Why can't I control my face?

[tbourner]

I have some autistic traits as well as GAD and I'm not sure what is causing it, but I have facial spasms when anxious that make me look frightened apparently, I'm not sure how to explain it but it feels like I want to rub my cheeks with my hands and stretch my mouth out as much as I can to stop it (which often isn't appropriate in the situation).
The biggest problem at the moment is that I have a very awkward situation with someone at work, we're both uncomfortable seeing each other but for me it's become a panic because I just get flustered. I think we're both avoiding each other but even when they're not there I get worried that I'll bump into them and have panic-face. I'm trying to just accept that it's going to be awkward and we'll both be professional about it, but I just wish I could click my fingers and make it all better.

[ankietyjoe]

Probably jaw clenching leading to weird muscle tension. I've had that before where I had to continually purse my lips and open my mouth as wide as possible, which then led to a weird counter reaction making me look like a needed a large poo.

But the 'having' to open your mouth as wide as possible is classic jaw tension.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Could also be a tic. Tics are more common in OCD than is realised. I used to grimace as one of mine. Another was head bobbing/nodding.

I found as my overall levels of anxiety reduced this went away. I can say the same for all the other twitches and limb spasms.

Searching for Tic Related OCD will bring up information on this as it is not commonly found even on OCD sites (or wasn't when I was looking into it all a few years back) but bare in mind they will be talking about proper tic disorders too in order to understand the differences. If you are prone to HA Googling traits, try to remain objective. Remember many symptoms overlap under the banner of mental health so should not be taken at face value e.g. in OCD alone you will see many behaviours that non anxious people do.