Why are mornings so awful..?

[want2bfree]

Hi there,

I am just wondering why anxiety and panic is so much worse in the morning...this is common right?

i just recently started having panic attacks and suffering from general anxiety-i was and still am scared of everything...watcing tv, reading a magazine, even opening some peoples posts i get anxious in case it hits a nerve and sends me into panic mode.

anyway back to mornings-every morning i wake up with my heart pounding in my chest my hands trembling and my stomach churning. I dont even know what i am so anxious about. I have been doing CBT but in the morning it is so hard to rationalise what i am thinking about-one because im not too clear about what i am thinking and two because i literally have no energy.

what helps alleviate this in the mornings?

[Yorkman]

I asked my doctor this question on Friday. They are classic depression/anxiety symptoms.
I think the citalopram are starting to slowly ease these symptoms for me. I've been on them for 3 weeks.

[cathycrumble]

Hi wantobefree

What u r saying is me and this morning it horendous for me I am going gp at 11am. I just cant seem to get out of this anxiety and depression. I have had to take a 5mg diaziam to help me I was litrally bawking this morning with nerves its 2 months now I have been on citalopram. This morning has been one of my worsed ever I thought yesterday I was turning a corner to getting to grips with this and my phobia. I dont even think it's my phobia I just think my nerves are soooooo bad it's hard to think strate and things upset me like you have said in your post. I should be happy now. I have seperated from an abusive husband I have a new partner. I miss not working as I was finished up last november and I find it hard not doing anything just sitting around trying to fill my time I can't even be bothered to hoover or cook its all too much effort.

Cathy xx

[Velma66]

I know exactly how u feel-mornings are always terrible for me-right now I feel particularly bad. I don't know why it's worse in the mornings-I'd be interested to know why too x

[panictomuch]

Don't always wake up with my heart poundin but I wake up every mornin. Feelin sick and dizzy. My satic vision I have is also worse. I think its normal. Seen as though so many people wake up feelin ill.

I used to wake up even in the night with a poundin heart without fail. But it doesn't seem to happen anymore. However, when I does it knocks me sick to my stomach and I can't breath!!

[Tyke]

I felt awful in the mornings, but have been fine since I got used to taking the Sertraline. I think when we are feeling low the prospect of the day ahead and all it entails is very anxiety provoking. I always felt better at night because nothing much was expected of me then.

Tyke :)

[Bill]

How do people normally feel before taking an exam? Anxious? Nervous? Frightened perhaps?

Well, that's what every day represents to us- something to fear.

The reason is because our subconscious remembers how we felt the previous day and probably the previous day to that etc. If a day becomes an ordeal because of frightening anxious symptoms, we'll wake the following day feeling anxious because we'll be fearing those symptoms returning. Every day then becomes a day to fear.

Also if you're under alot of stress so that every chore becomes an ordeal, we'll wake feeling anxious because our minds are remembering how we felt the previous day when we attempted to do chores. It becomes a habitual thinking pattern.

Evenings on the other hand are often easier because our subconscious is telling us the stresses and anxious feelings of the day ae over.

We all differ so you can't generalise but I think you'll find the above applies to most people who wake feeling anxious.

As for breaking the cycle, it stops when the causes behind your fears are treated which often means dealing with your stresses or fears. Otherwise every day becomes a daily exam to fear.:hugs:

[mjh74]

Well I started to wake this morning feeling 'sort of ok', realisation started to set in and within minutes my heart was pounding and I was feeling the dread of facing another day let alone work. Still, I'm here at work now trying to distract myself as much as possible. Damn this anxiety! Like the OP, I don't even know what I'm anxious about. It just started again (along with the panics) after being free of it all for over 5 years :shrug:.

[Elen]

Hi

Hightened anxiety is very common in the morning.

Low blood sugar can have an adverse effect on our mood and anxiety.

This means that something as simple as eating early in the morning can have a huge impact on our mood for the rest of the day.

Elen

[mjh74]

That's a good point Elen, I started with a Banana this morning, from what I read they're good for a multitude of things regarding our bodies and minds!

