HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Question about waking with panic attacks

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/22/2014 12:28 PM (GMT 0)
Does anyone know why this actually happens? This morning I woke hyperventilating with a racing heart and was really tense and I'd like to understand why this happens??
Posted 10/22/2014 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
We're you dreaming before you woke up? Sometimes I dream that I'm in a situation where I would be anxious and then end up feeling it in my dream. Occasionally I am even on the brink of a panic attack while still dreaming. Then I wake up, and of course I am breathing heavy and wanting to jump out of my bed.
Posted 10/22/2014 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
I know I did dream last night, but I don't think I was having a dream right as I woke up. It was a bad one too. I couldn't catch my breath, felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin, my heart was racing! I read that lying on your stomach helps you take better breaths because it gives your diaphragm more room or something, so I laid on my stomach and things did feel better and I fell back to sleep.

I just feel like it started my day badly. We have a wedding to go to this weekend so while my day today might sound glorious, it actually gives me anxiety, because everywhere I go I'm stuck. I have to go get my eyebrows waxed, a mani/pedi and a hair color and keratin treatment. This used to be what I would refer to as my relaxing day oh beauty and now I'm just praying to not have a panic attack while in stuck in anyone's chair! Ugh! Having and I hate panic day!!
Posted 10/22/2014 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
I think it totally sets a tone for your day. Try to enjoy your pampering. I know what you mean about used to enjoy that stuff. I have to schedule a massage for next week (before my gift certificate runs out) and I am putting it off! Putting off a massage!?!? What the hell is wrong with me??
Posted 10/22/2014 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
Oh my gosh, I know what you mean! I actually have to take a xanax before a massage now. It's terrible! If the massage isn't awesome then I get really flustered and impatient and feel claustrophobic! It's ridiculous. I used to get a massage and fall asleep. Gone are the days....
Posted 10/22/2014 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

A lot of us here have higher anxiety first thing in the morning myself included I have never really been able to find out the reason why but I do think it depends on how well I slept. Do you take any thing to help with your anxiety? I also did a course of CBT and Mindfulness and found them very helpful in getting me to manage my anxitey better.

Hibee
Posted 10/22/2014 4:02 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry your morning got off to such a rough start. I wouldn't be surprised if the problem was that unconsciously you were thinking about all you had to do today and feeling trapped.

I'm the same way too, by the way. I used to LOVE getting a massage. Now, I can barely relax. I'm sure the therapist I had last time was wondering how my heart could be beating so hard when I was supposed to be relaxing! I thought I was going to have a panic attack. Horrible!

Good luck with your beauty day! :)
Posted 10/22/2014 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hibee- I take Xanax 3 times a day for my anxiety and Ambien for sleep. I have an appointment to discuss an a/d or mood stabilizer in December, but my doctor wants me to even out after my pregnancy situation and just stick to the xanax, which is what makes me feel safe, for another couple months. I am seeing a new therapist who specializes in CBT, exposure therapy and all that good stuff. We dig in tomorrow actually.

MissGigi- you're probably right. The idea of all the running around today was not appealing to me, so maybe I woke up already feeling rushed. I know what you mean about the massage therapist. Mine has asked me if I'm ok before because I take just deep breaths and she feels the muscles in my neck and shoulders tighten instantly!
Posted 10/22/2014 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Well, I made my massage appointment for Monday. hopefully Monday will be a good day😀

Park, I was on xanax 3x a day for most of the summer. By August, I found myself needing to take it less and less. By the end of September, I was down to taking .125 just a couple times a week. I think I've only taken it 3 times this whole month. I think, by the time December rolls around, you won't need anything additional. It seems like you have been doing so much better already. Having that therapy is going to make you unstoppable, I think!
Posted 10/22/2014 7:52 PM (GMT 0)
P.,

For me, this started as I was making the most progress on my anxiety during the waking hours...

...it was almost as if the anxiety was not going to go down without a fight! I could almost hear it saying "You've got me managed during the day...but let's see how you do when your defenses are down while you are sleeping."

Maybe that is too much personification...;p But I definitely think that anxiety is opportunistic, so it could be that you are doing well during the day, so you are struck when more vulneralbe....that was the case for me anyway.

Keep up with your coping skills....so glad to hear that you are starting therapy soon! All good stuff...you are on your way! ;)

S.C.
Posted 10/22/2014 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
My therapist told me it's because we have excess cortisol in the brain when waking...now I have to look up what cortisol IS....LOL. I'll let you know. If I remember correctly it has something to do with adrenaline...and we all know what THAT does to us! I too am a morning anxiety sufferer...I never can go back to sleep when I wake up because immediately my mind starts racing and the heart starts pounding!
Posted 10/22/2014 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
Cortisol is a stress hormone. It is responsible for getting us up and moving in the morning after sleeping for hours. It is stimulating.

Those of us with anxiety either produce too much, or have developed a sensitivity to it....otherwise it is a good thing...without it, we would never get up!

However, an excess can cause A/P upon awakening.

Coping skills and exercise can help offset this!

S.C.
Posted 10/22/2014 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
So much interesting stuff being said on this thread I'm not sure where to start. I think what Scaredy said was huge. I also sometimes wonder if maybe my body has held the anxiety at bay all day and all night long so when morning comes it just all lets loose? I don't know what it is but I hate it. The not knowing if I'll wake up feeling decent or not really gets old.

I also relate to you guys talking about stuff like getting a massage and your hair done giving you anxiety when normally it would be something you'd love. I LOVE me some shopping! Last Friday night I took my daughters shopping to get a couple of things we needed which I would normally love. A shopping trip without my son or husband to whine? Count me in! Well I ended up posting here on the forum from the darn store while my daughter was trying stuff on in the fitting room because I was freaking out so bad. I had been looking forward to this and was so disappointed.

I hope it is okay to mention this here but I've been listening to this podcast called The Anxiety Coaches that you can listen to on the Sticher App or I believe Itunes has it as well. Anyway they had a pretty interesting talk about morning anxiety there and how common it is.
Posted 10/22/2014 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
Morning anxiety is bad for me .. When my alarm goes off, and I first get up out of bed, I have a racing heart. For the past 2 nights, I've had trouble falling asleep, being soooo tired, Everytime I fell asleep I popped back up with a racing heart. I've come to realize it's just a part of anxiety that I have no clue why,but it just comes with it.)=
Posted 10/23/2014 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
its bad for me too. but usually goes away quickly
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply