appears and how it can be stopped. Years back I never had this happen, but now it is an upsetting experience. I wish you all the best.

[LDS32 in reply to kama24]

Just remember people without anxiety feel bad in the morning quite often so just be like "meh I feel better later"

[Roma26 in reply to sunnyg]

Mine seems to start in the morning too.

[LDS32]

Almost daily.

[kama24 in reply to LDS32]

thank you for taking the time to reply.....I now know I am not alone. Lets just hope some miracle will help improve it for us.

[Cares179 in reply to kama24]

Yes I have the same thing every morning! It actually wakes me up at around 5-6am. I try and do some mindfulness meditation and have been listening to dr weeks dvds as well. The anxiety hangs with me almost all day making it hard to work and focus. I have been on lexapro for years and that was all I needed however I am getting all this breakthrough like I'm not even on anything. I just don't understand what's been going on..😢

[kama24 in reply to Cares179]

yes it wakes me at 5 or 6:30, I practice all my CBT tricks and mindfulness....I truly try....but to no avail. I am even worse if I am alone in the house. My thinker won't stop thinking. I take Luvox 150mg a day and one risperidone a day....I had a horrible withdrawal from Paxil last fall 2015 and honestly thought I'd die...I'm still having probs from it. I feel very hopeless ea day though I do really try to reason with myself. It can truly get to you. Thank you for sharing.

[Beevee]

In her books, Dr Weekes makes reference to anxiety being worse during the mornings and how even the slightest shock of waking from sleep can have such an exaggerated reaction to someone with sensitised nerves which manifests itself in the form of anxiety. This was certainly the case for me or Groundhog Day as I used to call it and understood that memory and habit also Played a part for a while during recovery. Usually, the symptoms that tend to hang around the longest are those which you dislike the most, however, acceptance will gradually de-sensitise your nerves and you will start to focus on other things and not the anxiety and start to bother you less. Those feelings will gradually melt away. Acceptance of all symptoms of anxiety (or being ok about not feeling ok) is the key to recovery. Don't be too impressed or show any respect to the symptoms because they won't be there when you recover.

[kama24]

thank you so much for sharing......I am going to try my best not to let it continue to consume me. I can see how lst awakening could jolt your thinker into action, not always the best thinking. I will not give up!

[Cares179 in reply to kama24]

how long does the morning anxiety last for you? Mine stays with me most of the day and starts getting better in the evening.

[Beevee in reply to Cares179]

For me it was several months (everyone recovers at their own speed so don't read too much into this) but put a lot of it down to having a stressful time at work because of lots of changes going on. I spent ages wondering if it was the job making me feel anxious or the anxiety or both. Over time, I just thought "if I feel stressed, I feel stressed" and just carried on. I knew I had no alternative but to work and that I would have to cope with a certain amount of stress in daily life so knuckled down and got on with it. I also knew by reading Dr Claire Weekes' books that I had to go through the storm and feel it all to recover and that is what I did. As time passed and by going to work regardless of how I felt, I started to see that it wasn't so much the job that was overly stressful, it was the anxiety making it seem much much worse than it really was and calmness gradually returned. Having been through the worst anxiety could muster up and coming out the other side, I know I can cope with it all. My attitude towards the job is now also more relaxed and forget about it as soon as I walk out the door. 😄

[91342 in reply to Beevee]

Is there a cortisol control or blocker

available over the counter. Might be worth a try to take in evening before bed. I am not a fan of grin and bear it. Time to buckle down and get proper medical ntervention.

[kama24 in reply to 91342]

I wondered that too...or by the dr. I intend to ask on my next appointment. No matter how you try to "think positive" ...for me, I don't seem to achieve the results I want. All I know is that this is a very discouraging and upsetting condition to deal with. I am going to ask as well as google some info. Thank you for responding

[Aazz]

Yes this is very common my psychiatrist explained that our cortisol levels (stress chemical) is at its highest in the morning and wears off as the day goes on you may even notice you are shaky in the mornings that is also due to higher levels of cortisol. The best way to get it out of your system faster is exercise.

[kama24 in reply to Aazz]

thank you so very much. yes I have the fear shakes in the morning when I lst awake. I sometimes find if I get out of bed and MOVE it helps...thank you sooooooooo much for the reassurance.

[91342 in reply to Aazz]

Has anyone found a blocker for excessive cortisol?

[kama24 in reply to 91342]

I too would like to know, will be asking my physciatrist when I go to him in Dec.

[Hidden]

Kama think you've got it -get out of bed and move! I too get this a lot and realize until recently I had an early morning exercise appointment. So I was up before the anxiety attacked me. I need to get back to that. Good luck.

[kama24 in reply to Hidden]

I must admit I do note a bit of relief once I get out of bed and start to move....mind you it does not adjust my panic disorder but it is this "as soon as your eyes open "hit" that really gets to me" Thank you for responding.

[Hidden]

This is me every morning. I start waking up around 5 and 6 and try and force myself back to sleep but I struggle and then I am up for the day. I'm normally okay the first 10 mins when I wake up but then my mind starts going and boom.

[kama24 in reply to Hidden]

you are like me......I never used to wake early not I seem to awaken around 6am...within minutes the anxiety and shaking start. Lost cause to fall back asleep so I lay there. Once up it is the same old same old....no medications lately have deleted it

[Hidden in reply to kama24]

I am on medication for it. I take medicine twice a day but I hate taking it so early in the morning because then I have to take it earlier in the day and then I can't take it at night. So I try and take my pill around 10 in the morning and then around 5-6 at night. So it normally run around my house shaking and acting like a nut for an hour or so then take my pill. Its very hard to try and space it out all day. I could probably take 3 a day if I needed but I wouldn't unless my doctor said it was okay.

[kama24 in reply to Hidden]

Hi, I don't smoke or drink coffee, they do say both can affect your anxiety, however I don't know if that is true or not. I have 2 prescriptions I take morning and night, been on them for a yr. now, but this "morning fear" has just really started in the last 4 months. I'm beginning to think this is going to be "my life" and I don't like it. I am going to cognitive behavioural classes but you really do have to have a strong mind set to conquer such overwhelming fears. I have Ativan for what I'd call emergency use, but not as long term or numerous times a day.

[Hidden]

Plus drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette normally doesn't help either. And I do both as soon as I wake up. I really think that's what gets me going.