Physical Symptoms

[Bill Dickerson]

I seemed to be doing OK today and I suddenly had a wave of weakness wash over my body. I broke out in a real bad sweat, felt faint, and my hands started shaking. I have had it happen a few times before but this time was real bad. I was afraid I might fall out.

At first I associated it with my Diabetes but my symptoms are never this bad and my meds won't cause this severe of a drop.

When I get upset I become very tired but never like this. It reminded me of the horrible feeling you get when you find out someone close to you has died. Like that big punch in the gut.

I started to think what just happened in the last five minutes that could have triggered an adrenaline rush or anxiety reaction. I realized the very last scene I watched on my computer moments before was a movie where a kid gets shot very unexpectedly and him lying on the ground with a cop over him trying to help.

When it happened on the program it made me jump but it didn't seem to upset me that bad. Maybe it was a trigger and my body reacted and I didn't consciously notice the issue.

Does any of this make sense to anybody? Anyone else have this happen?

 

[maddog]

Absolutely Bill, this makes perfect sense to me and I have had similar experiences, whereby I'm not consciously aware of having been triggered emotionally, yet my body will have an anxiety, fear or other arousal reaction that I am not even aware of until it has arrived, and haven't identified as such until some time later. I'm sure there are a range of reasons for this. In my case I know that I am not always good at recognizing and responding to emotional states, and so sometimes it is left to something as obvious and undeniable as a physical reaction to give me the feedback that I just don't get from my subjective experience.

Remember that our bodies and their physiological reactions are our primary vehicle for defence whenever our instinctual fight, flight or freeze responses are triggered, so it stands to reason that they will always be quickest to react and will engage their resources even before our brains do.

Doesn't make it any less unpleasant at the time though does it...

Maddog

 

[olaja]

Yes, this makes perfect sense to me. I have chronic disease (including prediabetes) whose symptoms can feel the same as a trigger and panic attack. It has been very hard for me to sort out what is going on - if it's purely physical, or if there is an emotional trigger that set off my stress response and ensuing exhaustion.

Plus, I think I have a hard time recognizing emotions anyways....I am always reminded to check in when I see the thread "How Are You Feeling." I usually cannot name it.

So, well done on recognizing the possible triggering event! Sending you a virtual high five...just cause I know how hard it can be.