Low mornings.

[formidible]

I know when I'm really depressed, as I wake up earlier than usual, and immediately start worrying .I get a dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomache and I can even start pannicking. Its a very unpleasant feeling. I live on my own which doesn't help matters. Sometimes I might pick up the phone to a helpline, and just talking for a few minutes can help calm me down. Does anyone else feel like this in the mornings? Any help or advice would be gratefully appreciated.

[ThemysciraDrive]

Hiya. Yes I do tend to feel worse in the mornings. In fact I think this is quite common, and there is a medical theory as to why it is. Usually, our brains release a large load of Cortisol into our system in the morning. Cortisol is a hormone which responds to stress and increases blood sugar levels, so its kind of like your body giving you a jump start in the morning. One of the physical effects with depression, at least if it's stress-induced, is that our brain's patterns for releasing Cortisol are altered, and we don't get that large release in the morning, thus leading us to feel very low.

Tim Cantopher's book Depressive Illness explains it better than I can, but that's the gist of what he says.

[Golfer15]

Hi I feel exactly like this some mornings. I wake up dreading the day ahead, I get a sickly feeling in the pit of my stomach. Ive had depression for years and this feeling doesnt go away. I even get this feeling on holidays and special days like christmas. I long for the evenings. I have a family who dont really understand how I feel but try to. The best way out of it is to get active. Push youself to do some activity early, like going to the gym. I have done this about three morning a week for the last two years and it works. Good luck.

[Holly101]

Wow! You just described exactly the way I feel in the morning!!

I thought I was the only one that felt that way, or it had something to do with my symptoms, but obviously not, especially when I read ThemysciraDrive's post about there actually being a medical reason for it!

I wake up, just like you, with a feeling of pure dread, fear, panic, and it doesn't really go away all day, until nighttime, when I'm safe in the house and in my pyjama's and there's nothing to worry about coz there's nothing you can do at that moment in time anyway..

Thanks for that post, that explains a lot, and I now also know it's quite normal and I'm not the only one that feels like that in the morning!

Holly Xx

[Suzie40]

I used to get this, then started taking my anti depressants last thing at might instead of the morning. Don't know if its just a placebo effect, but I haven't had that dreaded morning doom for quie a while. My dip tends to be mid afternoon / early evening x

[Hidden in reply to Suzie40]

Hi, I agree that taking meds at a different time alters my mood pattern over the days. I tried changing last time I was on Prozac and like you found my dip was mid-afternoon which was easier to cope with. Suex.

[Photogeek]

I live alone too. I can relate to what you posted. For years I woke up feeling terrible. As I have got older I have improved I that I don't feel that fear and worry that I used to feel.

The minute I wake I turn on my radio as that helps me. I put kettle on For my tea, and thank God that I am still alive. Things can get better so don't give up hope. Have a good weekend.

Hannah

[eaward]

Get a routine going. Exercising, meditation, cooking breakfast... anything that gets you mechanical and less "feely". peerdiagnosis.com/is-sinus-...

[formidible]

Yes I agree. Nothing worse than melingering in bed. I don't feel I have any focus to my life at the moment, so there are still more negatives than positives. I have booked some counselling sessions which I'm hoping will help. Eventually I will be contacting my employer about returning to work and communicating some things they may not want to hear. I know from past experience that there are no quick fixes with depression, but that its only from doing your best and persevering that things eventually improve.