Need Advice: How to deal with Morning Anxiety

[MissyMischief]

Well, I've always had problems with anxiety upon waking. Going to work, going to school etc...was always a bit difficult for me, mainly due to social anxiety I've had my whole life. But now in the last year as my anxiety has gotten worse, so have my mornings. And especially since experimenting with medications for the first time over the last 3.5 months, my mornings are pretty much always just dreadful. I wake up with the classic "churning stomach" Claire Weekes describes and this feeling of dread. I always wonder how I'm going to make it through the day.

Eating is challenging, although I try to drink some water and eat a protein bar. I've tried meditation and exercise, although that doesn't always work. I have a light box that I sit with for half an hour each day, which I believe is helping with my depression. Sometimes a Xanax is the only thing that will alleviate the anxiety enough so that I can do anything productive with my day. I hate taking it, so I try not to, but sometimes I feel like I have no choice because I don't want to sit on my bed all day, feeling too awful to do anything.

I'm writing this for some advice, because my mornings just always suck and I'm so, so, so, so tired of it. I usually go to bed feeling good, but the I just hate waking up feeling so bad. I hope to find an AD medication that works for me (I'm trying my third right now), which hopefully will alleviate some of the anxiety, but until then, I need HELP!

Thanks in advance !

[Lan69]

I too suffered badly with this and still do but too a lesser extent. I was being woke up by my anxiety every morning and the physical symptoms were awful, like you describe churning stomach and feeling of dread, palpitations and shortness of breath. This lasted most of the day and I couldn't eat or sleep I was even hospitalised twice due to intrusive thoughts.
Now when I wake up I've noticed it's not the anxiety that wakes me anymore but I bring it on myself by scanning myself and expecting the anxiety to be there. I'm in a cycle but I'm hoping in time the cycle will break as the symptoms are less intense and I put this down to my medication as it settles a lot better after my morning tablets. I have to try remind myself each morning that the feeling will go

[Mee2]

I feel for you guys. Taking a measure of trust and knowing in your stride like lan69 says, that anxiety will pass as the day moves on, its something small and positive to note, but it doesn't help deal with the anxiety fully in the here and now.

My Anxiety (in a round about way) coupled with drink, also left me hospitalised. A&E, several times. We all walk a similar but different path. We walk together, though If meditation doesn't work for you, try another teacher, don't give up - combine what you've learned from different sources if you can. Positivity can add up in surprisingly profound ways.

[swgrl09]

Oh I have this too and it is HARD to work through. Even when I am at my best, I have morning anxiety. Usually once I get to 11 AM or so I am ok, but it's hard to get to that point. I dread getting started with the day.

I remind myself that I will feel better as the day goes on and it will pass, as others have mentioned. I force myself up and just fight through. I'm not sure of anything else. If it's a weekend and I have time, yoga helps me adjust. On weekdays, I get up early for work and don't have time for that so I do it when I get home from work instead.

[MissyMischief]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'm glad I'm not alone with this.

[MyNameIsTerry]

You are amongst the many, Genoire. Morning anxiety has always been my pattern too.

Cortisol is at it's highest when we wake at the start of our day, it's why we wake up. The trouble for us is that we are already releasing too much of the stuff anyway. So, exercise can be helpful and meditation reduces it but I know what you mean - it's damn hard when you are struggling to just stay still.

I've always found getting up, eating & drinking and then just pushin on to get out of the house helps me. I go for my walks after my breakfast.

[MissyMischief]

Thanks everyone! Today I forced myself to get up and go for a job which helped a lot with my anxiety. It's my first workout in weeks. I needed the virtual kick in the butt, so thanks.

I didn't know Cortisol is at its highest in the mornings. That is really interesting. I'm wondering if beta blockers taken in the morning would help. I also went to this website, www.moodcure.com, and the woman recommends taking Seriphos and lactium to balance cortisol levels. I'm going to have to do more research on this, but it sounds really interesting.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Have a read through this thread, Genoire:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=176015

There are some interesting studies showing prebiotics & probiotics reducing cortisol levels as well as anxiety. These are a new area in mental health study and showing promise. We need them to live and they take a hammering from processed diets & sugary stuff. They won't interact with meds as well as they are already in our bodies in high quantities in many strains.

Cortisol has a daily pattern and it doesn't matter whether you work nights or days, it is based on your diurnal rhythm. So, it starts high and reduces as the day goes on.

[MissyMischief]

Sorry, I meant I went for a JOG not JOB. Haha, that was a very misleading typo.

Thanks for the link, Terry. I will check it out .