Hello Sunfoot I have been writing about this exact thing for days!
My posts are mainly about waking in the morning and being jolted out of my sleep with anxiety!
And yes my anti anxiety meds do not seem to help me in the morning. I am not on an antidepressant at this time.

I am trying to solve this exact issue. I have been told here to except it and just let it happen, not to overthink the anxiety.
I also was told about a book on this forum by Carl James called It's Only Anxiety. I just downloaded it on kindle and I am in the process of reading it.

I am sorry I am not of much help. But I am here for the EXACT same episodes.

(for myself I do have empty nest syndrome, my mother just passed away, and my marriage is in a funky place)

So needless to say, I will be watching for responses to your question on this forum as well. Good Luck, BELIEVE me I know how much it hurts. It has crippled me on days

Hello Sunfoot. Welcome to DS. Sorry for what brings you here but glad you are here.

I would sell my soul for a pill-popping easy solution to those symptoms. I've been looking and wishing for decades now. As it is, the best I have found is to assemble a metaphorical toolbox of anxiety management tools. All of the tools in that box are simple, but take practice to master, plus allot of trial and error on which tools fit which set of circumstances.

Peer support, such as what we have right here in this very forum, is my most comprehensive tool. Getting my anxieties into words and sharing those words within a supportive environment opens the door to allot of experience, reminders and new ideas to help me through specific situations.

Keep sharing and sorting, Sunfoot. You are not alone.

Welcome aboard.

I told Marian37 about the book. You are on overload of cortisol in the mornings. Anxiety produces various hormones and cortisol is one of them. It’s what wakes us up in the morning but your anxiety produces too much. I too suffered from this morning symptom too. Fortunately, it has abated a lot. Getting into recovery isn’t easy, it takes willingness to face your fear, patience, being kind to yourself, persistence. Symptoms go away slowly, and I do mean slowly over time, lots of it. You didn’t get this way overnight, so it takes time to heal. The best I can tell you is get the book if you are interested. It’s about $20 including shipping at Amazon. It is an acceptance method of dealing with anxiety, in my own opinion, it makes a lot of sense. Written in plain language. “It’s Only Anxiety” by Carl James. Based on the Work of Dr Clair Weeks, now deceased and also an anxiety sufferer.

Welcome to the Anxiety board at DS.

You've taken the important first step in writing it out.

First, physical symptoms are able to be treated naturally to help reduce the impact in the moment. Even breathing, gentle motion/exercise, and getting/staying hydrated are all known tools that reduce physical symptoms FAST naturally.

Second, set up a night time calming routine to help make the wake up more comforting. The more you prepare ahead, the more you will know what works best to provide calm balance in the moment.

Third, the difference in 'fighting' and 'accepting' is not that you agree with what's happening, just that you know it is happening. That's anxiety being a helper, just in overwhelming status.

Take some slow deep breaths, meditate, listen to soothing music, watch nature videos after you get up may help some. I have a hard time accepting I have a anxiety disorder. Hate the physical symptoms. Hate anxiety. I have reluctantly accepted it's helpful. But not in excessive quantities. Have to work on getting the anxiety to a manageable level.

I used to wake up either in the middle of the night--or first thing in the morning, shaking...with heart pounding. I would start to deep breathe immediately---breathing slower and deeper until the symptoms would subside. I'd try to not analyze the feelings behind it==because that would stress me even more when I couldn't really figure it out... I would keep telling myself that, "I am safe-there is NO tiger in the room." which meant there was no imminent danger....eventually I could calm myself--I got better at it....I've only had one episode of that in the last 6 months.

I have never been on a group chat b4 totally new here. Reading your symptoms
makes me feel like I'm not the only one who is Tired of having Anxiety Disorder
and all the other crap and symptoms on a daily basis I hide from my family and kiddos. I don't know anyone who suffers like I do and now I see I am not alone. I've had that breathing thing and the I stop breathing for a second when I was really bad, Yep thought I was dying....Meditation helps calm the nerves so much:)

I do have a question ,,,I suffer from heart palpitations especially when I'm angry I still after 20 yrs get that panic and fear....How does others respond to them?
Thank you

@danalynn after I found that heart palps were a mostly benign condition and common in anxiety, I began to rest easier about them to the point I don’t get scared when I have one now. I just accept them. Knowledge is a powerful weapon. High anxiety and emotional states are often the culprit behind palps. I have myself noted that since my anxiety has calmed a great deal, the palps have also decreased. I pretty much stopped paying attention and can’t remember when I had one last.

mtd: Thank you for your advise, I will work on not getting so fearful when these come on....I am filled with fear ugh if I get stuffy.. afraid I wont be able to breath
Every chest pain is heart attack...everyday symptoms how do people get through with out meds? I won't do meds due to side effects