Mornings are a disaster, please help

[Srm1135]

Every morning since my relapse I have been waking up with massive anxiety just like before I had my relapse. I wake up in a state of panic and the only thing that calms me down is Xanax. I hate this feeling and thought that I had it beaten. As the day progresses I start to feel better and by nighttime I still have anxiety but nowhere near what it was in the morning. Anyone else have this?

[JohnC]

Hey Srm1135, I do not know what it is about mornings but my worst is usually in the mornings. It got to be such a dam routine that i just take a Xanax every morning because i know that the drive in to work will surely result in an anxiety attack so every morning for the last 14 years now i just take a xanax in the mornings and carry one with me ( helps me to know its close by for just in case ). I do feel some what better by the end of the day but late evenings are always tough to. I do not Know if it is because i am starting to relax and when i relax my mind starts to wounder and think of stupid crap and next thing you know its anxiety again. So to answer your question, yes i do have this.

[Exactice]

Yes! I was the same for about 2 weeks.

http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?27510-Triumph-over-one-now-on-to-the-next!

Here is my thread of my progression and change.

I dealt with the morning anxiety and hesitation. It was just a byproduct of being aware of what is going on and waking every morning questioning if I would have to deal with an attack. Eventually it did subside! So again time! Dont be afraid of relapses and dont be hard on yourself! It happens, again the biggest part is now you have the power and you know you have easily recovered from it!

[Kuma]

Mornings are worst for me too. I don't take Xanax in the morning because it makes me tired (and because I save Xanax for very rare situations where I feel desperate).

I think cortisol levels tend to be highest in the morning. That may explain higher levels of anxiety. So I try to tell myself "This is just your cortisol levels -- push to get up and get going, and it will subside." And it usually does. But sometimes I really have to push myself to get up and get going.

[Anne1221]

I figured out that for me, mornings are worst, because I wake up totally unfocused. Once I start doing something and focus on something, I tend to calm down.

[Srm1135]

Thank you all for sharing you stories. Just makes you feel better to know that you are not alone. I'm working on it everyday. Whereas in the past I would need upwards of 4 to 5 Xanax to get me through the day the most I take now is .5 to 1.5mg. My psychiatrist and psychologist say that I may have to take a .5 to 1mg of Xanax for the rest of my life. Anybody have thoughts on that? And again thank you all.

[Dahila]

Ladies and Gentlemen , mornings were bad for me too, always woke up with impeding doom. Then my psdoc put me on Gabapentin on small does, I started to move the benzo to take later and later. Now I take it at work, so I am alert and then I am ready for my night....I work on afternoons. I think the meditation has a lot to do with my good mood in the morning (when I had some sleep) :))
Mornings are tough on most people:(

Few days ago I woke up shaking, and anxious. I went with my coffee to my garden, sat on the bench, trying to tell myself that nothing bad is going to happen....Then small Song sparrow sit on the fence and start singing. I had never hear them and it was just perfect, I was calm and happy in no time:)
Nature have this influence on everyone...