Anxiety and Tics -PLEASE REPLY

  • Thread starter Thread starter kcf71
  • Start date Start date
K

kcf71

Guest
Hi all,

I was diagnosed over the years with panic attacks, bi polar 2, and most recently depressesion. I'm on Lexapro 20 mg, 2 mg Abilify, 1 mg Ativan. each once daily. Depression and BP is better. Anxiety is NOT.

This is my problem and I sure hope someone can help or point me in the right direction.

When I was 22, I started college. It was terrifying for me. But I did it. One day, I fainted in class. No one knows why. It has never happened since but since then I becamse SO afraid of fainting that I dropped that class and eventually, out of college. For the next 3 years I developed a phobia fear of faiting and would avoid "inconveneint" places where fainting would be erabarassing. The fear ruled my life. I'd panic if I was somwhere that was not easily escapable: hair salon, interview, etc. Then one day, I developed a tic of sorts. I was frustrated over waiting in a long line and I remeraber zoning out and my head felt like it was shaking. Since then, back in 1998, it has gotten extremely worse. I became agoraphobic. I hardly worked. Interviews are horrible. It controls me. I'm now 38, been suffering for 16 years now. The tic happens whenever I'm somewhere that I'm on the spot like an interivew or in group of frienRAB. I cannot make eye contact with someone without my head feeling likes it's shaking. My whole body feels like it jumps if I do.. I'm very easily startled. My cell phone will vibrate and I jump sky high. My thoughts race and I can't get them to slow down. This has reduced the quality of my life to nothing. Ativan helps but not entirely. I want to be free of this tic...to know it and understand it and to be able to deal with it and LIVE. Its so hard to explain to anyone what it is. I feel so erabarrassed telling anyone, even a professional. None of my frienRAB know, only my family. It's like tension that neeRAB to be released and I can only release it through this tic. Please someone, help me, does anyone know what this is or what I can do about it? Thank you in advance, QT
 
I have lived with tics my whole life and understand your description that the tic releases pressure that builRAB and builRAB. If you've never had a tic then you don't understand what that feels like and it really is hard to explain it correctly. They can be erabarrassing, but you really have to stop fighting it if you ever want your anxiety to go away. The more you try to resist, the more the pressure builRAB. Try to replace your tic with one that is not as obvious to onlookers, that has worked for me and most people don't even know that I have tics even though I do it almost constantly.

The bottom line is that tics are a result of anxiety and anxiety feeRAB off your uneasy feelings. You really have to stop caring about things so much if you hope to get better. Who cares what other people think? Who cares if you faint in public? Other people have enough of their own problems to concern themselves with your vibrating head. Just learn to live in the moment and accept you and your tics just the way you are. And by all means don't beat yourself up if you have an attack in front of other people. I've had panic attacks during job interviews and joked about it afterwarRAB. There is always opportunity to redeem yourself next time.

Best wishes to you.
 
Hi Garrett,

Thank you for your reply. You seem to really understand what I'm going through. Replacing the tic with something else. That seems like the way to go. I'm going to try to do just that. What I was describing....it's a symptom of panic, correct? I think my neck and shoulders get so tight that the "release" is what my tic is. Yes, I do feel silly talking about it and I really shouldn't care about what others perceive but at the same time, I don't want them to think I'm strange---that's just human nature. I'm 2 weeks into a new job and I don't want to be labeled as "that girl", if you know what I mean. But that aside, I will definitely put into practice what you've mentioned. Thank you so much for replying and I will keep you posted.

= QT
 
Another thing you might want to do to not be perceived as the "strange" new girl is to openly joke about your tics and have some self-deprecating humor. People love someone with a sense of humor and your pointing out your own shortcomings in a humorous way may actually attract positive attention. If they know you have tics and are aware that you have a sense of humor about it, then it really becomes a much lesser problem and your tics may actually lessen a bit.
 
Back
Top