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Help with feelings of panic when I wake up in the morning

Kate Kestrel

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to deal with feelings of panic when waking up in the morning? I’ve had a really bad few months of struggling with really severe anxiety and panic. Its getting to the point where I’m struggling to function at all. I’m on a waiting list for some talking therapy but it’s only one of those online things and it’s not happening any time soon. When I wake up I get horrendous feeling of panic - and I don’t know what to do to help myself. Every morning is the same - I wake up, I immediately remember all the things that are scaring me and I start to panic. I feel horrendous. I just can’t go on like this it’s ruining my life. Does anyone have any good coping strategies for dealing with this? Any ideas of what might help? I’d be really grateful for any advice anyone can give. I feel so terrible. I’m totally out of energy and ideas. Thanks. 

Parents
    1. I can related and hope you get the right kind of help soon. I have been through this on and off (my mind is buzzing especially first thing in the morning). I have found listening to relaxing sounds with headphones on a good way to smooth my mind. The biggest thing I have discovered that really works for me in this respect is praying (it depends if you are a religious person of course, but this has helped me the most).
Reply
    1. I can related and hope you get the right kind of help soon. I have been through this on and off (my mind is buzzing especially first thing in the morning). I have found listening to relaxing sounds with headphones on a good way to smooth my mind. The biggest thing I have discovered that really works for me in this respect is praying (it depends if you are a religious person of course, but this has helped me the most).
Children
  • in reply to Don

    Hi Kate,

    I've always been a morning person, up early and standing on the steps outside the gym to do an hour working out before work. Then working long hours. But i'm not now, how things change. I still wake up early, but lay there thinking, what is there to get up for. I was in hospital for a few weeks last year and had a pacemaker fitted. When i first went in, i had tubes & wires attached to me,  couldn't even get out of bed to go for a wee, so they had a sort of nappy on me. It was so uncomfortable i couldn't sleep despite being so tired. And i'd lay there in the dark, in a ward by myself, listening to the hospital noises in the distance, thinking.......... Why am i here ? Not why am i here in hospital. But why am i here. I couldn't think of a single person who'd miss me, or would be that bothered if i'd gone to sleep and not woke up. I woke up a couple of mornings when the nurse came around, i was in tears, and i'm 68yrs old. I told the nurse, i feel like i'm taking this bed off someone who really needs it, someone who'd be missed a lot more than me. When they let me out of hospital they told me i needed to contact Social Services, i need a Carer, but 'cos of the autism, i don't want someone, especially a stranger, coming to my house.

    I remember years ago, my Gp suddenly asking if i ever had suicidal thoughts, i was shocked, don't know why he asked, but said No never. I think the answer is still No, but i'd have to think about.  There are times, mostly of a night sitting here alone wishing i'd done things differently in my life, when i was younger, and now had a family i could talk to.

  • in reply to Don

    Thank you Don. I’m not religious in any conventional sense but I did pray when I was in hospital. I didn’t really know what I was doing - or really even who or what I was praying to - but it did help me a bit. I haven’t done it since though. I have a lot of respect for religion and how helpful it  is for many people and how it does have an important place in so many people’s lives. It can bring comfort and bring people together  - which is invaluable. 
    In many ways I envy people who have a strong faith - I wish I had that. I’m glad that you have that and that you get much comfort from it. We need comfort in this very challenging world don’t we? Thank you for your reply x