[Elen]

Me too mjh74, and believe me when I started I hated the blasted things.

Have to confess that they have quite grown on me now so it is not such a chore.

[Yorkman]

I woke feeling crap again, after a descent normal night really.
As Soon as I woke the feelings were there again.

[M155anthr0p3]

The feeling of dread and nausea is always there when I wake up.
It tends to ease during the day.

[haynsey]

Hi everyone,

I get this too, my anxiety in the mornings is terrible. My anxiety in the mornings has affected my life for years..I find that by the evening i am slightly better and feel like doing more.
My problem is that half the day i feel anxious and the other half not too bad.
Also i take escitalopram in the mornings, but not sure whether that helps!!:huh:

[daniellen]

Hiya I feel like this every morning it takes me a few hours to feel okish I wake up with slight neck pain an what I can describe as a fuzzy he's can't think straight I also find night times hard aswell.
I have anxiety stress and depression an also suffer from panic attacks really badley. My dr has just given me some beeta blockers I really hope these help

[M155anthr0p3]

Hiya I feel like this every morning it takes me a few hours to feel okish I wake up with slight neck pain an what I can describe as a fuzzy he's can't think straight I also find night times hard aswell.
I have anxiety stress and depression an also suffer from panic attacks really badley. My dr has just given me some beeta blockers I really hope these help

The beta blockers will ease the symptoms yes

[rocklover]

I've only just found this post, so I know it's a little late answering now, but I had to comment. I am exactly the same, I wake up at about 4am every morning with nausea, anxiety, stomach ache and a horrid gnawing "hungry" sensation in my upper abdomen.

I have to eat something by 6 or so or I feel even sicker, I then have to try and push through these horrible symptoms to look after my 7 month old son and get my daughter to school. I tend to feel better later in the day and evening, but I often have peaks of nausea throughout the day which can cause me to panic (I am an emetophobe).

I have come off Mirtazapine as it wasn't doing anything for me and in fact the Citalopram I took before that started these bad mornings off for me, so I only lasted 9 days on them (even though they worked for me a few years ago). I have decided that I will not be taking any more meds for forseeable future, but I am having CBT to help to "reset" my thinking.

[evil monkey]

I may be sounding like a broken record here, but cortisol is at it's highest in the morning and could affect that. (its actually one of the chemicals that wakes you up). Btw if anyone wants to know what cortisol feels like....any time that you injure yourself (drawing blood or something. I bashed my foot the other day) just at the point where you feel it, there's this sort of delicate sensation like you're made out of china or something, which goes all over your body. (I'm pretty damn sure that's related to cortisol.)

[cally24]

I felt terrible this morning when I woke up and walked into work. I was almost in tears, it was so scary. These feelings are so unusual to me, I'm see a counsellor so I hope it helps before I find I can't face the working day. I'm calm right now, but I really don't want to feel quite so bad tomorrow morning.

[OliPicard]

Hi there, i have this very first thing in the morning, its very distressing and i find the night-times to be the worst.

[rocklover]

I have had an awful morning and I still feel horrid now. My stomach is tied up in knots and I'm constantly on the edge of panic. I really have had enough now, it's such a struggle to get through the days, but I don't want to take medication.

[selphie]

me to mornings are def the worse i woke this morning and again dident see no reason why i got up then i knew why? my lovley children they deserve more than they get from me but i am trying.:weep:

[zygfried]

agree with the above, definitely, about bananas and eating at least a little healthy breakfast in the mornings. Try eating it mindfully to divert the mind from the anxious feelings. I get them too - tightness in the chest, etc. Helps me to try some deep breathing too. None of it makes it go away though. Just makes me feel a bit better! Also if you can fit in some kind of exercise sometime - find that helps, too. I know it's awful. When I'm feeling bad I've such an overpowering sense of dread in the morning and I hate it. Take heart. Symptoms do and can improve. Just look after yourself in the meantime and treat yourself with kindness. Take carex