Waking up scared...

[sophieunderscore]

I don;t know if this happens to anyone else but i've recently started waking up about an hour after falling asleep shaking and scared... I have to get out of bed and watch tv or something to relax :(

I don't feel scared about anything in particular but my mind is all over the place and I get convinced i'm dying :(

[Karen]

Hi Sophie

I often wake up within half an hour or so of falling asleep with anxiety and panic. I don't get scared I am going to die but have other anxieties about losing people I care about and rely on.

Are you experiencing nightmares before you wake?

Perhaps you could try doing some relaxation before bed. This sometimes helps me.

When you wake distraction is a good way to get through the anxiety. Also try to slow your breathing with the 7/11 technique - breathing in for a count of 7 and out for 11, or whatever count is comfortable for you, as long as the out breath is longer than the in breath.

This is a common occurence with anxiety though and you are certainly not alone.

Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[eeyorelover]

I've found that changing my routine breaks that panicy feeling I get that can wake me up. I'll go to bed at a different time and I make sure that I am tired when I go to bed so that my mind doesn't have a chance to work overtime. Also I never eat anything 2 hours before going to bed. I don't know why but it seems to make it worse if I go to bed with a full stomach.
Hope it helps !!!

Sandy
(eeyorelover)

If the world didn't suck... we'd all fall off

[chucklehound]

Hi Sophie,

Sorry to hear that you are going through this at the moment.

I really do hope that you are feeling better soon.

Take Care

Chucklehound

[desperate]

Sometime i wake up in the morning and then think and get an anxious feeling in my stomach,

try and get up and moving if you can.

First Anxiety...then panic attacks...now GAD and depression...now working on a better future!

[Elaine1]

Hi Sophie

Really with you on this one!

Having had several good weeks, I have slipped back this week and have started having sleep issues again, similar to those you described. I have got out of bed and like you have ended up watching a movie downstairs, dozing off in the early hours and probably only managing 3 1/2 hours sleep!

The difference for me, is that I have learnt to accept this as a symptom of anxiety and not to try and question too much as to why, but say to myself - right, this is where I am - 3 1/2 hours sleep is better than none and if it takes a movie to relax and doze off, so be it!

This has helped me take control of it and although I would like more sleep, I am just accepting what I can manage at the moment. This kind of attitude has really helped!

Hope this helps a little!

Take care

Elaine XX

[SickofIt]

I have had this symptom from time to time. I find that if I doze off to sleep before I'm really ready to stay asleep, this can happen. Sometimes I'll fall asleep with the TV on and then I'll wake up because I realize I've left the TV on. Sometimes I wake up really disoriented, but I try to fall back asleep instead of getting up and doing something else.

If I have the middle of the night wake with panic, then I'll get up and go downstairs or watch TV somewhere where it won't wake up my husband. Sometimes it helps just to log on here when that happens.

You're defnitely not alone.

[carlin]

Hi Sophie,
so sorry you are having a rough time at the moment, i can fully understand what you are going through. I have also been experiencing the same thing recently (although i have been waking appx 4a.m.) the only thing i can say is now i realise what's happening to me and why, i have tried not to let it scare me too much, which, for me has helped a little. sorry no sound advice, but you are not alone on this one. take care and keep in touch.

[jill]

Hi Sophie

When I was acute I used to do this all the time, just wake up and feel very scared :(
My daughter who also suffered Anxiety from the age of 3 she is now 12 and doing very well [^] used to do this alot. You are not alone.

Like Elaine has said, knowing what you are dealing with and eccepting it as anxiety will help you move forward. Knowing and believing that this symptom WILL NOT harm you.
At first I used to have to distract myself by getting up or puting headphones on and listen to some music. Anything to stop the fear.

As time went on I learnd how to change my thought patterns when waking in fear. Instead of getting up I would just go over and over in my head trying not to give Mrs anxiety what she wanted and that was my fear. I learned that the only reason it lasted was because I feard it.
I would try and think of things that made me happy, tell Mrs anxety to Pi** o** anything that is positive.
It takes alot of hard work support and time, but learning how to change your thoughts WILL help you move forward.

Hope this helps and you are feeing better soon.

TAKE CARE

LOVE JILLXX


When you fear something,
learn as much about it as you can,
Knowledge conquers fear.