Severe anxiety and medication not helping

[BeBlueAnt]

I have always been an anxious person.
Recently work and other life challenges have caused me quite a lot of stress and my anxiety has taken a hit because of this.

Most mornings I wake up and my heart is pounding out of my chest, almost as if I had gone for a run. I also ruminate over the smallest of things to the point where I put myself in a mood where I just want to sit and cry or go to bed for the night.

My lack of friends also makes this difficult as I don't have a lot of people I can speak to other than my partner or my mum and one other friend.

Is there anything you would recommend, either activities that have helped you if you've been in a similar mindset? Or things to tell myself to calm down etc.

Finding it really difficult to just take things as they come😕

Sorry this is going to be long!

Therapy and medication.

Try a talk therapy, either through the NHS or private if you can.
NHS - free but a limit on sessions so if a longer therapy is needed then you may find this hard
Private- can find a therapist who suits you (person&theraputic approach) you have control about how many sessions you need. however you will have to pay.

medication
if you have only tried one medication for a short period of time then theres other options
-give it time for the medication to work. if you haven't been on it long then it may just be needing time to have the right impact (with a lot of anxiety/depression medication it can be worse before it gets better)
-if you have been on it a while, go back to your GP and discuss increasing the dose or trying a different medication

books
there a lot of resources out there that discuss the topics. they will not 'fix' you, but they can be reassuring and give perspective to the way things are. Have a look online and read reviews
-Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig (I found this so easy to read and some parts were just so relatable)
-Breath by James Nestor

other things
exercise/hobby
-find something you enjoy. swimming, yoga, tennis, anything that you can routinely get involved with (I know how hard anxiety makes this) just getting out and involved in something for yourself can be really beneficial
-something such as yoga can help with giving you breathing exercises and the guided meditations can be so helpful even just for the moment youre in it.
self care
-look after yourself. (again I know how hard this can be when struggling with your mh) take time for you, a nice bath, relax with a show/book/knitting. just routinely give yourself a chance to just be.
work
-if you can take a step back from work, even just one less day then this can help drastically. taking sick leave can also help, but may not always be the best idea as can increase anxiety when you have to go back. speak to your work about the stress/anxiety youre having and see how they can help
social media/news
-drowning in online issues/nonsense can fuel anxieties, step back from it when you can
weighed blanket
-if your anxiety is impacting your sleep/ability to relax then these can be incredibly helpful
caffeine
-sounds silly but reducing your caffeine intake can help especially when trying to shut off in an evening

theres more things you can do but ultimately if youre experiencing severe anxiety the GP can be one of the best initial approaches you can take to get this under control

The morning anxiety is very common and is due to a surge of cortisol. This video explains it well;

@adulthoodisajoke thank you so much for your comment, I really appreciate your response and will take those things on board. I think a new hobby would be really beneficial in the long run and maybe help me meet more people

@Eyesopenwideawake thanks for sending this through, it's really informative and makes a lot of sense as to why I've been feeling like that most mornings

You're welcome! Just knowing it's normal and nothing to worry about is often all it takes to stop noticing it, or even using that energy to your advantage. 😊