Why my anxiety??
May 29, 2009 8:27 AM   Subscribe

I feel slighty anxious for no apparent reason at certain times of the day. It's not enough to be called an 'anxiety disorder', but I'm wondering if others have this or had it and how you deal/dealt with it. Details inside.

I feel very physically anxious when I wake up in the morning. It's as though I'm very nervous about something, but I have seemingly nothing to be nervous about. I have extreme butterflies /knots in my stomach. It feels very uncomfortable. When I get up and start doing stuff, it goes away.

Also I often feel anxious when I'm going to sleep at night. I feel worried and sad about nothing in particular. Uneasy - again for no apparent reason.

Also- I clench my teeth or grind them (not sure) in my sleep.

The other time I feel anxious is on the weekend, between early afternoon and when it gets dark. As soon as it gets dark I feel fine. But that stretch of time between say, 2pm and darkness can be strangely uncomfortable to me. Not like when I wake up, but this uneasy feeling that something isn't right, or I should be somewhere else. Again - no apparent reason.

So these are the specific times that I feel anxious. I do not feel anxious during the weekdays or at night other than in bed.

The reason I don't consider it an anxiety disorder is that it's not debilitating in any way, it doesn't prevent me from doing anything or from being happy most of the time. I've never even come close to having a panic attack, or anything like that.

Okay - IMPORTANT BACKGROUND INFO. Please read before responding. I am going to try and cover every possible background variable.

I am 31, female, very happily married. No kids. I love my job. I am also studying and love my studies. I love my family. Nothing I consider traumatic has ever happened to me, I've had a "nice life". I have lots of friends. I consider myself fairly "well-adjusted". I generally feel "blessed" by my fortunate lot in life and am grateful for that. (Sorry for all the "quotation marks" I know they make me seem "pretentious"!)

I'm not, nor ever have been religious.

I do NOT get anxious about any specific things. I'm generally socially confident, I like people, and don't have low self-esteem. I don't worry unnecessarily about things. I like my life. Obviously there are normal things I get stressed about but they do not seem unreasonable and I'm pretty good at taking action to change things I'm unhappy with.

So I don't know why I feel this anxiety.

I don't drink a lot or use drugs other than smoke the very occasional joint (a few times a year - which doesn't affect me).

I find stimulants, including any amount of caffeine to be UNBEARABLE - it makes me so anxious, so I completely avoid coffee and tea.

I eat fairly well - my only vice is sugar but I don't eat too much of it.

It sort of feels like I have this unwanted energy in my body, like there is adrenalin in my body when I wake up and that's why I feel so nervous, but I have no idea really what it is.

Is it just a fact of the human condition?
Do other people experience this?
I am really interested in hearing your take or your experience with this.

Thanks for reading this far. I love metafilter.
posted by beccyjoe to Health & Fitness (26 answers total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
I sometimes have the same thing, late at night or when I first wake up. Regularly taking B vitamin and fish oil capsules have really helped me with it. Being mindful of the anxiety has also helped -- thinking about the feeling, and why it might be there, are more productive for me than ignoring it or thinking things like, "I am fine. Everything is good. I have no reason to feel this way."

My own anxiety is often tied up with things I can't control. I am more comfortable when I have a game plan and things are "figured out." You might think about that as well.
posted by runningwithscissors at 8:34 AM on May 29, 2009


How much are you exercising? Maybe if you go for a run in the morning, that'll shake out some of that anxiety.
posted by sweetkid at 8:36 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


I get this sometimes. Usually, it means that there IS something I'm anxious about - I'm just not thinking about it or really aware of it. As noted, B vitamins have helped me, as has mindfulness.

