Morning anxiety!

[scpW9]

Well morning hits and the anxiety rears it's ugly head! I know that as the day goes on it will lessen somewhat but for these first few hours I am a ball of tension!

My husband wants to know what's wrong with my life that I am so miserable. I can't get through to him that nothing is wrong with my life... I am ill.

It's early days but I just want to feel better now!

Any hints and tips or just general support would be greatly received!

[flossie]

You are far from alone with the raised levels of anxiety in the morning, it is a common symptom. However, once you understand the reasons why it happens then it all makes sense and you can take simple steps to help yourself through it.
It is all to do with the overnight fasting causing your blood sugar levels to drop. That's all it is. Have a snack about an hour before bed. Then when you wake get staight up and have something to eat. This will go a long way to keeping the blood sugar levels more even and avoiding that big drop that causes us so much discomfort in the morning.
Also have a light snack every couple of hours during your day for exactly the same reason, just a yogurt or fruit will do it. And drink lots of water. Dehydration will increase the anxiety level too.
Don't forget to do your relaxation exercises every day too. They are so important to help you to recovery.
Be patient with your recovery. If you start being hard on yourself you will only increase your stress levels. Accept that this is how you are at the moment and that if you learn the right skills to cope then it will get better. The more gentle the pace you go the easier recovery will be. That is why you will see the term 'small steps at a time' on here.

[scpW9]

Thank you for your advice. Rational me takes it all in not sure about irrational me though! Where can I find out about relaxation exercises? Do you have any recommendations?

[flossie]

I use the muscle relaxation cd from No Panic http://www.nopanic.org.uk/
They are a fantastic organisation that will give you lots of advice and support if you ask for it. Don't hesitate to call them if you feel the need to talk things through with someone. No Panic is a charity and most there are recovered or in recovery so they will understand completely how you feel and will not judge. I have called them myself. They also manage telephone recovery which is all included in the annual membership of £12 so that is something worth considering. I have just completed a group course and will be starting another in several weeks as I found it very helpful.
Muscle relaxation tracks are available as MP3 download on amazon.
I also use this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=mindy+ash&x=16&y=19
but we all have our own favourites.
Don't expect to be able to relax straight away. You may well find that you are so tense that you fight against it. It's a bit like learning to tie your laces when you were little, it's a new skill that you have to keep practising and practising. Stick with it and you will find it invaluable once it all starts to fall into place. You will probably find your mind drifting off and thinking of other things. That's OK, just bring it back to concentrate on your breathing.
Give it a try. I hope it helps you.

[little scientist]

Thanks for the links Flossie, I have just ordered the muscle relaxation cd!

---------- Post added at 10:52 ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 ----------

Ooooo nooooo have just been told it is out of stock :( poo!

[scpW9]

I'll give it a go! Thank you so much for the advise and support.