View Full Version : Support thread: Balance Issues/Dizziness/Brain Fog
Hi all,
Thought it might be good to create a centralized place those who are going through balance issues, or dizziness issues could work through their progress.
In particular, I'm hoping to connect people who understand that their issues are caused by anxiety. (Not searching for phantom illnesses, inner ear issues, etc.)
Rather... those who accept that this is a symptom of anxiety and stress, albeit very difficult to deal with, and difficult to believe anxiety/stress can do these things.
I'm a couple months into my journey of overcoming balance issues, and learning to live with it day by day. But I'm curious to hear other stories. Certainly any success, but all stories are good.
Is anyone going through balance issues/dizziness as a main symptom/condition right now? How are you working through this issue?
MRS STRESS ED
15-07-18, 18:36
hi l can totally relate to you l too suffer dizziness and balance issues its bloody hell,this is my worst symptoms l hate it, l am very bad at the moment my anxiety is sky high loads going on,l have had to apcept this is part of my anxiety l push myself everyday,otherwise I would just take to the house again l think the hardest thing for us to believe is that it is anxiety and we need to keep telling ourselves that and fighting it l have been like this for years but l wont give in to it l guess this is me hope you're getting some help xx :D
Hi Mrs. Stress...
Sorry to hear you're having a hard go if it. It's certainly one of those symptom sets that can cause us grief.
I'll bet though.... you've found that at times, it's not as bad as other times? Perhaps you've had time periods where it eased off, or maybe you forget about it. This is common. I've had bouts of balance problems come and go over the years with stress disorder. But, this time it is kind of sticky.
So, I'm trying to give it space.
As you said... the more we fight against it, the worse it gets. We aren't in danger, we're in discomfort. That's a big distinction. That said it can be hard, and it takes time and patience.
One thing I'd metion is that we should all be aware here of a few things..
1. Anxiety can CAUSE dizziness. Those who constantly need to look for a "reason" for it are usually just... experiencing anxiety.
2. The condition is somtimes called "Psychogenic Dizzinesss" or PPDS. (Psycho-physiological Dizziness Sydnrome. These are medical ways to say... balance issues caused by stress that aren't the result of anything "broken" or dangerous going on in us. I don't recommend googling ever, but if you need to... look those up. They explain how this can be a product of stress, anxiety, psychological factors. (I'd suspect in 95% of the cases you see on this forum... that's what it is... not ear problems or phantom issues.)
I'm working on using good self talk about it, and focusing outward. Keeping involved in my day and in my tasks. I find this usually helps quite a bit. I walk every morning and I feel off balance and foggy, but I do it anyway... and often by mid-day things are much better as I do my work, etc.
Hang in there. This is a process.
Curious to hear others' stories as well. This is temporary. If you've been through stress disorder you know things change. So, we need patience and self-kindness.
MRS STRESS ED
15-07-18, 19:51
many thanks for your kind words and encouragement it is awful as we both know but hopefully we can overcome this horrible debilitating condition take care and keep going you are in tbe right mind set :yesyes:
Hi,
JUst checking in as a fellow sufferer of brain fog / head presssure / balance issues. Am on meds but still the problem seems to persist....
One of my key causes seems to be.....people ! I find a lot of people untolerable from being arrogant / ignorant / small minded or just outright rude. There are a lot of good people out there but they are far outnumbered, I have no doubt on my drive home from work I will be tailgated or have to put up with some sort of other moronic behaviour.
Hi,
this is one of my symptoms I get every now and then. Sometimes it's a 'room spinning' kind of dizzyness when I'm just sitting down or getting up. At other times it's an unbalanced, 'walking on a boat' kind of feeling. I work in a supermarket and I have a feeling that the bright lights/noise/intense colours don't help :huh:
Hi,
this is one of my symptoms I get every now and then. Sometimes it's a 'room spinning' kind of dizzyness when I'm just sitting down or getting up. At other times it's an unbalanced, 'walking on a boat' kind of feeling. I work in a supermarket and I have a feeling that the bright lights/noise/intense colours don't help :huh:
Hi Vicky,
Those are very very common... and symptoms increasing when you're at at the store... or in open spaces is also comon and medically explainable. In open spaces with high stimulation, our brains have less relative data to create balance. When we are near walls... etc.. the brain uses those to "ping" of for balance. When in wide open spaces with visual challenges, it makes it harder. (Same reason it's harder to close your eyes and stay balanced.) The good news is that it's harmless.