Re: the teeth grinding: magnesium supplements have REALLY helped me with this. And they seem to take the edge off of my generalized anxiety as well. YMMV.
posted by Knicke at 8:38 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


I suffer from anxiety and depression. B vitamins, fish oil and an overall healthy diet do help alot. Exercise also works wonders. If you are not currently exercising, then I suggest you try to work out at least a couple of times a week; It can be something as simple as going for a long walk. If you still find yourself getting anxious, it can either be something bothering you on a sub conscious level or the start of a potential problem. Having a good life and a great family does not mean you are immune from possibly developing anxiety or depression. If you find it getting worse, having a chat with your doctor would be a good idea. Before my problem was diagnosed, I always chalked it up as just the way I was and not a big deal. Eventually, after ignoring it long enough, it did in fact grow into a fairly big problem.
posted by scarello at 8:45 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: This is interesting (to me). You could be describing me in almost every way. (Except I've gradually become accustomed to a little caffeine, and I do have a pretty constant, low-grade fear that my loved ones will die. My parents are older and awesome, which I think is part of that problem.) The anxiety is the strongest for me if I just doze off, like on the couch for a bit, then wake up. I'm almost in a panic while I readjust to being awake. I haven't noticed any pattern, other than the ones you described. I don't notice it more if something specific is stressing me out. But the time of day issue is interesting to me; I'm also pretty sad about dusk, especially in the winter. Maybe that exacerabates things, if you feel the same way.

I don't really have much to add by way of advice, unfortunately. I don't think everyone's like this. (I do exercise by the way.) My working hunch is that I must have some anxiety just below the surface that I haven't dealt with, but I haven't identified it yet beyond speculating that I feel INORDINANTLY blessed and maybe because of that I'm pretty constantly afraid the other shoe will drop (i.e. losing a loved one, getting seriously sick myself, having some tragedy happen).
posted by semacd at 8:45 AM on May 29, 2009


It sort of feels like I have this unwanted energy in my body, like there is adrenalin in my body when I wake up and that's why I feel so nervous, but I have no idea really what it is.

Waking up anxious can be a sign of sleep apnea. It'd also explain why you're anxious to go to sleep at night. Do you wake up with your heart pounding? Ask your husband if you snore and/or stop breathing during the night. When you stop breathing in your sleep, your body produces adrenalin to get you going again. This can cause all kinds of problems. Get it checked out - you already definitely have one sleep disorder (clenching/grinding), so you might as well go for a sleep study.
posted by desjardins at 8:46 AM on May 29, 2009 [2 favorites]


Could it be that you get anxious when you don't know what to do with yourself? I get anxious at times if I realize that I have no "plan" for what to fill my upcoming minutes / hours with. I found that the best cure is to just do something, anything to distract the mind from the anxiety. For me this usually means doing small house chores or picking up something to read and think about (the New Yorker magazine is great for this).

My anxiety got to the point where it was bothering me, so I went to a doctor and was prescribed a very low dose of Xanax to take as needed. The pills were very helpful in that they calmed me down to the point that I moved on to some task. When I realized this pattern I started phasing out meds and really trying to force myself to divert my mind to more activity when the vague shapeless anxious thoughts and feelings pop up.

Maybe you have a similar issue, especially since caffine is unbearable to you - caffine would give you more undirected energy and thus more anxiety. Best wishes!
posted by WeekendJen at 8:49 AM on May 29, 2009


Hi there. The things I think helped me most were 1) removing trigger points in my scalene muscles in the neck, which control a lot of tension, doing tp therapy and other work to straighten my posture to free the diaphragm 2) singing and voicework, running and exercise to work the diaphragm muscle 3) body psychotherapy etc to release related traumas
posted by Not Supplied at 8:51 AM on May 29, 2009


I'd say that you may have deep-seated anxiety issues. I've known people who are relatively well-adjusted like yourself who still have inexplicable anxiety.

If it's something you can live with, fine. Otherwise, you may want to see a psychiatrist.
posted by reenum at 9:08 AM on May 29, 2009


Maybe your anxiety stems from the fact that everything is ok but, because you've never been (as you say) 'tested', you have a fear that at some point the shit will go down and you have no way of knowing whether or not you'll cope. This could coincide with those times of day when you're not focussed on immediate activity, and maybe you're noticing it more now because there's been a recent ramping up of background anxiety (economy, climate change etc) - which can really colour your headspace.

