Morning Anxiety.

[daisymoo]

Hi. New here. I know there is already a morning anxiety thread, but it's a bit old, so I thought I'd start another one.

A quick intro : had a rabies scare in India back in Feb 2006. Worried myself into the anxious person I am now over it. Was diagnosed with GAD and depression in March 2006 and have been on and off medication (none of which really worked apart from addictive Benzos) since then. Although, I would say that the Olanzapine they gave me got me my sleep back. I've been off AD's since March and am only on 5mg of Olanzapine at the moment. Tried to come off Olanzapine last year but failed. Hoping to have a success this time around. Been through a few psychiatrists and am currently seeing a NLP/Hypnotherapist/Time Line Therapy person. Very expensive, but if it works it'll be worth it.

The reason for this post is to see if any members feel major anxiety as soon as they wake up and the feel perfectly well just before going to bed. It's doing my head in and I'm struggling to cope. I've been in this pattern for over 2 years now. Any tips for coping with the anxiety in the mornings ? I find that just getting on with things is quite a good method.

[decca]

Hi,
Yes every morning I wake up very shaky and anxious and have to take half of a 2mg Diazepam tablet, I take the other half a couple of hours later.
Decca.

[daisymoo]

Hi Decca,

Thanks for your reply.

I too used to take a benzo (lorazepam / diazepam) to stop the anxiety in the mornings, but my doctor insisted that I came off them as she was very against them. She said that they were addictive and your body slowly gets used to them and you end up needing a higher dose to get the same effect (rather like alcohol). I went through cold turkey to get off them. I find if I just get up and do things, like have breakfast, feed the cats, pack my bag for work (I cycle to work in the summer) and then get changed into my cycle gear 70% of the anxiety I was feeling while I lay in bed dissapears. I find lying in bed gets me nowhere. I really need to get out of bed to feel better. By the time I have cycled the 9 miles to work I feel a bit better, but not 100%. In fact I haven't felt 100% for a couple of years now.

How did you anxiety kick-off ? What was the trigger ? Was it a 'crisis' similar to mine or something else ? Do you feel better as the day goes on ? How long have been taking diazepam and is it still working for you ? Sorry about all the questions.

Daisymoo.

[decca]

Hi,
Your Doc is right Benzo's are addictive but my Doc says I'm fairly safe on 2 to 4 mg per day, I've been taking 2mg for about 13 weeks now and it's still working OK.
My anx. started last October when a pre exisisting heart condition got worse at the same time I was going through pretty bad work related stress,I took early retirement to sort that out.
I still suffer from anxiety which is usually worse in the mornings and gradually gets better as the day goes on but that could be the Diaz. kicking in.
You were brave to go cold turkey,but it seems you have got yourself sorted OK.
Cheers
Decca.

[Bill]

I took diazepam for about 3 years and became addicted to them. As you say, my body just got used to them so the dose was gradually increased with little extra benefit. It took me 6 months to come off them because if I reduced too quickly I got bad withdrawl symptoms and my anxiety would shoot through the roof! I've now coped without medication for the past 5 years or more.

Anxiety is created by worrying thoughts. When we're in an anxious state, as soon as we wake we become subconsciously aware that we have a new day to face full of anxious feelings. It's a bit like an animal sitting in the middle of a road in the dark when it is suddenly confronted by headlights. It's instinct tells it to run just as a new morning makes us instinctively begin to panic without actually being aware of thinking any worrying thoughts. It's a program our minds have created due to a bad experience or a long stressful period and reinforced by days, months or years of feeling anxious as a result.

When we wake we should get up immediately and not lay there because while we lay there our minds will focus on the anxious feelings and the more we focus on them, the more we worry and the more panicky we feel.

Getting up and doing things focusses our minds away from worrying thoughts so although we'll feel tense, we gradually feel less anxious.

When we get to bed, the day is over and we feel "safe" under the covers with nothing to fear until we wake next morning to begin the cycle again.

It's important to remember that all anxious symptoms are created by fear and our thought patterns. Control the fear, change the thought patterns, and we re-gain control over our body.

Medications can help to ease symptoms but it's our thoughts that create our symptoms so if we learn to take control of our thoughts, the anxiety symptoms can be controlled.

[decca]

Thanks Bill,
That's very good advice. I'd like to get off my 2 mg Diazepam but when I asked my doc about it he said that if I should be OK on 2 to 4 mg per day and when I didn't need them anymore I could just stop taking them but that doesn't seem right to me.
Cheers
Decca.

[icklebex]

Hi Daisy

I'm having the morning attacks back again I understand how you feel, some1 once told me its to do with a drop in serotonin levels during sleep I don't know how true that is. I haven't found a coping mechanism for it yet but am trying!

Bex

[decca]

Hi Bex,
I've read that somewhere as well. Let us know if you find a coping mechanism.
At the moment regretably it's Diazepam for me.
My anxiety isn't always as soon as I wake up , sometimes it only starts after I've got up and it's like extreme tension all over my body.I struggled with this for about 4 months before I gave in and started taking Diaz.
Decca

[tayside lassie]

yes i get morning anxiety as soon as i sit up in bed ive put it down to my H.B.P meds ...it goes as the morning wears on and i always feel great towards evening time .

sally...

[daisymoo]

Thanks for all your replies. It's comforting to know that I am not alone in my nightmare morning anxiety. I spent a couple of hours last night trying to get to sleep worrying about a meeting I had to lead this morning. As it happened the meeting went really well and I was confident throughout. Why did I worry so much about it ? It took me until 1am to fall asleep !! I'm so stupid. My wife was pretty unimpressed as she could tell that I was worrying myself into a state. She told me to shut the **** up and go to sleep. Comforting words. Have a good weekend y'all.