View Full Version : Waking in a panic
Every morning when I wake up, I am already mid-panic. My heart is racing, rapid breathing, feeling nauseous, head scrambling and bubbling with negative thoughts...and that's before I even fully wake and start thinking/worrying about the immediate day and/or week ahead. I fall asleep ok but wake in a state of panic. Sometimes at 4, 5 or 6am. It's awful. It is a bad start to the day and seems to set the precedent for my level of anxiety throughout the day. Sometimes the waking panic is mild, other days extreme. It also seems to be worse when my partner is away... No amount of 'self-talk' or relaxations strategies seem to abate it. The only solution is to get up and do something to distract myself but then I just wind up tired because of accumulated lack of sleep. Any suggestions about how to combat this? :S
Anxious_gal
16-09-12, 09:26
Could be due to blood sugar being low in the morning.
Maybe try keeping a glass of milk by your bed to drink when you wake up.
I am the same every morning..I wake really early and panic straight away no matter how much I try to relax or think positive it won't go away and I have to get up and put the tv on or my laptop to try to distract me. I just wish I could wake up cheerful and relaxed! I looked up foods that help you sleep and ate a banana before I went to sleep thinking it may help me to wake in a better mood but it didn't work.
frenchbean
16-09-12, 10:15
Me too! This is my biggest problem at the moment. For me, it's the nausea and sense of dread that's the worst. Sometimes I actually vomit it's so bad. It has been somewhat better over the past few days and I'm wondering if it's the anti d's i've been taking for a month that are finally starting to work? It's awful isn't it? :hugs: let's hope it gets better for all of us. x
I hate this, I really really hate it. It's the reason I can't stay over with friends and family - because I'm such a mess in the mornings. I have got a little better by making up a routine and sticking to it. Wake up, make cup of caffeine free tea, have something to eat (even if I feel sick), take meds, sit down and read news on internet, shower, get dressed. I find by having a routine you don't stress so much about, 'what am i going to do?, how will i get through today?'. You just focus on getting through the routine and by the time I'm dressed I feel kind of ok.
Me too! This is my biggest problem at the moment. For me, it's the nausea and sense of dread that's the worst. Sometimes I actually vomit it's so bad. It has been somewhat better over the past few days and I'm wondering if it's the anti d's i've been taking for a month that are finally starting to work? It's awful isn't it? :hugs: let's hope it gets better for all of us. x
You hit the nail on the head frenchbean. It's that sense of dread and impending doom every day that is the worst. I haven't vomited from the nausea but it's gotten pretty close. I am going to see my dr about some anti-d next when I see her in a couple weeks. Surely there is something that can help. Good luck to you too - hope the meds keep giving you relief
---------- Post added at 19:52 ---------- Previous post was at 19:47 ----------
Wow. There are a few of us with this - not that I'm glad you're going through it too but it is reassuring to know I'm not the only one who experiences waking panic. It IS totally debilitating at its worst and I think taking action (=distraction) is the key. Interesting to hear/share different strategies for coping. I also find it is far worse if I've had alcohol. Makes me think even more so that there is something chemical to this...Hope you all get some relief soon xx
I actually woke one morning a few weeks ago and had such a bad panic attack that I phoned the NHS help line just for someone to talk to and they sent an emergency ambulance out to me...My heart rate when they got here was 140. They managed to calm me down and even offered to make me a cup of tea. I just want to wake up feeling like me! I hope we all find something that works! hugs :hugs: to everyone
I agree annie. I would love for once, just to wake up and feel 'normal' again! I can't remember the last time that waking up wasn't traumatic. Hugs to you too
Oh my God, alcohol makes my whole world fall apart the next morning. Anxiety goes mental!! Even just one glass of wine, which is a shame because it does make me relax at the time. Haven't drank in 2 months now. Another reason why my social lide is non-existant
know how you feel guys,
I have suffered from this on and off for 30 years and time doesnt get any easier( sorry to be deflated)
I wake up early now with those dreaded thoughts can be about anything some that dont make sense . then the heaving starts and stomach renching this can lead to me wanting the loo quickly too all that before going down stairs. what a start to the day, these feeling hold me back its hard to forget them wish I could accept them you think I would be used to them by now!! but they still make other sensations come on cold shaky feel sick etc
I hate them and cant wait for the day just to be able to get up normally:bighug1:
It's incredible our minds can have such an overwhelming affect on our bodies. Sometimes I wish there was an 'off' switch :/
It's incredible our minds can have such an overwhelming affect on our bodies. Sometimes I wish there was an 'off' switch :/
Me too!!!
I'm the same at the mo and my AD hasn't helped at all and I've been taking it 7 months now and just want off it! I'm getting to the stage where I feel anxious about even going to sleep. I've not been so bad whilst my doctor was prescribing diazepam and zopiclone, which both calm me at the right doseage enough not to go into panic but they're chopping them down to nothing now so for a week now I've woken up having a panic attack and rang the NHS helpline too and crisis team at my hopsital who are going to finally get me off the Mirt and onto something that works if I don't settle on my own which I really hope I do as I find AD's so difficult to tolerate on start up!! I only went on Mirt because it was meant to be a kinder AD but it's totally backfired on me as I am more poorly now than before I went on it!!! So so fed up along with you guys ):
Karen,
I came off the Mirt last month and now back on prozac but still no joy. Thinking of all of us, shit what did we do to deserve this?:bighug1:
ChrisScotland
17-09-12, 01:50
It's one of the worst feelings I've had too.You just don't want to get up, but your mind races away the more you stay in bed.
Wish I had the answer, or at least some tips for you to help a little.
That's spot on Chris. The more you try and get back to sleep and ignore it the more your mind races away. I wish sometimes that people could tape all the racing, negative ruminating and then they would get some insight into the intensity and hell that panic is. it's unrelenting and vicious first thing in the morning :(
Anxious gal - I tired the glass of milk thing last night and had the BeSt sleep ive had in ages!!!!! I slept right through the night and woke up feeling relatively calm! Hooray! Hoping this may be the solution! Thanks :)
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