Weird feeling in morning

[Stephj526]

Does anyone else feel like they have a heavy chest, or for lack of a better word, congested chest every morning?

I tend to feel like my organs just aren't as awake when I first wake up, and sometimes it freaks me out. Just wondering if anyone else feels this, or if I'm just weird.

[Stephj526]

Sorry to bump, but just had a big panic moment about this b

[raggamuffin]

Do you sleep on your chest? That happens if I wake up doing that. Failing that then it's bound to be the usual chest tightness due to your fight or flight response going nuts thanks to anxiety pumping adrenaline filled blood around the chest wall muscles to protect vital organs. Clever system but when our fight or flight is going haywire it can cause no end of chest discomfort.

Ed

[LostGirl1]

I suffer from chest pain due to anxiety. Sometimes I get a cough/congestion when it's very bad for extended periods.

[catchaneye]

I get this my anxiety :) try and learn some breathing exercises it tends to loosen up my chest a bit. It feels kinda compressed?

[meggs]

Yes! I have felt that way since I've woke up. I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest and a rubber bad is being squeezed around my brain.
My body feels off.
So I understand. "Just breathe"- is easier said than done during these horrifying moments.
Doing any better?

[raggamuffin]

It's not just about breathing though. it's reminding yourself you're not in danger. The mroe you read and udnerstand about anxiety, why it happens and it's symptoms the less you fear them. Chest pains are horrid, but when you remove the fear they are a lot shorter lived than if you spend minutes/hours/days worrying about when they'll come and then panicking when they do come.

When you remind yourself you're not in any danger and carry on your day as normal with a real emphasis on keeping busy the symptoms will lessen in intensity and often disappear entirely. When this happens time after time you build up a wealth of experience and realize that no matter how painful or varied the pains can be they can't harm you.

It's your bodies way of telling you it's undergoing a lot of stress and worry and it's crying out for rest. The last thing it wants is more panic and worry. It needs rest and wants to recover. By understanding anxiety you can help yourself get better over time.

Ed

[Stephj526]

All this makes sense, thanks. It's just such a weird feeling. It's not actually a pain, but instead feels like its failing or heavy.

But I've had several thoughts like this before, just without the physical symptoms. It's almost like its morphed to get more attention now.

But I'm happy to be reassured its just anxiety. It helps me to ignore it easier.

I am happy to say last night I was so freaked out about it that I panicked, felt like I was having a heart attack. But I pulled through it and it went away within minutes b

[raggamuffin]

If chest pain is severe lift your elft arm over your head. If it's a heart attack it'd be sheer agony to do so. Little tip my GP told me when I went there with terrible chest pains.

But in all honesty anxiety chest pains can be horrifically painful. Sometimes just feeling a bit off like you described or a dull ache that can be long lasting. But the worst are the sharp stabbing pains. Usually only last a split second but sometimes longer.

Just remind yourself it can't hurt you and keep busy. We're the one's who give anxiety it's power by worrying and fretting and trying to fight fire with paraffin :P

Ed

[Stephj526]

If chest pain is severe lift your elft arm over your head. If it's a heart attack it'd be sheer agony to do so. Little tip my GP told me when I went there with terrible chest pains.

But in all honesty anxiety chest pains can be horrifically painful. Sometimes just feeling a bit off like you described or a dull ache that can be long lasting. But the worst are the sharp stabbing pains. Usually only last a split second but sometimes longer.

Just remind yourself it can't hurt you and keep busy. We're the one's who give anxiety it's power by worrying and fretting and trying to fight fire with paraffin :P

Ed

Hmm, great tip, thanks! And you're absolutely right, if we can just ignore the anxiety then all its power will be lost.

[mykids12]

Yes!! But I can't tell if mine is anxiousness or congestion. I can feel it in my lungs when I wake up and have to cough a couple times. It's usually every morning I feel this way.