View Full Version : Strange occurence in bank. ALS?
darkside4k
17-01-17, 19:54
Had a really scary moment today. I was in the bank and they asked me to sign something and when I went to grab the pencil it was like I couldn't hold it right. Like my hand forgot how to work for a second.
It was really scary to me since I have an ALS fear. When I got home I immediately tried to write with a pen and pencil and I can do it fine even though it feels a little strange at first because I don't write a lot (work on the computer all day).
Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? Seriously terrified now.
Sphincterclench
17-01-17, 20:03
Im also a heavy computer user and at times grabbing a pencil or pen feels odd in my hand. huge leap to ALS
Seriously terrified now.
I hate to think what you'll be like when some serious actual shit goes down in your life. :D
Momentarily couldn't get a firm grasp on a pencil.
Jesus...
darkside4k
17-01-17, 20:25
I've just never had anything like that happen before. Of course picking up a pencil has felt "strange" before after not having picked one up in a while. But this was like I totally couldn't grip it right. I actually reached over with my left hand real quick to kinda help my right hand get into writing position. It was very strange and it all happened really fast. Once I got a grip on the pen I was able to write fine.
I seem to be able to write fine now that I am home. I can pick up the pencil and hold it normally.
I just have heard and read stories about ALS patients "all of a sudden" not being able to do some common task like hold a coffee cup. So, this seem to fit within that narrative. I "all of a sudden" couldn't hold this pencil correctly. It sounds similar to me and that is why I am scared.
Honestly it's a bit of a bummer because this weekend I felt pretty good. I hadn't been having many "symptoms" over the weekend and had even thought to myself ... "well, I guess I'm past this ALS stuff." ... :/
Its never my intention to be rude or dismissive. I know what its like to panic about random shit.
But, come on. Take a step back and observe yourself as if you were another person.
Once I got a grip on the pen I was able to write fine.
That should be were this story ends.
Focus on the reasons why you don't have a problem. Life becomes infinitely easier.
Wishing you all the best.
Had a really scary moment today. I was in the bank and they asked me to sign something and when I went to grab the pencil it was like I couldn't hold it right. Like my hand forgot how to work for a second.
It was really scary to me since I have an ALS fear. When I got home I immediately tried to write with a pen and pencil and I can do it fine even though it feels a little strange at first because I don't write a lot (work on the computer all day).
Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? Seriously terrified now.
Yes
Capercrohnj
17-01-17, 22:36
That is also very common in non fatal carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel and in non diseases people.
Catherine S
17-01-17, 22:38
Has carpal tunnel ever been fatal? :unsure:
ISB
darkside4k
17-01-17, 22:51
The same middle finger that seemed to have troubled gripping the pencil has been having these spasms throughout the day. Basically from the middle knuckle of the middle finger to the end of it - it has these strange spasms throughout the day... they are painless but are kinda like twitching / spasms. I'm wondering if that could be ALS type spasms where the muscle control is dying.
The same middle finger that seemed to have troubled gripping the pencil has been having these spasms throughout the day. Basically from the middle knuckle of the middle finger to the end of it - it has these strange spasms throughout the day... they are painless but are kinda like twitching / spasms.
LOVE how a stressed out/anxious mind affects a body. Does all kinds of crap. Then the mind adds another twist and outright creates physical symptoms.
I know that you really fear this and my post will not make a bit of difference :winks: , but you are not describing ALS no matter what your anxiety is telling you..
By the way--my son's college friend's dad was dx'd with ALS about 10 months ago. Doc's knew right away something was wrong.
You dont have any muscles in your fingers. Calm down shit happens bro. The more you focus on it the more shaky and twitchy it's going to seem. Now if you couldnt lift your arm to grab the pencil then you should worry, but a brief period of clumsiness is nothing to worry about. Trust me you are ok. Now if you couldn't hold a pencil at all when you got home then yea go see a doc .
Has carpal tunnel ever been fatal? :unsure:
ISB
I really hope not - I've had it for about 7 years now and still here :yesyes: Can't hold an umbrella though! :doh:
---------- Post added at 23:24 ---------- Previous post was at 23:23 ----------
Why not give that middle finger to your irrational fear and move on? :yesyes:
Positive thoughts
This actually really made me laugh :roflmao: starting to realise that laughing at our anxiety helps diffuse it A LOT.
Has carpal tunnel ever been fatal?
Well it can develop into pneumonia. (If you can't hold an umbrella). :)
LOVE how a stressed out/anxious mind affects a body. Does all kinds of crap. Then the mind adds another twist and outright creates physical symptoms.
I know that you really fear this and my post will not make a bit of difference :winks: , but you are not describing ALS no matter what your anxiety is telling you..
