Body perception? Can anxiety do this?

[Colicab85]

I just wanted to know of any of you had any experience with an altered perception of how you body looks?

My main fear is ALS and have recently discovered that my left thigh muscle is smaller than my right. Now, there is definitely a size difference but could my Anxiety make me perceive it to be bigger than it actually is?

Thanks?

[Elen]

Your thigh has probably always been a different size. Humans are not perfectly asymmetrical.

But yes anxiety for sure does affect how we perceive things.

This has been shown time and time again on this forum.

We have even had people insisting that they had lost loads of weight despite their own scales and the doctors scales showing that this wasn't the case.

While in the grips of HA the brain will go looking for symptoms that match and that includes skewing our thinking to "see" what we fear.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I believe so. And something else you will find anxiety can do is try to raise your awareness of a potential threat and make you "think" it looks different than it has been for years or even your whole life.

I've done this myself. It's a doubt and bias issue that is very common. Just look at the lymph node and freckle type threads.

As a GAD sufferer, at my worst I was questioning every single sensation in my body. And I mean every one. Brushing my teeth, using toilets, swallowing things, moving my limbs, breathing, you name it I probably questioned it.

Thinking is very common too, questioning of thoughts in many ways. You will find threads by DP/DR sufferers who try to check every thought and it's hell for them as they get even more wound up because they just want it to stop but the irony is, you get more frustrated and make yourself worse this way.

And look at the threads about insomnia. I used to lie there thinking "how do I sleep?". I was trying to control functions which the subconscious controls for us but it was an illusion as we can't control many of these things just like how we can't permanently control our breathing although some of us have tried to.

[SLA]

Yes.

I cycle a lot, and have a dominant leg which is noticeably bigger.

We have a dominant side. A dominant eye. A dominant hand.

[Colicab85]

Thanks guys!

I just can't totally shake this fear even though I have absolutely no weakness.

I'm getting there though, I can tell. Just need my twitching to reduce as my anxiety does.

[Leah88]

Yes - body dismorphia is common with anxiety spectrum disorders. I have OCD as well as health anxiety and when I thought I had a premature aging syndrome I would see old thin skin on my ankles accompanied by sores but when I'd show people they couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The mind is incredibly powerful and tricksy.

[MyNameIsTerry]

We have a dominant side.

I'm more submissive myself :whiplash::winks:

[Phuzella]

Tut tut Terry :D

[MyNameIsTerry]

Tut tut Terry :D

Yes, mistress http://www.bestemoticon.com/smiley/sexe/sex454.gif:noangel::D

[Traceypo]

I'd convinced myself many months ago that one side of my neck was larger than the other, I took photographs, asked people even went to the doctors about it.
I don't suffer from anxiety and this memory always makes me giggle because looking back it was all about I was due to go on holiday and my stress levels were high therefore my HA would come out.
Guess what, there's been no major changes to the size of my neck, what has changed is my perception and thoughts.
Xxx

[Colicab85]

Thanks guys.

There is DEFINITE size difference between the 2. What I need to do is make it less of a deal that I am at the moment.

I am incredibly preoccupied with sensations of weakness in my knee, even though there isn't any.

That plus my twitchy calves has my mind going overdrive.

I'm really looking forward to my continued CBT to tackle it.

[MyNameIsTerry]

There is DEFINITE size difference between the 2. What I need to do is make it less of a deal that I am at the moment.

Of course there is, you would be more likely a freak of nature if you didn't have definite size differences.

Bodybuilders spend years working on improving their symmetry. Personal trainers advocate the use of bodyweight exercise and single arm free weights because it works on stabilisation and against dominant limbs.

How many boxers our there can achieve the same lb/square inch of power with each arm? How many kickboxers? That's all about different sizes in fast & slow twitch muscle fibres.