Maybe you need to do something challenging, really challenging, to clear out some of that residual energy. Getting out of your comfort zone builds your confidence to deal with the unexpected, and can give you useful perspective on the wider issues.

Other than that I'd second the shout for exercise.
posted by freya_lamb at 9:22 AM on May 29, 2009 [3 favorites]


Sorry, you didn't actually say 'tested', I (mis?)read that between the lines. Apologies.
posted by freya_lamb at 9:24 AM on May 29, 2009


It's not enough to be called an 'anxiety disorder'

Sure it is. If you didn't have a problem with anxiety it would never occur to you to post here. I'm glad it doesn't interfere with your activities, but it does interfere with your being able to enjoy/focus on your life and feel comfortable throughout the day.

I'm right there with you. I've always had generalized low-grade anxiety, which is how I might describe yours, though IANAP. At times it has flared up and symptoms have become stronger, particularly when I feel insecure financially, professionally, or otherwise, and this manifests in reacting to things I don't normally react to, such as being extra nervous driving over a bridge. I also clench my teeth at night and am now getting a night guard for that. Right now I'm experiencing more anxiety than normal because I'm going through a job transition.

Here is what I have found helpful: exercise and meditation. I used to smoke, which did the trick to control my anxiety, but quit nearly seven years ago and have had to learn to manage it naturally. Exercise is the number one strategy I have found effective. If you think about it, we all go through the day dealing with challenges and uncertainty, and we tend to tamp it all down because modern-day living doesn't allow us to use the fight-or-flight response to stress - so all the adrenaline our bodies are pumping out in response to general pressures of living has no way to dissipate. Exercise gives your body something wonderful to do with that excess energy. I always feel much more relaxed after a run, and much less anxious generally when keeping to a regular, vigorous workout schedule. Dancing, hiking, swimming, biking and other physical activity, especially outdoors, are great for keeping it in check.

Mindfulness meditation is good, too. Just using a few minutes to shut out distractions and pay attention to your own breathing, ensure that you're breathing deeply and fully, helps a lot. When you do this, just relax and take notice of your body - where you're storing stress and whether you can release it. Also, when treating my anxiety just after quitting smoking I learned that shallow breathing is a major culprit in causing it. Most of us breathe too rapidly and shallowly throughout the day and our bodies start to develop a little bit of fear of oxygen shortage, which manifests as anxiety (your body's sending the signal "you need more of something you're not getting! it's dangerous! yikes!"). So stopping a few times a day and doing 5 minutes of slow, controlled, deep breathing is incredibly helpful.

Finally, don't shy away from seeing a professional just because you can't identify a source for the anxiety. It's very treatable. Its no fun to deal with and makes you get less enjoyment and comfort from life. That alone is reason to go. You can learn good strategies for managing it, figure out what triggers it, and stop it from happening. Like I said, I get 'flareups' every now and then when I'm under external stress, but my anxiety is nowhere near what it used to be. I recommend talking to someone about it, and I bet you could make a ton of progress in just a few sessions - like 5 or less!
posted by Miko at 9:27 AM on May 29, 2009 [3 favorites]


Wow, I was going to ask if you drink ANY caffeine at all, because this definitely describes me when I drink any caffeine at all, even decaf (which has tiny amounts)!

Even when I'm not drinking caffeine, I sometimes feel some low level of general anxiety. The worst period was when I was in a lot of credit card debt. Is there anything like this in your life? Maybe not debt, but something unresolved that is always in the back of your mind?
posted by peep at 9:27 AM on May 29, 2009


beccyjoe, your description of your lifestyle, etc, is very similar to mine). Like you, I have never come close a panic attack and I truly love my life.

But I still get very anxious about things. I start overthinking the state of the world, envisioning worst case scenarios in my own life, and worrying that I'm going to let everybody down. I'll see my boss's number on the phone and assume I fucked something up and he's calling to get pissed off at me, despite the fact that this has never, ever happened to me.

This minor anxiety seizes me completely, but I only let it do so for a couple of fleeting moments each day. Then I talk myself down with "Wow, I have a great family/job/partner/friends. I'm really lucky to be here and have the life I have" and it goes away on its own.