By the way--my son's college friend's dad was dx'd with ALS about 10 months ago. Doc's knew right away something was wrong.
If you refuse to listen to anyone, at least listen to this woman. She has saved more people's sanity than can be counted over at anxietyzone. I'm so glad you're still around sixpack.
Capercrohnj
18-01-17, 01:19
Has carpal tunnel ever been fatal? :unsure:
ISB
Haha no, I meant it as opposed to ALS. You never see people having anxiety over carpal or cubital tunnel which both cause numbness, pain and hand/arm weakness ;)
The difference, of course, is when ALS patients all of a sudden can't do something, they can NEVER do it again. Not on the second, third, or one hundredth try. You are fine. Call a therapist.
Catherine S
18-01-17, 02:10
The best reasoning I've seen so farJosh. I hope the OP takes it on board.
ISB
darkside4k
18-01-17, 02:26
Yes, I've read that before as well Josh and that does give me some comfort.
ServerError
18-01-17, 02:46
It should give you more than "some comfort". You don't have ALS. You had a brief moment of clumsiness and your mind ran away with it.
I'm not sure another voice in this discussion is going to do any help whatsoever, but:
1. You've not described anything that even sounds like ALS. It's not an "intermittent fault"; your hand would just stop working and not recover.
2. You've got that selective anxiety thing we've all had where you're doing "research" online that involves cherry picking the bits that confirm your anxiety, but ignoring all the rational things on the same pages that clearly state you're not experiencing the symptoms of the disease you're scared of.
3. I briefly flirted with ALS fear when having some neuro symptoms (which didn't even remotely resemble ALS really), but soon learnt that it's such a rare disease that you may as well lay awake at night worrying where the best place to invest your lottery winnings is.
It should give you more than "some comfort". You don't have ALS. You had a brief moment of clumsiness and your mind ran away with it.
:D
It is true. Words say a lot about where your mind is at.
Not being able to grip a pen is “seriously terrifying” and receiving great advice and positive news is “some comfort”.
It tells me your brain is looking for reasons to worry. Its on red alert.
Try and make some breakthroughs in that respect. Its down to you to see where you are going wrong. We can only point at it.
Why is it when someone absolutely kills the possibility of a perceived illness, as Josh has here, do people seem like they really don't want to accept it? "Some" comfort. Why "some"? Isn't that what you are here for? For someone to give you that magic bit of info that utterly pisses all over your concern?
Some people really need to stop being so selective in what information they take in. Anxiety causes this reaction, yes, but there really has to be more effort put into fighting it by some people.
Why is it when someone absolutely kills the possibility of a perceived illness, as Josh has here, do people seem like they really don't want to accept it? "Some" comfort. Why "some"? Isn't that what you are here for? For someone to give you that magic bit of info that utterly pisses all over your concern?
Some people really need to stop being so selective in what information they take in. Anxiety causes this reaction, yes, but there really has to be more effort put into fighting it by some people.
So this is aside from the problem the OP is having, which I completely respect as a separate issue, but to answer your question.
I think its because they cannot distinguish between the conscious "them", and the subconsious "ego".
They've obviously been worrying a lot, and it has felt like “a big concern”, so they don’t immediately want to accept that it was insignificant, and trivial.
It seems like they are protecting their “belief” because that’s what people like to do.
So when they are trying to validate their beliefs they use exaggerated phrasing. And when they are defending their beliefs, they play down the counter-argument.
When you realise that the beliefs are false, and that you observe how your ego, and subconscious thoughts have become attached to the ideas, you see the root cause of the problem.
Some people, and I don’t think the OP is in this bracket, wear their anxiety as a kind of comfort blanket. Worrying about things is their “thing” and it absolves them of responsibility to actually progress in life. Because if they truly solved anxiety, and didn’t have a problem, then they’d need to actually get on and do things. (Path of least resistance.) That ultimately leads to a life of misery, and looking back on a ton of wasted years, and missed opportunities. I know this first hand, as we have a member in the family who is like this. Continually putting up barriers.
Why is it when someone absolutely kills the possibility of a perceived illness, as Josh has here, do people seem like they really don't want to accept it? "Some" comfort. Why "some"? Isn't that what you are here for? For someone to give you that magic bit of info that utterly pisses all over your concern?
Some people really need to stop being so selective in what information they take in. Anxiety causes this reaction, yes, but there really has to be more effort put into fighting it by some people.
In addition to SLA too. It is because once you start worrying about something, it is incredibly hard to be rational.
Rationally, you are absolutely correct that the info that Josh has provided should assuage any worries but anxiety completely reduces your ability to see things rationally.
I remember you saying previously that you actually don't suffer from anxiety, this may be why you feel the need to ask this question. The question is TOTALLY valid from a non anxiety sufferer but yeah, anxiety throws all rationality out the window for pretty much everyone.
