View Full Version : Will this morning anxiety ever stop?
For over 8 months now I have woken up every single morning with terrible anxiety. I wake up, and within minutes the feeling comes over me and just continues to build. I feel shaky, sick to my stomach, thoughts racing, heart thumping, sweaty.... I've tried everything; getting up straight away, forcing myself to eat something, listening to relaxation tapes, distraction, you name it and I've tried it, but it just won't go. I just can't bear this every morning, I want to wake up calm and relaxed and looking forward to the day ahead.
Does it ever go away?
Yes it does Mojo. :)
Anxiety thrives on routine. Can I ask if you get up the same time every day?
Maybe change the time slightly and vary it.
The other tip is that what ever we are thinking before we go to bed whether consciously or sub-consciously, stays with us until we wake up.
So, it is important to do the relaxation before you go to bed, if not more important.
Also what we watch on TV has an effect. The news would probably be the worst thing to watch before going to bed. I try to look for something with a bit of humour like Mrs 'Brown's Boys' or 'Birds of a Feather' or a light film.
Listening to music can leave the mind to wander and also stir up emotions from the past, so unless you listen to music of your 'happy past', it will not work for you.
Have you tried giving yourself a foot massage, that sometimes helps.
Do you have any hobbies in the way craft. When you create something, it gives off good meaningful vibes to the brain.
Only read, if it is light reading. Try taking hot chocolate before bedtime, just create a feeling of goodness before going to bed and each night think of 4 positives throughout that day, so that the mind can relax.
And I know it is difficult, but don't be angry with how you feel in the morning.
Understand why you feel like this, accept it, and move on with your day.
It is only your mind and body protecting you from worry and stress, it's not going to kill you. It's just us special people have too much! :hugs:
Oh thank you so much for your kind words Carnation. You are such a kind person :hugs:
Ironically I normally feel quite good by the time evening rolls around and go to bed in a positive mood hoping that tomorrow will be the day when this all starts to turn around, but it never does and that makes me so upset and disappointed. Having never suffered with anxiety or depression before in my life it came as such an awful shock to wake up one morning feeling like this and not knowing what it was. I went to the doctor and he said it was anxiety and to take the tablets and I'd be fine. I honestly thought I'd take the pills for a couple of weeks and then I'd be back to normal, but that didn't happen.
Waiting for the increase to work (whatever that means) is horrible, I want to cry but I can't, the tears won't come. I feel so lonely and that I don't have anyone to help me get better, even though I have my son, my sister, a few friends etc, I feel they don't understand and are of the opinion that I should just snap out of it.
I am trying to do things myself too and not just relying on the meds and expecting them to do all the work. I had a 12 week course of CBT, I've read all the books, I know what to do - but it is just putting it all into practice when I'm feeling so unwell that's hard.
Despite many people telling me it gets better I'm finding it hard to believe, and then I get into the whole feeling sorry for myself malarkey, and THEN I start thinking about people who have terrible illnesses (like my poor neighbour) and who am I to complain about my life? I have my own home, no mortgage, no real need to work, run 2 cars, plenty of food in the cupboards, can afford holidays etc. How dare I whinge and moan and complain when others are struggling so?
That's my whinge for today lol, now I'm going to DO something with my day and not sit here moaning.
Thanks again xxx
Firstly, Anxiety can just as debilitating as any other serious illness.
Don't ever think you are complaining for nothing. x
Medication helps people to cope and get through the day, it does not cure you!
Depression and anxiety go hand and hand like salt and pepper.
It's not a case of getting up and saying; "I feel depressed today".
It's much more buried than that.
People kept telling me that I suffered with depression and I was in denial.
"No", I said. "I enjoy life, I have dreams and goals and generally a happy person".
But, there were right. It was deep within me.
All the stress and trauma and sadness throughout my life, I had stored in my brain and carried on with the next thing in my life.
Another thing. You can not force or rush through the recovery in anxiety.
