The Morning Anxiety Breakfast Club

[CaliGuy]

Good morning all!

Just thought I'd post a thread about this in the non-medications part of the forum... as issues in the morning are not strictly something people with meds go through.
(Though certainly all are welcome to chime in of course.)

Waking with panic/anxiety seems to be one of the most common and yet most perplexing things people with anxiety/panic go through. It's something we can almost all relate to, and yet most admit to struggling with when it arises... and for people, it arises when they do. (Daily)

So, I thought a thread where people could check in with their progress and support each other might be handy for those with waking panic issues, morning anxiety, etc.

I can say from my experience, as the condition itself gets better, so do morning issues. So, take heart. We can all work to improve and eventually have normal mornings again. But for now, I'm curious...

1. Is this an issue for you? If so how often?
2. Does anyone out there feel like morning anxiety/panic is their PRIMARY issue? In other words, does it sometimes feel like your whole condition is dictated by this high anxiety state you wake with?
3. What do you find helps you work through hard mornings?
4. Do you feel like dreams feed into this? (For example, on high panic mornings... did you also have busy dreams, good or bad?)
5. Have you made progress and what are you trying to change with your mindset/lifestyle to regain balance?
6. Are you one of the "worse in the morning, much better at night" types?

If you're having a hard morning right now, hang in there. It always gets better. (And goes away as we work to relieve ourselves from stress disorder completely)

[beatroon]

Good morning fellow anxious souls!

It IS a perplexing part of anxiety, isn't it? So I'm glad to have the opportunity to talk about it here.

1. It is an issue for me when I'm in an anxious spell or relapse - so once every six months or so.
2. When it's bad - yes.
3. I find a little bit of a lie-in and a cuddle with my partner and then just getting up is the only way to get through it.
4. Can't remember about the dreams - maybe it varies?
5. Medication has helped with this and also getting enough sleep generally. Not drinking caffeine after 2pm and trying to tackle issues as they arise rather than squashing them down.
6. Yes!

Xx

[CaliGuy]

Beatroon,

Getting moving seems to be key for me as well. Always has been. Being busy at work oddly helps, as the brain has to stay off of the topic of anxiety. (Which the topic rarely comes up anymore unless I have one of these mornings)

So, similar to you there. I'd bet most people benefit from getting going. Claire Weekes actually taught about that long ago.

Hope today finds you well!

[beatroon]

Yes - Claire Weekes for the win! Her advice about 'floating' through the anxiety (was that her? it feels like it was) was so helpful. Definitely being at work helps. I'm relatively good today, I hope you are too!