Depression

[jedimistress]

Why is it usually at it' s worst when you awaken from sleep?

[andy-hughes]

This is based purely on personal experience and theory rather than any medical fact -

when you sleep, your subconcious sifts through the information it has received, and makes some sense of it. Whilst doing so, it uses different sections of the mind, wherin the concept of clinical depression is based.

When you wake, this section of the mind is still active, and the residue of its activity remains while the concious mind takes over, reassumes your personality, and starts the mind functioning as a concious entity. This 'switch-over' takes varying lengths of time, dependent on the depth of depression, the amount of information still being processed, the amount of restful sleep, and so on.

As someone who has had depression for sixteen years, even when controled with medication, the first few mninutes when I awake, I remember that it is there, and it takes a few minutes to settle down, and I can get on course for the day ahead.

[jedimistress]

Thanks. If I can visualize it like that it may be easier to get through. I am too scared sometimes to go to sleep because of how I will feel when I awake.

[joko]

i get this too. i feel it is the sudden realisation that your dream wasn't real and you have another whole day of misery ahead...its like a post holiday downer in a few minutes.

I find its the other way round though - I am reluctant to go to bed at all as i will inevitably start to think and worry about all sorts of stuff and then be unable to sleep at all - some times i stay up to 6am because of that

[Robinia]

I think it's the anxiety that usually goes hand in hand with depression & often becomes the bigger part of it. That wave of fear and panic that you feel first thing in the morning is awful I know. Sometimes it can take me a couple of hours to calm down - and I try not to look in the mirror first thing as that can make me feel ten times worse!! Sorry to joke but it's the only thing that keeps me going sometimes.

I always wake up to the radio - nothing heavy or serious - and I find light helps. Natural is obviously best & I feel better on bright sunny mornings but one of those sunrise lamps might give you a boost.
Take care x