The boaty symptom you describe... is also very common for PPDS.
Here is a great thread about PPDS:
http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/psycho-physiological-dizziness-syndrome-ppds.4599/
TMS is a condition much like anxiety, mentally based... and involves the body creating symptoms to distract us from mental pain/fear, etc. It's basically just another way to frame anxiety disorder.
I highly suggest people who are reading this read about PPDS, psyghogenic dizziness, etc.
buttercookie
19-07-18, 07:19
Hello all. Yes I suffered from every type of balance/dizziness issue and spent several years testing everything from brain, ears, heart etc. I had brain fog, spinning (a few times), the walking on water feeling, the room moving when I lie down, the split second feeling of dropping, you name it.
I was terrified of these symptoms and developed agoraphobia as a result. It took ages to understand that these were just anxiety symptoms. (When i say "just", it's not to belittle anxiety, it's to mean no other medical problems.) I listened to audios by Claire Weekes (life saver) and slowly became less scared of the symptoms. And what would you know? The less scared of the symptoms I became, the less they came.
I still get some dizziness if i'm particularly stressed or before my period but it no longer sends me straight to bed terrified. I carry on with my day and they just go away. I hope this helps people out there.
Hi Vicky,
Those are very very common... and symptoms increasing when you're at at the store... or in open spaces is also comon and medically explainable. In open spaces with high stimulation, our brains have less relative data to create balance. When we are near walls... etc.. the brain uses those to "ping" of for balance. When in wide open spaces with visual challenges, it makes it harder. (Same reason it's harder to close your eyes and stay balanced.) The good news is that it's harmless.
The boaty symptom you describe... is also very common for PPDS.
Here is a great thread about PPDS:
http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/psycho-physiological-dizziness-syndrome-ppds.4599/
TMS is a condition much like anxiety, mentally based... and involves the body creating symptoms to distract us from mental pain/fear, etc. It's basically just another way to frame anxiety disorder.
I highly suggest people who are reading this read about PPDS, psyghogenic dizziness, etc.
Fascinating stuff thanks for sharing! :yesyes:
Great story Buttercookie.
That recognition of what it is is such a huge part of getting the brain to turn off these warning signals, of sorts. (Symptoms) Great to hear you have things back on track, and like you... I've seen many symptoms come and go when we do the right work.
Interestingly, I was reading about post-concussion syndrome and they now believe that this is also "functional/psychogenic" as well. In other words, the brain turns on and leaves on symptoms... just like in anxiety disorder, related to our initial experience.
You can read about it here:
http://www.neurosymptoms.org/#/post-concussion-syndrome/4582101276
Note how the recovery process begins with an understanding... and a belief that you aren't damaged and can improve. That's because so much of this is learned behavior. Neural pathways.
Claire Weeks is the best, by the way. Hopefully no one is reading any of these posts who hasn't read her books at least once. Her books are mandatory, immediate reading for anyone who has found themselves in a stress disorder. (Anxiety, panic, health anxiety, dizziness, etc.)
Some very interesting responses to this tread - Thank you.
I wish there was a solution, as I sit ready to go home I can feel the dreaded 'head swimming and sinking' sensation lurking in the background. The worst I have felt is the room literally spinning like being drunk - but I had not touched a drop of alocohol.
Some very interesting responses to this tread - Thank you.
I wish there was a solution, as I sit ready to go home I can feel the dreaded 'head swimming and sinking' sensation lurking in the background. The worst I have felt is the room literally spinning like being drunk - but I had not touched a drop of alocohol.
Hey Crispy,
The "drunk" feeling is common, as is spinning. I don't get spinning... mine is more of a drunk, bouncy floor... off balance issue. Sometimes when I look up quickly, or cast my eyes up or down, I can get shifting sensastions. (Etc.)
Lots of common symptoms, some of us have one or two... some more.
But it all comes from the same thing... a build-up of stress and habitual worry.