I find that going to the gym helps me get rid of some of that nervous energy, as well as doing extra little physical tasks (like carrying deliveries up over the stairs at work).
posted by futureisunwritten at 9:29 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Just want to reiterate that your whole life can be fine and there can still be anxiety. It's very physical, and has to do with the way our bodies process the natural stresses of living. There doesn't have to be anything causing it, exactly, though sometimes there is and there are ways to get rid of or reduce those triggers. But it can be completely independent of anything happening in your life and still be very noticeable. Looking for triggers is most definitely worthwhile, but also understand there might not even be a specific cause, just a tendency toward this within your personality.

"Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it".
posted by Miko at 9:34 AM on May 29, 2009


I wake up in the middle of the night with the most horrible anxiety and catastrophic thinking--I mean, deep, deep in the black hole. When I wake up in the morning, I'm perfectly fine. I have gradually learned to recognize that it is the middle of the night (not easy when you're half-asleep) and say to myself "Wait. It's the middle of the night. We are NOT doing this." If I still feel bad in the morning, I can think about it then. It took a little while but now it's amazingly effective and I'm able to go right back to sleep. Could this work for you?
posted by HotToddy at 9:35 AM on May 29, 2009


There are lots of good suggestions in this thread, and they are worth trying to see if they make any difference. Certainly meditation, exercise, etc. cannot hurt, are part of a healthy lifestyle, and they may well do the trick.

I just want to point out one other possibility that should be checked out with your doctor: hypothyroidism. It can produce many of these symptoms (along with dry skin, unexplained weight gain, and others -- YMMV) and, once it's diagnosed, is ridiculously easy to treat.
posted by DrGail at 9:51 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Yet another vote for upping your exercise regimen. Wear yourself out physically, spend up that excess energy that is manifesting itself as anxiety.

If you've ever seen the Dog Whisperer, you'll know that his number one remedy for any dog with anxiety issues is exercise. Lots of it.

In some ways, I don't think we are that much different than dogs. Both dogs and humans have a life now where it is easy to completely sedentary, which is not what are bodies were designed for.

Everyone is different, of course, but I'm guessing if you can increase your exercise intake you'll feel more relaxed though the day. Fingers crossed.
posted by kongg at 9:51 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Heartily n-thing exercise. And not just a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood. Go lift weights. Heavy ones. Jump on the elliptical machine and run like all of hell is after you. Get your blood pumping. The rest of the day you'll feel like jello: chilled, calm and wibbly.

Like you, I'm also very sensitive to caffeine and find that if I have a cup in the afternoon, my internal dialogue on the train home consists of "omg, omg, something's wrong. omg, omg, omg."

Since I started working out every morning, I haven't had a single instance of this kind of anxiety. I even tested myself yesterday and opted for caffeinated coffee in the afternoon. Result: felt fine.

3 months ago I would have freaked out, quietly and in my own head, all the way home until I was off the train and away from the crowd.
posted by burntflowers at 10:31 AM on May 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


I get the occasional bout of unnerving weekend afternoon anxiety, too. A Saturday sunset can be beautiful or excruciating. I've always assumed it's just the nature of a waning weekend, but it does seem to strike more frequently if I've been putting off some task. Usually I'll either clear my mind with meditation or channel that energy into Saturday evening fun. The former is usually more effective.
posted by ecmendenhall at 10:40 AM on May 29, 2009


Another thing to consider--after around 20 or so, a woman's testosterone levels start going down. We don't usually think of that, because testosterone is usually thought of as a "male" hormone, but decreased testosterone has absolutely been linked to anxiety.

I don't know anything about you, but if you have ever personally dealt with anorexia, you are also more at risk for anxiety from low testosterone.

There are kits you can use yourself to track your hormones. You send them away for the test results. It's not difficult (but not cheap) to determine if this could be the root of your problem.
posted by misha at 11:30 AM on May 29, 2009


"Obviously there are normal things I get stressed about but they do not seem unreasonable"

One tiny little niggle. The things you get stressed about may be unreasonable. I don't mean to suggest that you dive into introspection too much, but you are really the only measurement possible as to wether or not something is unreasonable for you.

