Two questions in one post to avoid spam. Please feel free to share your experience on either/or. 

The last couple of years or so, despite being in anxiety meds and seeing a therapist for the last 6 months - I have a tendency to often wake up with my heart pounding. It's almost like regaining consciousness shocks my body into anxiety. I have a lot anxiety nightmares, so sometimes it's down to that probably but it's a very distinct feeling of becoming suddenly very anxious, mostly physically, upon waking. I'm not sure what to do about it since it's not like I can meditate in my sleep.

As for the nightmares, they routinely involve me being chased, hunted, attacked, tracked down, running around cities, rural areas, fields etc or hiding from people, groups or straight up monsters. I spend most of the dream fleeing or hiding. Anyone else suffer from thematically similar nightmares, and have you any suggestions on how to alleviate them? I have a deep rooted sense of worthlessness and inherent unlikability which I think is the cause, but Ive no idea what to do about them. Therapist just asks what happens in them and doctor says if my surface anxiety is sufficiently managed they'll go away, but that's blatantly not true.