Some of us may have had a trigger like me... I was working out strenuously and did an inclined exercise and got dizzy and it just stuck around. Others it will come out of the blue or via panic attack.
But, the solution is recognition first, and that can be the hard part. Believing in the condtion and not turning into some boogey man.
I suggest you read through some of the things posted on the thread. (Links)
There is a mountain of evidence to support that this is just stress related, and that with the right mindset and patience.. it can unwind for all of us.
Hi bchrismar,
The links are excellent and very relevant to what I am many others I expect are experiencing.
Sometime I find exercise helps to reduce the head pressure. On coming home yesterday from work it felt like I had tight belt strapped across my head,later in the evening I went out to play 5-a-side football and coming home felt fine....almost human.
buttercookie
19-07-18, 21:34
Really interesting link bchrismar, thank you.
The body and mind are fascinating.
Claire Weekes IS the best. She put me on the path to recovery. The other thing I found brilliant was the website cbt4panic, created by another Weekes fan, and which builds on her approach using cognitive behavioural therapy exercises.
May the force be with us all!
Hello. I've experienced this for many many years. In the beginning I was hospitalized three times it was so bad. It's actually incredible that something like anxiety can cause this symptom. The symptom is 100x worse than the actual anxiety itself. I've learned to distract myself with other activities... and believe me, it works. Do other stuff you enjoy. Keep your mind occupied and engaged. It makes a big difference, I can attest to that.
Bcrismar I've shared the link for the mind body forum on another thread because I've found it so useful :)
Bcrismar I've shared the link for the mind body forum on another thread because I've found it so useful :)
Very cool Vicky! TMS is a field of psychology that deals with physical/mental pain caused by psychological/emotional causes. Usually not known to us. Can result in back pain, headaches, anxiety or any number of things. Those who teach, study and follow the developing brach of medicine belive it may be the cause for many many things we simply chalk up to things like "a bad back."
Lots to read and learn about, and relates (IMO) heavily to what most people are going through here. IMO... 99% of the people here are suffering the effects of stress and nothing more. As hard as that is to believe, that is the case.
Stress, CNS taxation and negative emotions/sitautions have devestating effects on our systems. We are taught from an early age to run for the medicine cabinet, but new science is revealing better ways.
MarkyMark88
27-07-18, 15:05
I get similar symptoms but they usually come in the form of a head rush. Like I fell a few feet very suddenly and then I get a zap or a tickle into my stomach. It lasts maybe a second. Scares the daylights out of me. I was getting them more frequently a few months ago but they subsided after I had my yearly physical. Had a run up of blood tests which all came back normal and started the tapering process for my anxiety meds. Now within the last week or so, after two months of being pretty much anxiety free, these feelings are creeping back. It's almost like I'm relapsing......
First thing that starts popping into my mind is abnormally low blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, neurological disorder. Just read an article about an 18 year old college freshman football player who suddenly died while doing light workouts during practice. Peak physical condition in the prime of his life and he drops dead from a little bit of cardio. It's things like that that enhance my feelings of dread when these symptoms arise.
But threads like these help bring me back down to earth. So thank you for posting this.
Mark
Hi Mark,
The great news is what you describe sounds like our old friend stress visiting you and letting you know things are out of line. I say good news because stress is never dangrous. It produces anxiety which of course can feel awful, but if we react and worry... it only makes it worse.
Hang in there, de-stress and work the strategies taught by Claire Weekes, Paul David and others and continiue to treat it as a non-dangerous entity and it will always pass.
For some of us the dizzy stretches last longer and are constant, but I believe the treatment/approach is always the same.
Be well.
MarkyMark88
03-08-18, 19:34
Hi Mark,
The great news is what you describe sounds like our old friend stress visiting you and letting you know things are out of line.
Thank you for the response :)
I often wonder though, why do I get these feelings when I am not in a state of stress or panic? I can be having a fine time and then I get hit with a head rush or a feeling of lightheadedness that can last for hours. Then I feel as though I am forced to take a clonazepam.
Right now I am in the early stages of neurofeedback therapy and meditation/mindfulness experiences. It's slow going but I am hoping this becomes an end all to my medications and panic.
