Changing Place - Changing Posture

[clickaway]

Just wondered if anyone gets this?

All the time I've had GAD a change of posture often triggers off a panic and can't really work out why. For example, after stooping down to read my brother's PC monitor once, I got into a big panic as soon as I got back in the normal upright position. Then again after lying down setting the video last night got into a tiz again.

Recently I have been very sensitive, and get very nervous and shakey when hitting the pillow. Needless to say I get the 'one-off' jolt some nights as my body approaches its sleep phase. This shakieness may be to do with feeling lonely at night, but I get panicky even when going from room to room.

I recently had a panic after a brief dance and suffer similarly when running for a train or even thinking about walking up a gradient!

My main symptoms have always been muscular and wish they would go away - yuk! Fortunately, my muscular 'hot-spot' is in area where there is nothing in particular but it still scares me!

Can anybody relate to any of this?



Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[Southern_Belle]

Hi Ray,

I too get anxious when leaning over and standing up but usually it is because I do it too fast. I am anemic though so I think that is why. My husband also does the jolt thing right before he goes to sleep and he has restless leg syndrome, do your legs ever feel numb or tingly during the day, if so, you might want to check that out. He moves his legs all night long and wakes up quite a bit but he does not have anxiety.

This is probably all anxiety as our muscles do tighten up I know mine do. I hope you feel better soon.

Bel

"Our thoughts are our reality"

[Nel]

Yes. I don't have the posture thing, but I can relate that if it happens once you come to expect it so it happens again.

Nel xxx

___________________________________________
"At the end of a storm, there's a golden sky..."

[clickaway]

Thanks Bel and Nel,

I don't have the tingly or numb legs at any time. I sometimes have a numb finger or two upon waking but that soon goes.

Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[tree]

hey,
Ive also had the posture thing. I used to get anxoius when i was eating which was sat down leanng at the table my neck would tighten up and cause me pain, when i got up and walked about it got better. I first assoiated this with eating but realised it was just when my muscles were tense and i was lent over or sat down.

[W.I.F.T.S.]

Hi Ray,

I did read recently that your posture can actually have a big bearing on your mood. I've been in with a therapist who has asked me to sit upright with a straight back, shoulders back, chest proud, chin up and it does actually make you feel better. I guess psychologically, if you are hunched over you are subconsciously trying to make yourself small and to hide away from the world, whereas if you stand proud you are saying "come on then world!".

I do have slightly curved shoulders and I do consciously try to stand up straight (it does look so much better), but i know that it's not easy to do when you're not thinking about it.

As for changing positions or whatever, I would guess that you're probably at such a heightened state of awareness (a nice phrase that I've pinched from paul Mckenna) that the slightest thing makes you feel disorientated. I have been very much the same. At the worst of it, I had horrendous panic attacks because of nicotine craving and horrendous panic attacks because of being over-stimulated by nicotine, so I couldn't win!!

Ships in harbour are safe..but that's not what ships were built for.

[clickaway]

Simon, I think you are right about me being in a heightened state of awareness. I lie awake at night "on alert", can smell things like tobacco very easily and my skin goes red if the water is too hot.

And I've been more sensitive over the last few weeks.

Cheers



Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[Piglet]

I've spent the last 20 years in a 'heightened state of awareness' at night but that's mainly being a mum thing with me, on guard to see who needs me and now they don't I am still doing it!!

I also relate to the 'jolt' since I do that every night too and the kids tell me I do it when I fall asleep on the settee!

I can't totally relate to the posture thing but I think it happens to most people when they change position and all the teenagers around me get a head rush when they move (I can think of so many things to say about teenagers at this point that I'm not even gonna bother ) so I think it's something that yet again we take more sensitively than most!

I hugely relate to the walking up gradients and feeling scared - I had a terrible patch of this a couple of years ago and avoided hills right left and centre. I think because you have to work just a little harder to go up a hill you become aware of your heart beating and that can progress along the panic route if I allow it.

I got over this in the main by exercising and so now I see a hill as a free way to get some exercise for my heart, which is only going to make it stronger.

Do you think my sweet if you could gently approach some exercise this might, a) release some of the tension you store in those muscles making them more relaxed, and b) help you to not be too scared of getting out of breath or of physical exertion????

Love Piglet

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[ricochet]

Hello Ray

Sounds very much like what keeps happening to me, even the posture and the gradient thing. I too have only to think about walking up a bit of a slope, my head goes all funny and i get ache in my chest and take deep breaths. With the posture if i slouch in my armchair watching t.v i get similar feelings and sometimes it leads to a panic attack. Can't always sit up straight because i don't think its natural to do this especially watching t.v or something don't think it's really relaxing doing that. I have jolts just as i'm about to sleep too.

Richard

[Cassa63]

I was going to start a new topic, done a search and found this one.

This has just happened (happens a lot) to me.

Hunched over my computer, legs crossed (all no no's) and wham, tingly feelings all over, pulse starts racing and of course the panic sets in. I do have a hiatus hernia and anything around my waist makes things worse.

I always start sitting up straight but soon slough over and down in the chair.

Ray, I can relate to the nervous and shaky feelings when hitting the pillow. I'm okay when I'm reading and as soon as the light goes out and trying to get to sleep along comes the rapid heart beats. Along comes panic and the vicious circle starts again.
The "jolts".... I sometimes think I get more jolts then sleep.

I'm alone a lot as my husband works away.

The past couple of nights I have placed another pillow on my stomach (if lying on my back) or against my back if lying on my side. Seems to work most nights but I don't know why.

All my panic attacks started again (after 11 years of freedom) after being diagnosed with the hernia.


Carol.