woke up feeling "off" - help

I have been suffering with this for a few years now...every morning I wake feeling shaky, anxious, weird and usually suffering the effects of some weird dream. I usually feel better after being up a little while but sometimes the anxiety just lasts the whole day. I've heard that there is a higher concentration of the hormone cortisol in the brain upon waking which can cause these symptoms but it sure is difficult to live with...I almost hate to wake up because as much as I try to go back to sleep, my nervousness and racing thoughts make it impossible. I'm sure you probably don't have anything physical, just experiencing this same condition. Try not to eat heavily in the evening and sometimes I find taking a small dose of my Xanax before going to bed helps somewhat, but not always. And use your meditation techniques too....i haven't been able to make that work for me yet...maybe I'm just not focusing properly.

MG,

Glad you're video helped get things back on track for you! Hang in there!

Hi MissGigi

Sorry to hear you are not having a good day today it can be very frustrating when you have been ok the day before.

I'm pleased that you watched a mindfulness video I hope that helped a little. When I have a bad day and try and keep myself busy so I don't have much time to think about things.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

Hibee

I have been going through the exact same thing. I wake up the exact same way.
I have also noticed taking my anxiety medication the second i wake up will also help diminish the symptoms while im doing my meditation and deep breathing. Very very difficult to wake up like this every morning but as the day goes on it does get better somewhat. Hope you find some relief soon

Thanks Barb. I hope you feel better soon too.

Melodee - that is an interesting thought. I was SO exhausted last night around 8. I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I didn't get much sleep the night before, but this was extreme. I wonder if some of the things I processed at therapy just wiped me out? Plus the weird feeling of feeling kind of good? I don't know.

Some days our Cortisol/sensitivity to it can just be higher than others...simple cause and effect.

Hopefully, you can continue to break the worry cycle regarding this (Gooooooo coping skills!!) and these feelings will gradually fade as your levels drop this afternoon.:)

Peace and progress!

S.C.

Hi TMA! I'm feeling a little bit better, but not great. Still shaky and pounding heart. It does make me feel a little better to know that others feel the same way.

Are you feeling better?

Just wondering, so many of you feel the same, do you take anything to sleep, or do you take anything at
bed time, i had this a long time ago, i was taking half a xanax at bed time, by the time i woke up it had
worn off and i had the jitters, i changed things a little, i started benadryl at bed time and if i had the jitters
upon waking i would then use the half xanax, most times it held up all day but i never beat myself up if
i needed another half, these meds are tools, you need to find out what works for you. Peace

Larry ***

Thanks for your concern, Miss Gigi. Yes, there have been a million things on my plate lately that's for sure. I was diagnosed with macular degeneration a couple of months ago and am being treated for it now, but it really affects ones eyesight so that contributes to my anxiety. My very best and dearest friend of 50 years died quite suddenly, my only living relative besides my sons is dying of leukemia, my finances are plummeting because I'm now retired, living only on Soc Sec and what i can make doing some caregiving work and I'm feeling very alone and wondering what's going to happen to me if I can't continue to afford my rental. All these things have put my anxiety at it's highest level, especially in the morning, and I cry at the drop of a hat. I'm so glad that I have this forum to turn to, as it always helps calm me down when no one or nothing else can. I don't always post recently because, frankly, it's almost too painful to write all these things down but I know its also therapeutic to do it when I feel like things are overwhelming me. I just wish I could enjoy more sleep in the mornings..I wake up at 4am and try so hard to fall back to sleep but to no avail...the jitters, racing heart and thoughts, adrenaline rush, blah blah blah make that impossible so I get up, hoping these feelings will subside. Being a health anxiety sufferer too, i always convinced that maybe this macular thing is a sign of brain cancer or something so I get so nervous that my eyelid starts to twitch (I've had that before but now it seems to last for days and I'm sure it's all nerves, since I get the "twitches" too in other parts of my body. ) Oh well, I don't mean to whine here..just felt the need to vent. But thanks for remembering, MissGigi, it shows how much all you folks genuinely care for the rest of us.

Thanks so much again, missGigi....your words ARE very comforting. Two of my sons live near me, thank God, as well as my two twin grandsons and my 23 year old still lives with me. They all know that I have anxiety but don't know the extent to which it impacts my life, as i work very hard at hiding it from them. Consequently, I think they till feel I can do anything....just like I always did as a younger single mother and they certainly can't be expected to understand what it's like to get older and worry about your future. So I have to admit I really don't have anyone to vent to, other than you wonderful folks and I am so grateful for that.

I am getting a shot in my eye once a month for six months and there's already an improvement on the scan but my eyesight itself doesn't feel much better. The doctor did mention the possibility of going on some vitamins bu hasn't prescribed anything yet. What is the story with the ones you mentioned? I do smoke (still trying to quit) so curious to know what the problem is with beta carotine and smoking and hope you can enlighten me. Thanks for caring.

Thank you Inci. I am feeling better. I haven't woken up with the awful feelings I had the other day. Interestingly, sorry TMI ahead, I think it was ovulation time when I woke up feeling so poorly. Makes sense, hormone shift and BAM! I started taking a supplement that my alternative med doctor (MD) told me to take for the last to weeks of my cycle. I had stopped for some reason the last few months. I felt better the next day! Not great, I still have the underlying uneasiness, but much better than the mess I was the other morning.

Andwes, it is hard to share some things with family because they, as much as they may want to, just don't understand. I'm sorry you have to put on such a brave face for your family, but always know you can share here and we can all relate and support you.

As far as your eye, I thought I remembered you smoked...there is some evidence that beta carotene can supplements in smokers/former smokers can encourage the development of lung cancer. I did read that there is an alternative to beta carotene that can be used in the supplement combo for smokers. Google the National Eye Institute and you can read about it. I also saw that the supplement combo was recommended by Mayo, so it must have some benefit. Something worth looking into and asking your eye doc about.

I'm glad you have found something that is helping. I too have been doing breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation. It does help. It's funny, it seems so simple, but with continued practice, I really think it does begin to help.

Yep- one "calm" week a month for me too!! The downside to being female. You have the ovulation sensation too? I didn't used to, but maybe it is more noticeable as we get "older" and the hormone fluctuations affect us more?? Fun!! :p