Has anyone else felt this symptom?

[Student]

My panic attacks are back after about 8 years in recovery.I feel pretty awful about it at the moment.I recently started a course of study and I'm in the early stages of the course.Everything was fine until about 3/4 weeks ago, when I started feeling wierd symptoms.When walking along, I started to feel like I didn't know where to place my feet when walking, and had to keep stopping every now and then, otherwise, (I thought), I would fall.It feels like I'm not properly connected with the ground - the wierdest feeling.So at first things felt pretty much like there was something physical going on, and I was mystified but not really panicked.
I had my first real panic on my own in a supermarket.The smooth surfaces of the floor made the symptoms far worse (couldn't place myself in space to walk).Suprise suprise I found myself avoiding that particular supermarket, but this has set off a chain where now I am panicking virtually anywhere.There's no longer an association with a particular place.It's not the same de-personalisation feelings as I felt around 8 years ago, but is focused on my walking, which is making me panic.I feel I haven't got faith in my body to do something which is almost reflex (ie walking).I'm off to the doc's this evening as have to do something about this, and also tried not to avoid things, but carry on as usual.My fellow students are going to notice fairly soon though, and I'm terrified about this.
Please help!!!

[della]

hi student
I totally understand how you feel...when i had panic attacks i felt like my feet wouldnt go where i was telling them...another symptom was tath things seemed to be going slightly faster than normal;

hope you feel better soon


take care[:o)]

[seh1980]

Whenever I get panicky out and about, I always find it very hard to walk. The ground feels strange under my feet and I really have to concentrate..

[Student]

Thanks for that both.Your support is appreciated.I'm off to the doc's this evening anyway but I was confused about this as at first it didn't make me panic too much.It felt purely physical, but the old panicky feelings are back.What a bummer.Never mind, I know I've got through it before, so will just have to perserve I suppose.I know the worst thing you can do is to start restricting where you can go and what you can do (and also that you don't need to push that to ridiculous limits to test how far you can go!)The reason I recovered last time was because I carried on with things (even though they made me feel terrified).Gradually, over time, things got better, until one day, I realised I felt a heck of a lot better, and had achieved a lot in terms on my panic.There's no magic day you wake up and all the anpic has gone away, its a gradual thing that you have to keep working at.Being aware of it and tackling it at this early stage will hopefully prevent it from developing to huge levels.:)

[zena]

Sounds like you know what you have to do, which helps!
Hope the doctor can help you.
I to can feel like this if I am walking about. I must get funny looks sometimes but I don't care anymore. Whatever gets me through the day I will do.

Keep us posted on how you got on.
Take care

with good wishes

Zena

[Student]

Thanks!:DGood to hear your experiences of panic, and hey you're right - why care about funny looks etc?!As long as we get through it (and we can) then it doesn't matter.Will keep you updated with what doc says.Thinking of alternative medcine too, may make an appointment...

[Meg]

Good for you student knowing what to do before it gets too bad .

If you concentrate on anything enough it feels unnatural and staged.

You know with the feeling of falling that this is common with anxiety as you can see from others responses.

Sounds like you could do with challenging this with a variety of walking surfaces - road, pavement, stairs, carpet, wood floor as soon as possibel in order to nip it in the bud.

It may feel terrifying but if you stay in the situation it will pass as you already know

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Student]

Spot on Meg!I'm going to begin by walking to the doc's this evening.And then go to the supermarket this evening too (the one I hate!)Getting out and about is the best thing for panic (sounds absolutely bizarre doesn't it?!And every emotion I have tells me the opposite).But staying in is NOT going to make it go away.Thanks also for the website link.Thanks to you all for caring!
X

[Meg]

I know Student.

Every bone and living or dead cell in my body screamed out to me not to drive up a motorway by myself or go and do whatever.

But it was only by forcing myself slowly and methodically through all the odds that they and I leart that it was all a huge false alarm and the reality was that I was kidding myself and it seemed both body and mind had ganged up against me and so It was just me and my spirit against the rest.

In reality I know it was a self protection mode from the thoughts I'd been creating about a few situations which made my mind say - well, if its is as dangerous as she's thinking we'd better stop her doing it ..'

Get out there and stomp some steps !



Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[vernon]

hi student and welcome. yes i get that to even when i dont seem to feel anxious and its horribe, legs go realy haky too?

[bubbles]

Student,

Yes, I have experienced this too. Feels like the ground is at a different height/level to where my feet are, & as if I'm going to stumble.
Sorry it has brought back the pa's with a vengeance...but you seem to be pretty positive about what to do, & know it will get better.

Good luck at the docs...& hope he/she can help.

Linda.x

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.

[sal]

Hi Student

I know exactly how you feel and have at times remained in the house rather than walking anywhere and i think you will see by the replies how other people have been and you are no way alone on this.

Hope it went okay at the doctors and look forward to hearing how it went for you and how you are feeling.

Love Sal xx


Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.

[Student]

Thanks all - it really is an awful symptom eh?I totally sympathise with you and anyone else who has had this side effect of the nasty PA's.It is exactly as meg says - a false alarm, but the symptoms are so frightening, try telling that to your logic (which seems to have packed it's bags and gone on hols!) as we all know.
Well, went to the docs last night (walked there, not too bad at all, also had to go into post office, not as bad as I thought it would be), with my history of PA's in the past she suspects anxiety rather than a physical cause.Also, with what I described, she didn't think it had anything to do with visual/perceptual factors affecting balance.She has sent me to have blood tests to check out levels of Vit B 12, calicium and folates, as well as something else which she didn't go into detail about (mysterious!)

I think I know in my heart of hearts it's anxiety.She also advised me strongly to start exercising 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes a time.She siad this is a brilliahnt stress reliever and will help to lower the stress hormones causing the reaction.Spot on there, something I have read a thousand times but I've been putting off for a long time.Will help to get rid of that pent up anxiety.Walking isn't attractive to me at the mo (!) so will start cycling this afternoon, just a short burst as so unfit!

Thanks and LOL to you all,
X