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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 10/21/2010 4:25 PM (GMT 0)

You wake up in the morning, and the FIRST thing you feel is your anxiety sweeping over you. It's like the very first thing you do before you've even lifted your head of the pillow is start worrying and panicking. And it can be about anything, but usually you immediately start thinking about how awful you felt physically the day before and will you feel like that again today? And low and behold as soon as you start thinking about the physical symptoms, you start getting them again straight away!

This is why the morning is the worst time of the day for me just now. I'm almost starting to dread going to bed at night because it means it'll soon be the morning again and I'll feel like crap.

I think we would all agree here that the one thing that aggravates your physical symptoms is thinking about them. I just wish I could take my mind off them. It's no coincidence that alcohol actually helps you do this, all be it short term. It relaxes you and takes your mind off obsessing about the symptoms for an evening. It's no permanent solution though.

Posted 10/21/2010 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I've been there! It helped me to learn that anxiety can be worse in the morning due to cortisol, a stress hormone being at it's highest in the a.m. This is designed as a way to get the body up and going, but those with A/P have too much cortisol already, so it kind of does us in! Once I learned that there was a legitimate cause for my rotten mornings, it helped me accept it and changed my mindset, and the tone of the rest of the day. Through therapy, I learned to battle the scary thoughts and feelings regarding my physical anxiety symptoms. They still make appearances, but my reaction to them no longer sparks panic attacks. If you haven't tried it, I strongly reccomend it. (I'm sorry, I can't remember if you have or haven't)
Yes, be careful with the alcohol! You don't want to trade one problem for another worse one. I am very careful with it as my father was an alchoholic (actually died from complications of) I do enjoy a relaxing drink, but I keep it VERY limited. I wonder how many people with substance abuse problems, actually started out with A/P, used it as a coping mechanism, and got trapped-it's sad to think about!
I hope that you get some relief from your symptoms soon. I am sorry that you are suffering right now. Try to make time for relaxation, slow breathing, and exercise-these will all help.
Take care,
Scaredy Cat
Posted 10/21/2010 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
I get the exact same thing, my anxiety is worst in the morning handsdown. Sometimes there is nothing you can do about it either, as soon as your eyes open its panic time. I share scaredy Cats response about the alcohol, but it seems like you have a good outlook on what alcohol will do judging by your post. Therapy has also greatly helped me dealing with the thoughts and feelings and physical symptoms. Might be something to look into. My therapist describes the bond between thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms. Its like a triangle and when one corner of the triangle changes the all have to. So if one of these is heading downhill the others will follow along with it. You describe it well with the thoughts about the physical coming on and being followed by the actual physical. I've been working on catching these thoughts before they get a hold and kicking their butt. Its working very well for me so far.
Posted 10/21/2010 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
I went through a long spell of waking up and being in tears before I could even get out of bed as I was so afraid of what the day was going to bring.  I have gotten past that but once in awhile the feelings try to sneak back in.

Take care and know we are here for you.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 10/24/2010 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Definitely very bad anxiety in the morning. I tend to wake an hour or two too early and spend that lost sleep time fretting, wrestling to find solutions, just in general feeling more terrified and stressed than at other times of day.

ScaredyCat, thanks for the info about cortisol. I had never known that its levels are highest in the morning and during the night. Now it makes sense why I have a harder time dealing with anxiety in the middle of the night or when I first wake up.

percycat
Posted 10/24/2010 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
That sounds familiar to me. One thing I do for myself is when I start to feel that way I kind of look at myself from afar and think "let it be", and it sort of clarifies the situation for me. Don't just think the words, think the action of letting it be, and sort of feel sorry for yourself. Don't think you don't have a right to because that's denying yourself something innately in you. Feel sorry but continue on, because that's what everyone wants to do anyway.
Posted 10/24/2010 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I have had some bad esperiences with morning anxiety but it seems to be so much better now. One thing suggested to me was taking increased doses of Vitamin C first thing in the morning. 

Vitamin C is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the hormone Cortisol which has an important role in stress levels. Also vitamin C provides more effective stress coping mechanisms due to it containing anti-oxidants.

Foods: Vitamin C can be found in foods including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, tomatoes, berries, cabbage, lettuce and peas. Foods containing vitamin C must be eaten raw or the positive effects will be lost. So be sure to always consider what you are putting into your stomach.  I use Vitamin C supplements too.

kindly,

Kitt

Posted 10/25/2010 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
If I don't take my Klonopin before I go to bed, I usually wake up with a panic attack like that. I try to remember to do my deep breathing techniques when that happens.
I would steer clear of the alcohol. It doesn't help anything.
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