Well it can develop into pneumonia. (If you can't hold an umbrella). :)
:roflmao: This is true!
Also - can lead to serious starvation issues (unable to hold knife and fork for too long...)
Hope you're doing ok OP.
---------- Post added at 23:52 ---------- Previous post was at 23:50 ----------
So this is aside from the problem the OP is having, which I completely respect as a separate issue, but to answer your question.
I think its because they cannot distinguish between the conscious "them", and the subconsious "ego".
They've obviously been worrying a lot, and it has felt like “a big concern”, so they don’t immediately want to accept that it was insignificant, and trivial.
It seems like they are protecting their “belief” because that’s what people like to do.
So when they are trying to validate their beliefs they use exaggerated phrasing. And when they are defending their beliefs, they play down the counter-argument.
When you realise that the beliefs are false, and that you observe how your ego, and subconscious thoughts have become attached to the ideas, you see the root cause of the problem.
Some people, and I don’t think the OP is in this bracket, wear their anxiety as a kind of comfort blanket. Worrying about things is their “thing” and it absolves them of responsibility to actually progress in life. Because if they truly solved anxiety, and didn’t have a problem, then they’d need to actually get on and do things. (Path of least resistance.) That ultimately leads to a life of misery, and looking back on a ton of wasted years, and missed opportunities. I know this first hand, as we have a member in the family who is like this. Continually putting up barriers.
There is so much truth in this it freaks me out. I don't fully understand it, but it rings lots of bells. Sometimes I feel like I'm nothing without my anxiety. And yet I hate it :wacko:
In addition to SLA too. It is because once you start worrying about something, it is incredibly hard to be rational.
Rationally, you are absolutely correct that the info that Josh has provided should assuage any worries but anxiety completely reduces your ability to see things rationally.
I remember you saying previously that you actually don't suffer from anxiety, this may be why you feel the need to ask this question. The question is TOTALLY valid from a non anxiety sufferer but yeah, anxiety throws all rationality out the window for pretty much everyone.
Well stated. I sometimes get the impression that some are "annoyed" or "frustrated" that those of us with HA don't just think rationally. Anxiety is an illness that robs us of the ability to discern between rational vs. irrational fear. Fortunately it is usually temporary and we just need to work through it.
It is called mental ILLNESS for a reason. :)
Great examples Fish.
I understand Health Anxiety very well emmegee. I would describe my own HA as severe. I was convinced I had most of the usual terminal illnesses HA sufferers fear, including ALS. The last little gem I thought I had twice. The second time more than 10 years after the first. I thank my psychiatrist for giving me the tools to combat and eventually overcome my HA. I can never remember a session with him where he used the "there, there you'll be ok" method. Rather he always challenged my thinking. Often with frustration and irritability. Also, those of us who do challenge members here don't begin by being frustrated and irritated. Instead, we almost always try to be supportive initially. But when the individual continues to Google, list new symptoms or challenges all rational advice offered then it is time to seek help away from this forum. If reassurance seeking is your only purpose for coming here then you are never going to get better.
Hello there, as someone who spent about half a year on ALS train last year I can say I never read anything about temporary finger weirdness leading to ALS.
Hop off this train of thought now and don't look back.
All the best.
Well stated. I sometimes get the impression that some are "annoyed" or "frustrated" that those of us with HA don't just think rationally. Anxiety is an illness that robs us of the ability to discern between rational vs. irrational fear. Fortunately it is usually temporary and we just need to work through it.
It is called mental ILLNESS for a reason. :)
It's not just an inability to think rationally though, it's almost as if some people actually fight rationality. All I want to see is them trying to flip it on its head and try to fight irrationality with the same effort they put into fighting rationality.
The ability to question and seek evidence is clearly there, they're just asking the wrong questions and looking at the wrong evidence. Again, I understand anxiety does this to you, but when the evidence is staring at you in plain black and white, is it too much to ask for someone to at least try to accept that evidence?
Nobody is expecting to wave a magic wand here, all I'm saying is that I would like to see more people fighting their anxiety tooth and nail. Easier said than done of course but there it is.
Well stated. I sometimes get the impression that some are "annoyed" or "frustrated" that those of us with HA don't just think rationally. Anxiety is an illness that robs us of the ability to discern between rational vs. irrational fear. Fortunately it is usually temporary and we just need to work through it.
It is called mental ILLNESS for a reason. :)
I think we all get that anxiety has nothing to do with rational thinking.
However personally what I find so frustrating with HA is when people refuse to believe that is what they are suffering from.
That and as others have said the complete refusal to acknowledge any statement that does not fit into the discussing symptoms ritual.
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