It just happens, normally without you even noticing.
With a lot of people, including myself, you will have a good day, then a few bad days, until the good days take over the bad days. Don't think when you have a bad day that you are not recovering, this is part of the recovery process.
The main ingredients to help you improve are; good, healthy food with regular meals, relaxation and sleep, gentle exercise and doing things that you enjoy and that are therapeutic.
Put all of worries in a box and only deal with them when you feel capable to do so.
Mojo, I had a full breakdown two and half years ago and I was very, very bad.
I could not walk, sleep, eat, hardly speak and cried all day everyday.
Crying is good, it release tension and stress and emotions.
A weepy film will help if you are struggling to release.
Do you do meditation. It works for a lot of us on here.
It's good for regulating your breathing and helps with taking control with panic, relaxes your muscles and release emotions.
I know what you mean about people that are more unfortunate, but like I said anxiety can be crippling in it's own way and I take a guess that you feel for other people and their woes and have empathy for others, which makes you a sensitive person and 'Anxiety' loves to latch on sensitivity.
You are doing fine Mojo, I read your threads a lot and you will get your life back. x
Hi mojo
I know exactly how you feel. Am into day 4 of Mirtazapine and have this morning anxiety running through me. I spray bach rescue remedy to get me over the worst but the anxiety runs most of the day. As soon as tablet kick in properly I am thing of cbt , eft and hypnotherapy
I agree some people think that you can just snap out of it, I wish,,
I too have morning anxiety. The best thing I have read is about accepting the anxiety and learning to float through it. The worst thing you can do is fight it. I'm in the process of training my brain to accept the anxiety, let it do what it wants to me (as I know it cannot harm me) and allowing myself to sit with the anxiety. I'm hoping to be able to not fear the anxiety. The theory is that acceptance will allow the anxiety to dissipate naturally. If we fight it we fuel it.
This seems logical to me and does help, however it is hard work. The process is not about getting rid of anxiety, it is about learning to live with it and to let it naturally leave you. It is based on the work of Dr Claire Weekes which I find fascinating. It's taking a lot of patience which is not my strong point but I'm trying to have faith!
My increased dose of citalopram has worsened my morning anxiety so I'm hoping that as I settle into the new dose it will also ease!
Evenings also tend to be my best part of the day, especially as it goes dark.
Thank you everyone. It is such a relief to have you guys to talk to and to reassure me. I appreciate it more that you will ever know.
---------- Post added at 20:35 ---------- Previous post was at 20:25 ----------
I too have morning anxiety. The best thing I have read is about accepting the anxiety and learning to float through it. The worst thing you can do is fight it. I'm in the process of training my brain to accept the anxiety, let it do what it wants to me (as I know it cannot harm me) and allowing myself to sit with the anxiety. I'm hoping to be able to not fear the anxiety. The theory is that acceptance will allow the anxiety to dissipate naturally. If we fight it we fuel it.
This seems logical to me and does help, however it is hard work. The process is not about getting rid of anxiety, it is about learning to live with it and to let it naturally leave you. It is based on the work of Dr Claire Weekes which I find fascinating. It's taking a lot of patience which is not my strong point but I'm trying to have faith!
My increased dose of citalopram has worsened my morning anxiety so I'm hoping that as I settle into the new dose it will also ease!
Evenings also tend to be my best part of the day, especially as it goes dark.
I have read her books, they are very helpful and I do try to ignore the anxiety if I can. However, with such strong physical symptoms it is so difficult - we just have to try as best we can.
Yes evenings are good for me too, they always have been. I wish I could feel like I do now all the time. I'm relaxed, my mind is clear, I'm happily sitting here watching TV and drinking a cup of tea and planning all the wonderful things I'm going to do tomorrow. Of course when the morning rolls around those plans go out of the window. I have been trying really hard recently to "work to the plan, not the mood" i.e. if I've planned to do something, say go shopping, I don't let the anxiety stop me, even though I may be feel like absolute doo-doo. That way it isn't winning because even if it tells me not to do it, I do it anyway.
