Does Anyone Else Have This Symptom? Walking Slowly

[maria]

Sometimes when I'm out doing things, going to stores and such, I find that my walking slows to almost a stop. I have to encourage myself to keep walking at a reasonable pace.

Maria

 

[dust]

Maria,

it is probably something to do with 'freezing' - not the cold weather, but part of the flight/fight/freeze condition with PTSD. I get it sometimes, not in the context you are talking about, but at other times. It's like I've gone, and I have to bring myself back and provoke action. It's quite a constant battle. There may be other reasons for your slowing, it could be that your brain is taking time to process your environment and look for safety. The Freeze/flight/fight thing is just my experience.

dust

 

[Tiger Kitten]

Maria, I do that as well. I also do the almost running pace as I am leaving a store or whatever. I don't have any advice on how to get rid of that reaction or whatever, but you are not alone.

Tiger

 

[Cate]

I do walk slowly sometimes, as well. I am constantly vigilant. People bump into me in the aisles because I'm too busy trying to look out for my own safety so I block the way to
the Produce Section and all of the other areas....just trying to see if there's any danger out there. Oh well. Things could be worse. Once in the grocery store, there was some poor dude standing behind me (I couldn't see him) and he ripped one of the produce bags off of the hook too quickly and I jumped 50 feet into the air. He apologized for startling me but I almost choked him out and beat on him.....sigh. Why can't I be normal again...why, why, WHY????

 

[anni]

Maria,

I know when I do this it FEELS like it's because my brain is trying to deal with too many signals at once, kind of like neurological uncoordination, if that makes sense. You know that blanket joke about not being able to chew gum and walk? It's like not being able to inhale too much stimulation and walk.

At least we're not going to trip over anything or walk into a street sign. :)

Take care,

Anni

 

[Lucycat]

wow. I just walked in thinking that I am in 'slow motion' today. And then I found this thread! Yes!!! I have this too, and it feels really odd.

 

[ams]

I walk super slow all the time. I think it's because I feel like I'm trying to slow everything down anyway and stay -here-. Just trying to be careful and premeditated in everything I do. Keeping calm seems to help with everything. People get frustrated with me for walking slow when they are trying to go faster, and they always seem to stop and wait for me to catch up, but I try not to internalize it much. I'm doing what I need to do.

 

[smitten]

Wow I do this as well. Sometimes I find myself looking down at my feet saying in my head "come ON feet let's go!". It is like I am incapable of walking quickly. It's a very strange feeling.

 

[tinythen]

I have this horrible symptom of when I slow down to do a set of detailed things like gather ingredients to make dinner, or get the dogs out of the truck and put their leashes on, I have intense cascades of nerves from my neck down through my back between my shoulder blades and down to my hips. Even if I continue walking, it continues, and something in my mind triggers it but it goes into my body before I can identify the message. The self-consciousness is no longer about being around other people, it's self conscious to MYSELF! This then sets depersonalization in session, almost as if my OCD and habit of constant busy motion isn't working anymore, so it has turned to just jumping out of my own skin. Now I have another issue to deal with: no self-recognition.

I sure hope someone out there can help me deal with this!

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

I'm always high energy,at times I've noticed my legs don't want to keep up with me. Highly annoying. I walk differently than I normally do..stiff. SoNotMe! I can generally tell what kind of day to be prepared for by how I walking to my car.

~The stairs seem to be the trigger.