Marky,
You are never forced to take a benzo and my reccommendation would be that you do not, or at least as little as humanly possible.
That said, it can defintiely make us feel awful. Those are the time, as hard as it is that if we can float through... we find the most relief down the road. We teach our brains in those moments that the symptoms are not dangerous. That's where the re-training happens. So as awful as it feels, those are actually our best opportunities to make positive change for good.
I actually had a few momentary balance issues today, more "spinny" than usual. So, I know it's not fun. Hang in there, and things will get better. Keep working... and try to live as normally as we can. Try not to live like you have to "get rid of something."
The more we see this like a "thing" we have to shake... the more the body creates fear chemistry to respond to it.
Do your best to live wiht it.... don't chase it off.... and you'll see progress.
I'm doing the same.
How's everyone doing? Just checking in to see how people are working through theiir balance or dizziness issues?
My remains, but I've had a better quality of life. My overall anxiety levels go up and down, mostly down lately. So, life is pretty good. I just need to accept that the balance problems are going to be there for a while. Been about 7 months, but that's not important. What's important is how we're choosing to live while its here.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Charlsberg
12-11-18, 00:27
Thank you so much for this post! I had my first panic attack last December and it was pretty intense: it lasted over an hour and I ended up in hospital convinced I was having a stroke. Ever since then, my brain has never really felt 'normal'. The largest part of this has been dizziness, feeling as if I'm on a moving surface, general dissociation and just feeling 'off' most of the time. I had this under control for a while but in the past few weeks it's returned with a vengeance. And in those weeks I've considered that this feeling was caused by the wrong prescription glasses, an inner ear infection, a brain tumour, early warning signs of a heart attack, a brain infection and a plethora of other ridiculous explanations, all the time knowing that it is really all down to anxiety. But the idea that my nervous system has essentially been shocked into feeling this way and it's reversible, and the knowledge that others are experiencing the same symptoms is extremely comforting. I hope you all find some relief from this, as it truly is a struggle. X
Great thread and links! I've been offbalance since February, and while mine might not be solely psychogenic as I have a working diagnosis of vestibular migraine from arguably the top dizziness expert in the world, what is most clear to me with my nearly year of experience is that lowering the level of stress and anxiety in general - or the anxiety associated with the uncomfortable physical symptoms - is the #1 best thing someone can do to decrease their symptoms. Sleeping properly is a close and somewhat related second thing. Being active to the extent your symptoms allow is also important (and that even applies to inner ear causes as well!)
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
cthechick84
19-11-18, 10:44
This is the worst symptom for me to cope with I really can't get my head round it and as soon as I focus on it bamm can't think clearly or concentrate and just wanna sit down I want blood tests to rule out low iron but my doctor told me to try propranolol 10 mg for 2 weeks and go back but I haven't even tried the propranolol I have recently came off bisoprolol 1. 25 mg for 5 weeks now and the adrenaline I have is crazy. ��
Great thread and links! I've been offbalance since February, and while mine might not be solely psychogenic as I have a working diagnosis of vestibular migraine from arguably the top dizziness expert in the world, what is most clear to me with my nearly year of experience is that lowering the level of stress and anxiety in general - or the anxiety associated with the uncomfortable physical symptoms - is the #1 best thing someone can do to decrease their symptoms. Sleeping properly is a close and somewhat related second thing. Being active to the extent your symptoms allow is also important (and that even applies to inner ear causes as well!)
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
I actually an ocular migraine over the weekend. (Saw flashing lights and shapes, visual disturbances - then headaches)
That said, I agree with everything you said... and I suspect my condition is 100% psychogenic. But, like you said... stress contributes to everything, as does worry.
We all have to work to reduce our REACTION to these symptoms and stop trying to fight them off, and start trying to go through our days the best we can - while reducing stress and reducing attention we pay to the symptom.
Not easy, but we can do it.
Indeed! I really hope mine is 100% psychogenic too, that way I can get back to eating pizza and not being nervous anytime I want a beer or two, not have to think about some day needing long term medication (which incidentally the recommended one for me is venlafaxine, which as we know is also used for depression) Or even if it's a half/half thing it will definitely help! On the bright side it has caused me to learn much more about eating clean and that can only help no matter what.
