Panic when waking?

[aliciajane]

I had a nightmare last night, and woke up at 10.30 this morning.
In the dream I got stabbed (it sounds silly, but it was really horrid), I woke up and straight away had a panic attack.
It didn't feel like the normal stuff you get after a nightmare, I could feel it was a panic attack.
My chest was tight, my stomach was churning, my heart was pounding, I was shaking, my head was racing, I knew what it was.
I tried to get up to call someone but I couldn't so I just lay back down in bed and concentrated on my breathing. 20 mintues later I was feeling better.
I'm used to having panic attacks during and day and night, but I've never had once waking up. Has anyone else?
I'm feeling a little better now, but the whole thing has really shaken me :weep:

[leisa]

no how u feel babe,i am woken from my sleep havin panic attack & i havnt been dreamin bad things,think there called night terrors,& they r so scarey! i sometimes am awake & aware of what im doing i look around & cant recognise where i am which panics me even more,i fling open a window 2 breath & i no im doing it then i might recognise something then i come round ok but leaves me drained & scared ,i also have got up great & suddenly out of the blue i have a panic attack & i havnt even started the day!!!

[lindadiana]

hello,i awake every morning even from a sound sleep to be greeted by a panic attack i have done for over twenty years.panic attacks are generally a thought or a certain bodily happening related so ive never quite understood why i get them even after a good night sleep,maybe my body is just programmed to panic on waking now,as i used to find it very difficult to sleep and would lay for hours with wondering the what ifs. i still do have sleepless nights but not so much.i do know that horrible feeling of waking up alone in the middle of the night heart racing thinking your about to die with noone to talk to really freaks you out i know.hope you get some peace and know your not alone in all this. anxiety and panic attacks arent fair there crap,,lol best wishes linda

[kaz79]

When the girls had just been born and I would go and lie down at odd times, I used to get them terribly on waking up. Really bad!! I would get really disorientated and I couldnt see.
I also had one in the middle of the night quite recently. It was awful... I sympathise with you:flowers:

[groovygranny]

Hello Aliciajane,

You did exactly the right thing by concentrating on your breathing - this enabled your mind to be distracted and so not dwell on what was happening.

It is very frightening and when I was at my worst, I would wake 2 or 3 times in the night in a state of total terror and panic....and again in the morning if I managed to get back to sleep for an hour or two.

However the last time I had a really bad one (long time ago thankfully), although it was still very very nasty, I knew what to expect and so 'rode it out' so to speak. Finally dropped off at about 5.00am and then slept through til 9.00 waking up completely fine - tired, but fine.

I think it's a case of taking each inicident as, when and if it comes - and try and distract yourself as much as possible.

Glad you're feeling better now:)


:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:


:flowers:

[aliciajane]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad to know I'm not alone!

[feels_like_home]

I have had anxiety and panic for a few years. My panic attacks are usually all mental symptoms. That was until last night. I went to bed feeling really tired and anxious. I woke up about an hour later in a full blown panic attack. This time my heart was racing and I was shaking really bad. I felt like I was having a heart attack or dying. I have never had one like this before. I just kept thinking how am I going to work tomorrow It finally settled down about 15-20 min. later. I was doing really well lately so this feels like a step back. Can symptoms change from mental to physical?
Thanks for listening.
Michelle

[Rennie1989]

I had that recently!! I dreamt that my fiancé ended our relationship by text saying "with everything that is going on with you (refering to my new diagnosis - panic disorder) it's best that we don't see each other anymore". Because it felt so real I woke up and had a panic attack.

You did the right thing of laying in bed and relaxing. It's brilliant that you were able to calm yourself down, well done!! Just remember, as real as a dream may seem they are not real.

[beauty]

This happened to me last night, it was very strange as i havent had anything panic related for a few months now (although i did frequently prior to this) and weirdly last night i woke up having a kind of panic attack, but then i dont even remember staying awake, it was like I just went back to sleep again.. It was almost as though i was already having the panic attack in my sleep and it woke me up. I remember it happening alot when i was going through a bad phase of panic as well.
So youre not alone : )

[bubbleblitt]

I only ever have a panic attack on waking.The minute I ake it has satrted already! The racing pulse, feeling really really anxious and scared and then tearful.As the day goes on it gradually settles down and so I get off to sleep but the next morning I wake up to the same thing.