Morning Anxiety

[Laurence5905]

I've always been a "night-owl." At night, I feel calm (or at least calmER than I do during the day). The mornings are HORRIBLE for me... At night, I can almost feel normal, like this whole panic and anxiety thing is unimportant and not really an issue -- then the next morning, it starts all over again... This leads me to want to stay up at night and sleep all day -- which I can do because I work my own hours (kind of a blessing and a curse, that...)

I like the ideas I've seen here... I'm going to try some of them and see if it helps in the mornings... Maybe I'll be able to get myself on a "day schedule" and stay there... It does make me feel lazy as hell when I sleep all day -- even if I worked 10 hours the night before...

Thanks for the ideas...

L.

[CynCG]

Ugh... This happened to me this morning. And I let it take over. I woke up, wide awake at 4am. All I wanted was to go back to bed for an hour before I had to start getting ready for work. My mind wouldn't stop!!! And it's so dumb!! I know the thoughts are irrational... But I tried the steps to stop them. I tried happy self talk and motivational thoughts. But I freaked out. I wasn't stopping the symptoms and I could feel my heart beat going faster. I just felt like I needed to call off work. Once I called off work, my symptoms started to subsided. Now I feel like a huge pile of poop. I am 24 years old and should be going to work everyday... I don't understand what my problem is. I just want a magic remedy to make this all go away.

[teepee58]

CynG - Being inactive and trying to talk myself out of anxiety always had limited results. Sounds like getting up and getting active at the same time you are doing self-talk might help you, as it does me.

Maybe make a list of possible things to do when you can't sleep and your anxiety is attacking you. Straighten up around the house. Do some laundry. Keep a list of household and personal tasks and chores to work on. Re-listen to a program CD. Read a chapter of the workbook or of 'From Panic to Power'. Write in your journal. Do a crossword. Maybe even get ready and go to work early if possible, especially if you feel better once you get yourself to work. When I get like that, I know I am not going back to sleep anyway, and laying there inactive makes it worse.

Don't beat yourself up either. You are here in the program, trying to get better. Congratulate yourself for that. Remember tomorrow is another day and another chance to get off to a good start. The magic solution is working the program each and every day, knowing there will be good days and bad days.

Good Luck.

[mjneistat]

I have horrible morning anxiety. I start crying as soon as I open my eyes. It starts to go away as the day goes on but the first few hours are hell. Every day I feel this way, but it is lesser on the weekends. I feel ok in the evening and can't even understand what I was crying about.My wife thinks I can just move my mind in a positive direction in the morning but the feeling is so strong I just can't.

[danimarie28]

I have horrible morning anxiety. I start crying as soon as I open my eyes. It starts to go away as the day goes on but the first few hours are hell. Every day I feel this way, but it is lesser on the weekends. I feel ok in the evening and can't even understand what I was crying about.My wife thinks I can just move my mind in a positive direction in the morning but the feeling is so strong I just can't.

I am going through the same thing the crying n the morn,nausea and dry heaves, just a sense of being out there but as the day goes on i am better. Do u get all those symptoms?

[rebah]

I did a Korean Martial Art practice for 3 years and in it we did a lot of work/study/practice on how emotions effect us.
Both personal emotions and those of others. The very interesting finding about "anxiety" is that it almost always felt like it came from "inside" of you. In other words we would sit in circles with our eyes closed and simply feel the "vibes" that one person was projecting: Anger, Sadness, Embarassment, Gladness, etc. In all of the emotions we could feel that it was coming from the other person EXCEPT for anxiety. It is like a phantom emotion. It becomes yours as soon as some one projects it into the air waves. Now, I know this sounds a little "new-agey" and perhaps it is. But with the rise of anxiety in the world, when I wake up in the morning and feel this insurmountable wave of ANXIETY, I know without a doubt is coming form the universe. I have not ruminated upon anything and I have not stressed myself out over anything I have simply been sensitive and empathic to what is going on in the world, That is how I deal with morning anxiety. I do not adopt it as mine. PERIOD>

[DonnaDoLittle]

Thank you for post, this is my first post and I believe was one of of my first signs that I ignored so I am glad to read your responses. Thanks I thought it was just me.
Now to find my way around this maze of posts,

[carolyn59]

I have not had any panic attacks in the morning but I do feel anxious a lot of mornings. I am not able to drive because of my fears and I have to rely on my husband to drive me to and from work now. I have always been independent until the last 2 years when I have become consummed with my fears. Worrying about the inability to drive starts my days off in a bad way

[KAMO]

I have anxiety in the morning too, but once I get up and start doing something, it goes away. Unfortunately, it usually starts back up around 3pm. I don't know what to do sometimes other than to just accept it as part of my life now, and I don't want it!

[samsomes]

Do any of you experience some of your worst anxiety immediately after you wake up in the morning? I Often wake up about an hour before my alarm clock goes off, and I have such anxiety that there is no possible way to go back to sleep. My thoughts start racing, and I think I just can't take this everyday. Sometimes I feel like there is no way I am going to make it to work feeling like this. But, then, I take a shower, get to work, and everything feels better (not great, but manageable). It is not every single morning, but it is many of them.

I also have anxiety in the morning I go to a Naturopath doc and I am starting some natural sleep aids.
I got to the point that I was so tired I could hardly function. So you have to decide what you are going to do to help
yourself get better. Sleeping well has been the Key for me at this point. My sleep cycle was really off. So I need to get
that under control, first even a medication can be the key. Then move to natural sleep aids. Also my Adrenal glands were
working overtime. Optimizing adrenal gland function is essential to combating stress. There is no magic pill to take for
the adrenal gland, but there are many natural herbs that can have an effect on promoting healthy adrenal glands. Do a
little research on the computer. You might have to try more than one to find the one that works for you. We have a super
supplements in our area and they were really helpful. Good Luck