So to me, if you were to say "it *seems* unreasonable", then I'd raise an eyebrow because if you were really worried or you really weren't, it would fall down on a side. You would probably feel more to one side than the other. Maybe you need to examine why it is a *seems* and what the answer to that unspoken question may be.

I've formed a habit of cleaning up these nooks and crannies of my personality, I enjoy the confidence that comes from understanding (grokking if you will) each of this little emotions and minutiae of my own little life puzzle, so forgive me for suggesting if I'm wrong. I may be overly susceptible to suggesting this because I discover many of my own ticks and tocks were things that I thought were reasonable, as taught by my parents and learnt over time they were not good for me.

Also yeah, eat right and exercise.
posted by Submiqent at 12:33 PM on May 29, 2009


What you describe feeling in the mornings sounds very similar to a classic panic attack to me. IANYourTherapist and can't diagnose you over the internet, obviously, but those are some pretty hallmark symptoms--but you are also lacking a few of the other obvious symptoms as well, from your description. Panic-related anxiety disorders are often self-maintaining... the worry about having the anxious feelings causes the anxious feelings to show up. I think it's plausible that your expectations of feeling the anxiety in the afternoons could be actually calling up the anxiety. All that said, panic disorders can often be physiologically related, rather than having any direct psychological causes (aside from the self-perpetuation, as I mentioned). You might speak with a psychologist to have her/him fully assess the symptoms.
posted by so_gracefully at 1:12 PM on May 29, 2009


(Obviously, you will also need to rule out any physiological reasons that this might be happening. If you haven't already, see an internist/family practice doc to check on that.)
posted by so_gracefully at 1:13 PM on May 29, 2009


Response by poster: Wow, thank you all so much for the responses. I'm so grateful. It's good to hear that lots of people experience similar feelings.

There are so many great responses here and I would love to respond to everyone... but I'll just say a few things...

-I am amused that so many people suggested exercise. My husband is constantly telling me to exercise more. I walk a lot and ride a bike everywhere and I'm in good shape, I run on occasion, but the truth is I really hate running! I'm reluctant to join a gym because of the cost. These are my excuses! But with so many people saying "exercise" I may have to bite the bullet and figure out how to get more systematic cardio exercise. It seems like a consensus.

-Vitamin B, that is interesting, I've thought about vitamins but worried they would give me more energy, which is not what I want. Also magnesium for teeth grinding - very good to know I will try this.

-I am always wondering if there are things I am deeply worried about unconsciously. I have thought about seeing a therapist to talk about this but I never have, it has sort of seemed too indulgent or something. I'm not averse to the idea of therapy though, and I'm very enthusiastic about investigating my psyche. I'm a psychology student and I love all that stuff. So maybe I'll do this. In fact I feel validated in doing this after reading these responses.

-Having tasks to fill time DEFINITELY HELPS when I have unstructured time (on weekends etc) and yes, getting shit done is much better than sitting around doing nothing I agree.

-@semacd -- you mention dozing off on the couch and then waking up in a near panic. I can TOTALLY RELATE to this. I hate dozing for this reason. I wake up with the fear. So strange.

-As for sleep disorder I'm not sure. I have never needed much sleep, I function well on 6 hours. I rarely get tired during the day. But maybe I'm not sleeping well, maybe it's not quality sleep. worth considering.

-misha you mentioned low testosterone. I wonder about this. I have never been anorexic. But my libido took a dive in my mid-20's and that is another symptom of low testosterone. I think it's also when I started noticing anxiety. But it might have been around before that.

Anyway, so much to think about, THANKS all so much for commenting. Keep it coming if you have more to say.
posted by beccyjoe at 3:16 PM on May 29, 2009


Response by poster: Oh--- deep breathing also a great suggestion. So obvious but I never think of it.
posted by beccyjoe at 3:17 PM on May 29, 2009


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