Sucks about the ocular migraine. I haven't had that. Hope you don't experience that too often!
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Hi All - this is my first post, despite following the forum for over a year. It's quite long but I'd recommend this post to anyone who's just started experiencing this.
I started to get the dizziness / rocking on a boat feeling mid-2017 off the back of a couple bad panic attacks I had. Completely on the same page as all of you - it's the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with at 24 - don't beat yourself up about it (I did that for ages) - it will never, ever make sense to someone who hasn't experienced it.
15 months on, it still comes and goes almost every day, especially when stressed, but also in random moments - big open spaces, walking in a crowd of people, standing on a train platform. For me, it's just driven by a fear that something is wrong/always will be wrong/or I will never be my 'old-self' etc., or I am in a situation that is potentially embarrassing (with friends/colleagues).
Things I've Learnt:
- I had tests for everything (like most people) - saw a top private Cardiologist & Neurologist, and actually had some physio sessions for my balance. Despite them thinking my balance was off, I reckon that you could find balance issues with anybody if you sent them to a balance specialist. The sooner I accepted this was purely mentally driven, and that it is possible for the mind to create very real physical symptoms, the easier it was - (my health anxiety has dropped significantly as a nice side-benefit).
- Talk to people/get help. Big believer that you cannot overcome this by being silent about it. If you fear speaking about it, you are only adding to the power it has over you. Go to your GP, speak to a school/work counsellor etc. I was petrified of being ridiculed or thought I was crazy - but you will be SHOCKED by how many of your family & friends (especially young males) will have their own debilitating mental health issues.
- Don't be afraid to take medication, if it is recommended by a professional. It helped me a lot whilst going through mental health therapy - and start to heal the wounds. (A lot of this stuff is built up through childhood and teenage years without being realised).
- Find what sort of therapy works for you and stick with it. I've done both CBT and Mindfulness based stress reduction. The second one was a lot more beneficial for me (but it might not be for you). I do 20 minutes of meditation everyday and can't live without it - when something is so debilitating you have to be willing to commit to the solutions (which I wasn't hugely at the start). I mean, what is 20 minutes a day?
- Keep a diary. Found this HUGELY helpful. I actually just started it randomly but you'll find yourself addicted to keeping yourself updated with how you are doing. One day you will realise you missed a few days of entries - showing that your symptoms have clearly been very minor (this is a big win!) It also means the next time you have a challenging few days, you can look back and realise that when this has happened before, it always eventually passes.
- Finally, things will get better. Time is always in your hands. I have done things in the last few months that I never ever dreamed I would be able to when this started. Start to slowly overcome avoidance tendencies, accept how you are feeling and eventually you will start to get bits of your life back.
Life actually ends up being a lot more fulfilling, when you experience great things, whilst also overcoming your anxiety. Something people who haven't had this can ever relate to!
Thanks for this post! Glad to hear you are seeing improvement. This part really struck me because I literally just finished a therapy (mental) appointment twenty minutes ago and mentioned to my therapist these exact thoughts I've been struggling with this weekend:
For me, it's just driven by a fear that something is wrong/always will be wrong/or I will never be my 'old-self' etc., or I am in a situation that is potentially embarrassing (with friends/colleagues).
Whether my dizzies are actually medical or anxiety (or more likely what percentage combination of each contributes) I'm coming across the same issues. I have just started reading a book about Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction by Jon Kabat Zinn(?) and hoping that it becomes more habitual for me. Seeing that MBSR practice has provided a great help to you is very encouraging to me!
Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
Great thread, really informative and relatable.
My anxiety started off with my heart constantly beating fast, then dizziness joined the party! I’m on beta blockers now which controls my heart rate but still feeling unbalanced which stops me wanting to get out of bed in the mornings!
As I’m sure is the case for a lot of us, I’ve seen a lot of different doctors over the past few months. All but one have said it’s down to anxiety but of course I am worried about the one doctor who said it was something else! I’m currently in the battle of trying to convince myself it is anxiety and move on as I do feel a lot better if I can manage to stop thinking about it for a few hours!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.