When the anxiety turns to panic

[Mart0310]

Well Ive only had Anxiety back for a few weeks and already its pattern is emerging! My top end release has always been to get my wife to take me for a drive , without fail it lowers my anxiety - I guess its the flight component of Fight or Flight.

Yesterday morning I was wide awake at 6.30am, while the rest of the house slept in. Alone with my thoughts the Anxiety topped out into pretty intense panic. All I kept thinking was 'I cant wake them up yet, but I need to go out' Eventually at 9.30 I woke them up, had to wait another hour whilst they got ready, so it was 10.30am before we got out the door and 4 hours after my anx had started. It was pretty intense for a while!

This morning I woke up with thoughts of yesterday still fresh in my mind and of course the process repeated itself.

Im so fed up with this righ now!

[Oosh]

A lot of it is about patterns like that, patterns and associations. They need breaking up. Do different things, see things differently, shake things up, throw a spanner in its pattern.

Can you not get up at 6.30 and go for a walk with some headphones on listening to maybe a podcast show you really enjoy and look forward to ?
Then back for breakfast and to focus on a pass time and company you really enjoy ?

Take up yoga or meditation. Wake up 6.30 and start a new routine of a morning cuppa to wake your brain up then focus on this new and hugely positive yoga/meditation you have started learning. These can become new habits/patterns that create like internal mood foundations that keep your mood more robust and free of being vulnerable to anxiety through the day, simply because you have these things in your day.

Over the years I've incorporated supports like this into my day and they give me positive, enjoyable things to focus on as soon as I wake up. Without them I have no where to go but into boredom, an idle mind and being prone to anxious or depressive thinking.

Build yourself a full new day from the moment you wake.

[Mart0310]

Thanks, You deffo have a point there, I stick to the exact same routine and I guess because of that I expect the thoughts to start at the same time etc.

Im feeling so guilty for allowing this to spiral its not just taken my life over again, but the wifes too, I can tell shes fed up as well. I need to take some control back and maybe the mornings are a good place to start