Morning Axiety

[MarkUk]

I have been waking up at around 5am & almost immediately my mind starts turning in on itself (I get health anxiety) so each morning I feel that I just can't take anymore & just want to run away. As the day goes on I begin to feel better & normally feel at my best later in the evening where I get off to sleep at midnight ish, then it all starts again.

I came off Citalopram a year ago & don't want to go back on medication but I just feel so fed up with this constant fear, I get periods where I am free of it then bang, it comes back out of the blue. Any tips or just hearing anyone share similar things would be a great help it's so hard to try & explain this to someone who does not get it.

[MrAndy]

The way i tackled or tackle it was to simply get up ignore it and get going for the day,its bloody hard to do but eventually works

[HoneyLove]

If you find that you feel anxious when you wake, and better as the day goes on, then it may well be down to having low blood sugar in the mornings. Low blood sugar can often create feelings of anxiety and panic, I've experienced it myself many times.

When this was happening to me I used to keep a banana on my bedside locker and eat it as soon as I woke to get me up and moving. Then had a proper breakfast as soon as possible after getting up.

Give it a try and see how you get on. Make sure you're not leaving long gaps between meals, and eating foods that will keep your blood sugar stable for longer, especially your last meal in the evening. Avoid drinking alcohol, sugary drinks, or processed/junk food before you go to bed.

[MarkUk]

Thanks for both replys.

My diet is good since changing to a healthy diet a year 1/2 ago so I have managed to shift 4 stone of weight off me & feel much better for it. I do not drink & glad I don't because I would self medicate but I do find it hard to eat first thing as I often feel alittle wretchy when I get this intense axiety am.

I guess just getting up when I wake early is an option but I am not sure what I would do at that time of day it's not until around 8am when I need to run my kids to school etc.

[HoneyLove]

If I'm waking early due to stress I usually put in my headphones and listen to a relaxation recording or guided meditation, it's a great way to start the day if you have the time.

There are tonnes of free relaxation & meditation videos on YouTube - what I do is just play them on my phone listening to them with my headphones.

The one I listen to most often is from a book & CD combination called Control Stress by Paul McKenna. The book will teach you the basics about stress management and the CD is an excellent way to relax - I've put it onto my MP3 player as it's better to listen to it on headphones.

It might help with that morning anxiety.

If you find it hard to eat in the morning then just try something that will go down easy, like the banana and some juice. I understand that the nausea can make it hard to eat, but if you give it a try for a couple of mornings you really might notice a difference in how you feel.

[MarkUk]

Thanks

I will try to eat breakfast & see how it goes

[WhyWhyWhy]

Mark this is me too!

As soon as I wake up it's like I remind myself 'right you have anxiety' and I kick it off, I can't control it though. I'll spend my whole morning anxious and in a state of worry and panic then afternoon it wears off. Come evening it's still there but it's more than manageable. The blood sugar theory is interesting. Is gone 2pm here and I still haven't eaten

[HoneyLove]

Is gone 2pm here and I still haven't eaten

Oh God! lol

How do people survive that long without eating! I'd have fainted at about 10am without any breakfast lol.

Seriously though, not eating regularly is a bad setup for your physical and mental health. Your brain & body need regular fuel to function properly, and if you're not eating correctly you're setting yourself up to feel anxious, nervous and panicky.

Low blood sugar can have a weird impact on the body, it can make you feel panicked, paranoid and scared amongst other things.

Try eating decent food at regular intervals for a couple of week, don't skip any meals, and see how it helps you feel.

[MrAndy]

food feeds the brain, you cant skip breakfast and hope to feel ok for the rest of the day

[WhyWhyWhy]

I know but when the thought of eating makes you feel physically sick it can be hard x

[HoneyLove]

I would rather make myself eat something than feel anxious! Taking care of yourself is so important with anxiety, you can't expect to get better if you don't give your body what it needs to function properly.

If you find it hard to eat then take it in small managable amounts, they more you do it the more you'll get used to it.