does anyone else feel strange when there out?like shaky jittery hard to explain?

[clairep]

[ellabella]

Yes Claire, I put my hands up! my insides shake and I feel as if I am walking on pins and needles. It will not beat me though, I'll show the doubters and so will you my love xxxxxx

[burno]

Yes I do! Not terrible it seems to be getting better though which I hope yours do! I get light headed more than anything and a general feeling of wanting to reach my destination especially tonight in a packed out town for Xmas lights switch on! Xx

[Hidden]

Hi. claire. Anticipation is the real bug. (ella is going to write a book on it!!). I sometimes feel that anticipation is sometimes worse than the actual fear felt when we do make the effort. Our minds do play tricks! Trying to explain the feelings is nigh impossible, even to ourselves, and I wonder if this is not the reason why we are so misunderstood. A physical problem is easily explained, but this, oh no. We can only press on. Love. jonathan.

[djeminel in reply to Hidden]

I can relate to all of the above, Thanks

[clairep]

Thanks guys im having a hard time of it at the moment.Il keep moving forwards in a floaty kind of way slump my way through.Sending love to u all xxxx

[ArctoLindy]

I'm not too bad in familiar (close to home) places, but take me out of my comfort zone and its a different matter... then I feel absolutely awful and I often wonder why I put myself through that kind of torture, but once upon a time (a long, long time ago), I used to enjoy visiting new places and one day I'd really like to get back to the person I used to be. In the meantime, when I push at the boundaries, I go through symptoms just short of a full-blown panic attack

[Hidden in reply to ArctoLindy]

Hi. Lindy. To go back to the person you were before! But that was the person who got into an anxiety state. I would suggest that you WILL emerge from this a DIFFERENT person, more understanding and more alive than before. You may not believe this now but I have seen it happen many times. To learn from our suffering is essential. I am not, for one moment, minimising your feelings. I know! But we are on a journey and with all the lovely fellow travellers we can win. Love and blessings. jonathan.

[ArctoLindy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Jonathan, I've suffered with anxiety most of my life but was more adventurous in my late teens. I had been making some pretty good progress in the last few years until I heard a few months ago that my step-father had died. My first reaction was jubilation, it was like a dark cloud had been lifted but sadly it didn't last, the news brought all the bad memories to the forefront of my mind and I'm having quite a hard time dealing with them at the moment. I hold onto the hope that this will improve and maybe with his death there will be closure on that chapter of my life leaving me free to move forward. I don't want all the c**p to dominate my life anymore! I like you idea of a journey, perhaps I can find another path one of these days.

[Hidden in reply to ArctoLindy]

You will, you will, we all will but it takes time and effort and energy. This is why we need to rest occasionally. To look after ourselves for a bit.

Yes, closure can be difficult and does not always give us the relief we may think it should. Just as dealing with bad memories can be difficult.

They are only bad because you are still sensitised and feel these feelings in an exaggerated way. When you are well they will be only memories, and can be dealt with accordingly. At the moment they seem to 'stick' in the mind. Keep going and good luck. Love. jonathan.

[hairyfairy]

I went through a long phase of being very anxious in public places, especially when on my own, when I was in my teens & early 20`s. I thought everyone was staring at me & making fun of the way I looked, & if I saw anyone looking at me I would panic & try to get away as fast as I could. I eventually got past it, & now I wonder why I was like that.

[Hidden]

Maybe you are hyperventilating without realising it? It's a common symptom of anxiety,and if going out triggers your general anxiety level to increase (which it does for most of us) then this may be the culprit.

If you're not already familiar with the symptoms of hyperventilation, read about it online. There should also be breathing exercises you can practice to retrain yourself to breath more evenly.

Then when you are out and you feel jittery, spaced out, dizzy, breathless, or whatever word you would use to best describe it, check if your breathing has become shallow again. Chances are it will have done, so make a conscious effort to slow it down by making your out-breath longer than your in-breath. I no longer have anywhere near as much trouble with hyperventilation as I did years ago, because I eventually learned to spot it and retrain myself to breathe more evenly.

[miarose]

Hi Clair,yes I feel shaky, lightheaded,and think im going to slump to the ground any minute,feel like i'm walking on sponges.I imagine other people think i'm drunk.its so annoying,all down to anxiety.we will just have to accept it,because this is the only cure,and thats not caring whether we fall or not, or how we look to other people.only time I walk straight is when i'm drunk, my therapist says thats because i'm not thinking about it then..,it makes sense, but its hard to put into practice ,xxxxx

[Hidden in reply to miarose]

Hi. mia. It is hard but it can be done! If we think others are looking at us well, if that's all they have to do then I pity them. As Churchill said during WW2 when asked how he managed to sleep.He said, "I just say 'sod the lot of them' and go to sleep". Acceptance, in my view is the only cure. But it does take time. Your short post sums it all up. Love and blessings and good luck. jonathan

[nancy66 in reply to miarose]

this is how i feel, nice to hear someone else explain it. I feel like i am walking on a boat and i feel so drained and dizzy and i am going to pass out.

thank you for letting me know i am not alone

[Pickle165]

Hi claire, i tend to pretty much always feel extra nervous when i go out even though i hardly ever leave the house on my own. i feel more at risk out side of my home. x

[LouisBear]

Hi Claire, I know exactly how you feel when I was first ill last year my body was so full of adrenalin that the only place I couldnt feel my body shaking was the swimming pool, it was so lovely to just float! Might be a bit of relief for you. When I lay down onb the bed my body used to jump off the bed and my daughter used to lie with me till I fell asleep, a nightmare, have improved due to medication but the other day I was waiting at the school gate and for no reason I got the anxious feeling in my tummy and my legs went to jelly!! I have alot going on stress wise and mentally wise at the mo so prob that. Nice to speak to someone who understands.

[Hidden in reply to LouisBear]

Hi. Louis. Funny you should speak about a swimming pool. Dr. Weekes suggested that we should 'float' through any anxiety experience as if we were floating in water. If we struggle we sink, but if we just 'float' in a relaxed way then the episode passes and we can carry on. This kind of imagery can help if we can catch "IT" quickly enough. It is what I call the 'credit card technique'. We have to, very quickly, insert a credit card (a hypothetical one of course!!) between us and "IT" before "IT" has a chance to consolidate. This is not always possible because we are so caught up with how we feel that all else goes out of the window. Then we can only accept and let it 'float' past us. When we can adopt this idea of 'floating' then we can 'float' in and out of a shop or even the Supermarket. Sorry, sounds a bit daft but it really does work, when we are ready. Best wishes. jonathan.

[nancy66 in reply to LouisBear]

I also get the jelly legs, hate it, so afraid to walk too far because i dont think i will make it

nancy

[Stressheed]

Hi, yes I know exactly how you feel.. Worse feeling in the world.

I get this feeling all the time I'm also diabetic which makes it a little worse so if my sugar levels aren't right I the shaking and dizziness is a living nightmare I wish there was a miracle cure for this x