Anyone Have Paralysis After/during A Flashback?

[Meadowsweet]

This is something I experience. I think there are a couple of threads about it somewhere. But it's something I experience during trauma, so I guess it's maybe the feelings repeating.

 

[gms1976]

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this. You might want to read an autobiography called Miss America by Day by Marilyn Van Derbur. She is a PTSD sufferer and experienced something like that every day. For some reason, her body would get so overwhelmed it would shut down for a period of time. I haven't read the book yet but my therapist highly recommends it.

Hope it helps!

G

 

[^^FlyingSolo^^]

Zef, if you do some research on Astral Travel, or out of body Experience, called OBE. This full body paralysis is something they warn you about right up front. Any book you find on OBE will have a whole chapter on it in detail and how to deal with it in detail, because apparently it is a very common denominator with OBE.

OBE is also associated with the dream state, as it is something you can do in the dream state, not awake.

Take Care,

solo

 

[Joanne22]

Yes I've experienced this too often. A trigger sets it off for me. Sometimes when I'm faced with a fear, like public speaking for example, suddenly my entire body paralyses, I loose all my senses, sight, hearing... I also loose time. I suddenly snap out of this trance state and I have no idea how much time has passed, 30 seconds or 2 hours feels like 1 second for me. But the people around me notice of course and don't understand why I've frozen in time like this. When I snap out of it my brain wipes clear the entire event, like nothing ever happened. But I remember it later and feel so embarrassed knowing that all those people stood there watching me frozen. I've been experiencing this all my life, it was much worst when I was a kid, but I've noticed it still happens even now as an adult.

 

[BlueOrange]

I get a number of symptoms including extreme stiffness/paralysis on the right hand side of my body (the left is never locked up in this way)

 

[seh1977]

I just joined this site today... I 've already posted my question for seeking answers advice... but I've had this nightmare since I was a kid, that I would feel paralized. I can't move, scream or do anything, I've always thought it was a nightmare, because it only happens when I'm in bed sleeping, although I've always said it feels so real. Like I'm not really asleep. Im very scared when it's going on, and try to scream. move. kick do anything and I can't.

 

[Zef]

It's been awhile since I had one, but a couple nights ago I had a pretty powerful one. They seem to be progressing. In this one, all of my core muscles tightened up so much that my torso was off the bed by about 30 degrees. . .basically, a 2+ minute crunch exercise. Hurt like hell. After that ended, was basically paralyzed including mouth and eyes.

One of the things my wife and I figured out was that if she moved a major muscle group (usually my legs) that I would eventually come out of it. This time didn't help, so she moved to my right arm which was 'paralyzed' at a kinda weird and uncomfortable angle. As soon as she tried to moved it, I was overwhelmed with an amazing amount of fear and wanted to desperately get away from her. . .but still couldn't move.

Also had intense fear responses to almost every outside noise and had a bunch of visual images, both random and trauma-related, during the incident that induced fear, too.

Just thought I would share in case others are experiencing something similar.

 

[Tinyflame]

Yes, I've had it Zef, in response to some situations (involuntary freeze and fear but am aware) and also always during a FB, but during those I cannot see or hear then (except for the FB), pretty sure I don't move. Am disoriented/ fearful etc. after, for a few minutes.

 

[Loveneverfails]

I've had instances like that as well. Though it seems my body is functioning but my mind has checked out, paralyzing itself from focusing or truly hearing what is going on around me. I'm fully aware it's happening, but my eyes are out of focus and I can't really pull myself out of it very easily. I just kind of sit there staring off. It's almost as though I were sleeping while being entirely awake. It seems to happen before and after panic attacks or being badly triggered, though rarely now days. It happened a lot as a child during my trauma. I always thought it was a form of dissociation.

I'm so glad your wife was there to help, I can't imagine how terrifying that must be to experience in the first place. I'm glad you're not alone. Is this the first time you've had such intense emotions attached to your paralysis? I only ask because recently my migraines have escalated to having intense emotions of fear, doom and hopelessness and I was wondering if maybe there was a possible connection in my case as well?

 

[Zef]

Hi Loveneverfails,

Yeah, this was the first time I've had emotions with it. Before, it has always been just my body doing weird things along with a visual here and there. The ones that lasted a long time. . .I ended up being bored and wondering when it would be over. :) I'll be talking to t in a few hours. . .so I'll see what she has to say about things .. .

 

[Loveneverfails]

Good luck! I hope you uncover a way to get some relief!

 

[BlueOrange]

When we dream, a chemical is released that disconnects the mind from the body - this prevents sleepwalking in most people, despite the fact that the mind believes that we are walking around, driving, whatever. It's possible to wake up while you're flooded with that chemical, in which case your body will be completely frozen despite a mind that has gone to full alert. Quite a scary experience, but not a dangerous one.