Can Hardly Move, Especially In The Morning

[afuneralinmybrain]

Does anyone else have problems with moving? I double over so much I have bad posture. And my panic attack increases the more I move. I get off the floor where I sleep in the morning and sit on my couch and can't stop trembling and fidgeting, and it's hard to make huge movements. I feel like I'm turning into stone. I have to take Xanax in the morning now and I hate that I need it to get by in the morning.
It's not just in the morning, though. I just can't move much when I'm stressed. This is especially hard when I'm on my college campus or just out doing anything. I take a step and I want to scream with fear. It's like my body wants to fold into itself.

 

[Wounded Scribe]

Yes, to everything you posted. I feel tight. Muscles feel as if they're pulling into myself. I've made a commitment to get back into exercise. And, I am in no big hurry, I am being kind to myself. At this time, I am walking for just over an hour, daily and it's agonizing. I feel as if my legs and body are being shredded by invisible razors, and I know it's not from exertion. I used to be heavy on the iron and weight lifting side of fitness and this is bad pain, but I'm not doing anything except lightly walking a few miles in the evening. Thanks for posting it, very relevant to what I am feeling as well.

 

[Justmehere]

Survival responses are not limited to fight or flight. There is also the freeze response. Maybe this is a part of that?

 

[afuneralinmybrain]

I'm thinking about joining a gym, maybe. It would probably be better for me.
You're welcome, @WoundedHealer
Like... I would have the opposite of fight or flight? It's kind of that deer in the headlights feeling but, more prolonged.

 

[Chava]

I've often had the feeling of not being able to physically hold myself up in the morning. Still not sure what that was about...but I had to call in sick because I could not even walk to the kitchen. My upper body refused to support me, I just couldn't hold myself up. It was muscle pain, spasms, but I suspect other stuff. I was just half immobilized. I went back to bed. That happened a few times. On more mobile days when it still felt difficult to hold myself up a painkiller helped. But it's mostly better. Exercise, walking, stretching helps. But I do feel I'm moving and stretching through the day in ways that counter my tendency to curl in.

 

[afuneralinmybrain]

Curl in! That's a good way to put it, yeah.
I'm sorry, Chava, It's awful. :(

 

[Chava]

It's getting better, slowly....I"ve stopped forcing better posture upon myself and am instead finding it naturally when I feel that way

 

[Friday]

There's a fighting technique where you mentally cut off part of your body. Wrist locks, for example, only "work" because people freeze in pain/response. In reality? 2 good legs, a back/abdomen, a good arm, and a head to fight back with.

You can practice it by (not self harm!) hurting yourself to the degree that your body locks up in response, and then purposefully relaxing. Make the rest of your body loose and limber. With a partner, the wrist lock is usually the first pain-point. On your own, leaning your hand in a door or similar. Lots of nerve endings in hands, so not a lot of pressure (meaning no damage!) causes the body-lock.

Where this is relevant is that I'm in chronic pain. When I catch myself locking up over it? Same thing. Fluid the rest of my body the same way I do when I fight. If I'm willing to eat the pain (not usually) I won't even limp / hobble /etc., much less collapse inward. Ditto, when I'm coming into (or out of) a panic attack? If I can fluid my body into upright relaxed posture? I'll be 'normal' hours faster than if I let myself keep spasming one moment longer than I have to. For me, the moment I notice myself spasming is also the moment I can lock it down... By going fluid. Can't stop the shakes & involuntary muscle twitching, but I can stop the posturing.

Curling into a ball, in medicine, is known as defensive or protective posturing. It's the 2nd highest indicator for pain (highest indicator is full body arch... Although there is an interim one where a person curls and arches / known as 'writhing')

 

[Everythingspassage]

I did that this morning and yesterday. Actually I do this so often during the day for so long I have to force my body out of the "locked" position. I stop talking when this happens as well. As if my words are locked in, too.