Help!! Morning Anxiety

[Laurie2001]

I have terrible morning anxiety where I can't really move or do anything. I'm afraid all I do is take ativan and wait for it to take effect and then I'm OK. Until then I look at the computer. Its hard to even take a shower in this state.
However, the more regularly I do yoga the better it is. But it is a horrible feeling

 

[MrsBeasley86]

Im glad I'm not the only one. Even though I wish no one had to deal with it. Its horrible! I've heard yoga is good for it. Maybe I need to look in to that.

 

[watundah]

I have been taking yoga the last few months by recommendation of Dr. Van der Kolk (the Body Keeps the Score). I really like the fact that it relaxes me and helps me to stay in my body. I would highly recommend it. He suggests that it helps to rewire the traumatized mind.

I also find that exercise in general is the best way for me to hone down my edge. If I don't do something about every day, I am antsy antsy antsy.

 

[KwanYingirl]

In my situation I think my body is craving Xanax because I take my dose the night before at 6:00 and I sleep til 6:00am. That's a long time between doses.

 

[City Slicker]

Awakening anxiety is a common experience not just for those of us with PTSD.

I have studied a lot about it having experienced it myself and from what I understand, the anxiety is related to a mechanism in our systems that prepare us to awaken and be active.

The theory about morning anxiety that I like is that the body has specific rhythms and one is the process of awakening. On preparing to awaken, the body produces a flood of 'cortisol' which is a hormone-steroid that is related to body regulation. It releases in order to get us prepared for the day.

The surge of cortisol upon awakening can be extremely uncomfortable and those sensitive to it can experience the surge or interpret it as extremely uncomfortable anxiety.

That's when i do the breathing exercises, self talk, tell myself exactly what's happening - and that the process is a normal, physiological response to being human. I hit the rails when I allow my mind to take off with the cortisol and suddenly get myself into catastrophic thinking about my upcoming day.

Another thing I do is to use very dark curtains to keep the light out of the room when sleeping. This also reduces the surge of cortisol because the body is not responding to the encroaching light through the windows and is a much gentler experience in waking up. (I love hotel rooms because most have the blackout curtains)

We also release cortisol when we are under stress and it can play havoc with our already sensitive systems - I definitely echo what others have said about exercise as a mediating factor.

 

[oasis2003]

oh yes exercise does work it is just motivation to do it when you are depressed. If I have done exercise such as swimming, walking or yoga it does work.

 

[MrsBeasley86]

Awakening anxiety is a common experience not just for those of us with PTSD.

I have studied a lot...

Thanks for all this info!!

 

[jenshina401]

I wonder if writing down the thoughts that enter ones head as soon as they wake up would help? I normally have a to do list already running through my head just as soon as my alarm goes off. Recently, however, since I had my last paralyzing triggered attack about 4 weeks ago (it really hasn't subsided), instead of a running list that calms down as soon as I look at my day planner (where I realize that just about everything on my to do list is scheduled or listed in some manner - which is normal for me), it doesn't stop and becomes paralyzing. Instead of "Ok, I need to do a, b, c, d and then 1, 2, 3, 4.... oh I've already got it handled, but forgot to write down item e.... got it", it is now "ERMEGERD! I have do do a, b, c, d and 1, 2, 3, 4, I forgot e - you craving idiot - and then there's x, y, z that is actually the other person's problem but I know they will drop it so I need to do it and the deadline that in reality is 2 months away is due yesterday and AAARRRRGGGHHHH!" Enter full panic mode and end up calling in sick to work because that just aggravated my PMS cramps which sets me back further.

Wow. I should journal more and get that out in private instead of a forum. But, my point is, has anyone done a "waking diary" kind of like a dream journal? Does it work?

Also,City Slicker, thanks for the cortisol on waking info. Hadn't thought of that and my cortisol was diagnosed as entirely too high when I hit rock bottom from abuse 5 years ago. Time to get re-tested methinks.

 

[barefoot]

Yes, I go through stages of this - wake up, eyes wide, jaw tight, body tense and rigid, breathing shallow... It's like waking and, before I've even had a conscious thought, I'm on the cusp of a panic attack. Horrible!

I echo what others have said - get up, get moving and do something to discharge the anxiety.

Diaphragmatic breathing exercises also work well for me. The key to those is to do them every day, even at times when you don't feel particularly anxious, as they stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system which helps to calm things down and stabilise mood and keep adrenaline/cortisol in check. But even if you don't usually do them, doing them as a one- off if your anxiety is high should still help.