Body Tremors And Shakes

[Juspeczyk]

Hi everyone,

I've been coping with PTSD for almost three months now and within the last week, mainly over the weekend that just passed I started getting really shakey. I almost find this worse than my episodes of reliving the trauma. I start feeling my heart beat get irregular and speed up. I get tense in my whole body and the tremors take over me, like I feel my core is rattling and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

I've tried breathing exercises which work to only post-pone the shakes, and then I feel like they are worse. [I also find this happens with my reliving episodes, if I'm going about my day I can postpone them but when I get to a safe place they hit me and last a lot longer than usual. Does anyone else find this happens to them?] With the tremors, I try to relax my body but it's tough because I just tense back up again. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips that work to help?

My shakes seem to be triggered by social anxiety which has recently become a problem for me. Today I went to the library on my campus and the chit-chat in the computer lab was so difficult to cope with. I also find that I am really skittish and can easily be set off by loud noises or sudden movements.

This anxiety feels like a permanent fixture, it's in my chest all the time and the moments I am in control and feeling like myself, are just that, moments. I still have reliving moments but only when triggered and I'm also unable to identify what those triggers are anymore. I don't know if it's just the pressure of the holiday season but I'm starting to feel like I can't leave my house. It's getting harder and harder to fight my anxiety and I really feel like I'm losing sense of myself.

Thanks for your time and suggestions.
Juspeczyk

 

[gone]

I really feel for you @Juspeczyk, I've been shaking almost continuously for the past 6.5 months, and mine too has a lot to do with going out, with leaving what feels like my only safe haven, my home. Or anything that's stressing me makes me shake (more). I will say that I found this yogic ocean breath to be fairly helpful (I put up this post: https://www.myptsd.com/threads/ocean-breath-for-anxiety.38642/). I'm trying to practice doing ocean breath while I'm doing anything else, which is challenging.

Benzos help too.

More exciting, I had an EMDR session last Friday that definitely unravelled some amount of the trauma locked in my body and I have barely been shaking since (by the standards of the last half year). I think I went a whole day without shaking at all! Felt like a miracle to have my manual dexterity back.

So I hope you have a good T you're working with to help you purge the trauma from your being? And to cope with your rising anxiety? Anxiety just plain sucks and it can take over your life fast. I'm sure you know, but the shakes and skittishness are all part of PTSD hypervigilance, part of our overactivated nervous systems trying to save us from threats no longer in our orbit (hopefully).

I wish you peace and calm Juspeczyk—and soon!

 

[Juspeczyk]

@Amne Thank you for linking your previous thread, I check it out. I'm sorry to hear about your constant shakes. Did you always have shakes, or did they start later? Stress makes them worse for me too, but mine come in and out. I can't imagine what it's like for you all the time. Do you find you feel the anxiety hovering over your chest all the time or does the Benzos get rid of that?

I read briefly about EMDR, what's that like? For a second I thought that was an acronym for Trauma-focused cognitive-behaviour therapy, the thought of that terrifies me.

That's amazing! I'm so happy to hear it gave you solace from the tremors for a whole day. I find the moments I am most like my old self are when I can't feel the gripping in my chest. But those are becoming fewer and shorter. The other day right after I saw my counselor I felt like million bucks and it lasted a good couple hours. Oh and after singing I felt great for a bit too.

I only found out recently that the skittishness was a byproduct of it, when I looked up if shakes were a symptom of PTSD. I had been blaming that on myself for the longest time. Is there a specific site you found really helpful in explaining all the possible symptoms? I've just been using google.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me. It's so nice to talk about my PTSD judgement free and with someone who can truly empathize. Sending you positive energy!

 

[Andreas Andersson]

This anxiety feels like a permanent fixture, it's in my chest all the time and the moments I am in control and feeling like myself, are just that, moments. I still have reliving moments but only when triggered and I'm also unable to identify what those triggers are anymore.

Perhaps the best method to deal with it isn't to fight it, but to accept that it's there?

I know exactly what you mean about how the moments of feeling good are just moments, and how anxiety feels like a constant. And I've had many periods where I simply didn't feel like going anywhere, at all, and only left my apartment for the need to buy groceries. And even then it can be a struggle.
Well, what if it is? It's not gonna kill you. It's not gonna hurt you, other than be a nuisance for you. It's just something I've been told myself, that constantly fighting it just means that you're expecting it, which triggers it. I think that you anticipating it, makes it a lot worse.
Some food for thought, I suppose.

 

[Friday]

Something that can help, are large motor movements. From walking to jumping jacks. Anything that gets you moving. Override the autonomic nervous system with the somatic. Gross motor over fine motor.

Granted, I also just say screw it and curl up under a blanket and shake it out... But it's more helpful to walk it off. Healthier, too.

 

[Ocean5]

Have you started any new medicines recently? I very recently realized my tremors/heart rate were result of med side-effects. Then found out (at least in my family) this is common. I always assumed it was just my anxiety getting worse.....

I had stopped some natural things when started medicine. They help in past for anxiety.
- L-Arginine (amino acid)
- Lemon Balm (melissa leaves in mint family)

But I've restarted in past day. Heart rate is not as high (rapid heart rate over extended period of time is awful!)

Others things that might help....
- There is an app called Calm that might help you.
- Also I listen to relaxing music like "R Carlos Nakai"
- Going on long walks trying to focus on noticing new things (basically get your mind into present moment)

Best of luck - I feel for you