Sometimes an inner voice tells me to straighten that cushion so it matches the other one, or line those forks up in the cutlery drawer because they are all messed up. Instead of listening to that voice I will deliberately push the cushion even more out of alignment or give those darned forks a good old mix up - perhaps even add a knife in the fork section just for good measure (oh the horror!) and then I walk out of the house, shut the door and get into my car and drive to the supermarket or something, just to stick two fingers up to those pesky voices. :whistles:
Beckybecks
27-07-16, 21:10
Morning anxiety is very common amongst most of us and also most people feel better in the evening.
I've read that it's due to our cortisol levels which are highest in the morning.
It does go away, when the anxiety lifts.
But while it's there I usually cope by going out for a walk, or doing anything physical. I feel that I'm working off the stress hormones that way. I know it's not easy to make the effort, but it defnitely helps.
For me mornings are the final thing to ever come right and once they do, I know I am THERE xxx hugs, I know how hard it is and I am the same, good at night and wake up thinking will be fine tomorrow but never am right now. xxxx But it will happen x
You are not the first person I've heard say that Karen. I've read a few posts from people who've said the same - "I knew I was finally better when I started waking up anxiety free"
busterrufus
31-07-16, 09:36
Mojo I had to check to make sure I didn,t write this post myself. I,ve been trying not to apost much these past two days, but I just want to say I have the anxiety sensations very strongly n the morning. They tend to ease up somewhat in the evenings,generally. It must the cortisol connection I think.
You seem to have a hold on how to tackle it! I have just started being able to do short relaxation exercises, and yesterday I went out for a couple of short walks. I thought it would ease the agitation which it did a little. I like your plan idea. I had a simple plan about the m walks which went ok, I just had to delay them s a little to wait for a "window of opportunity" in my anxiety.
I,ve had Claire weekes books for 40 years and the advice has worked for me in the past. It seems so counter intuitive not to fight anxiety , but I found a way to accept it y once, so I know it can be done . I think you are ahead of me on that one so there is probably not much advice I can give you. I,ve started getting up as soon as possible in the morning and making a cup of tea whether I want one or not, just to be distracted. You're probably doing much more than that by the sounds of things. Do you have any ways of coping with the nausea?
It's interesting that morning anxiety can be one of the last things to go, it mabe explains why it is so persistent and severe.
I wish you well, and a speedy recovery. Ruth
Sorry mojo, I just reread your post and seen you tried .lots of things when you wake. I tried some too, found short relaxation easier to do during one of those "window" where things ease slightly and allow more concentration. It's very hard isn't it but I think you are on your way.
Bike Rider
31-07-16, 12:47
Hi Mojo, I too suffered with early morning anxiety with the same symptoms as you. Now I believe our mood swings, which are a normal part of us, play a big part in this and when a lot of people feel "fed up" we feel depressed and anxious.
My G.P. who is brilliant and understanding, put me on a beta-blocker to take up to 3 times a day as and when needed. These tablets tell the brain to slow the heart down, this in turn reduces the adrenaline, created by a fast heart rate, and its this substance that gives you the butterfly's in the stomach and the sweat sensation. The only problem was, it takes up to 2-3 hours for it to work, so when I woke up at 4am to use the loo I took one, then then when I woke at 6-7 the anxiety was far lower and more manageable. In time it has eased off, but I still have some just in case it returns.
busterrufus
31-07-16, 12:52
I have propanalol which I take as soon as I awake. It stops adrenaline the extra adrenaline fro getting to the heart, It stops the fast heartbeat that comes with anxiety, but does nothing for the other anxiety symptoms.
"cortisol" I've always thought that that was a big part of the depression/anxiety problem but get no further with questions for help.
Yep they say that you know things are good when the mornings are full of the joys of spring.
I'm still waiting and hoping...
take care
Sxx
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