[gnat]

My body seems to enjoy tormenting me with physical reactions to stress. Over the past couple months it had added shaking to its little bag of tricks. Now a shiver, mind you, I shake like a Chihuahua in a New Years Parade.

For the most part I've been able to hide it. I work in a cube all day and that's when it usually hits. It can last hours. Lucky I'm I'm there alone so I can hide it with a baggy sweater and open a cabinet door wide enough to hide me from my colleagues. If someone pops their head in I cross my arms or tuck my hands between my knees which will hold them still.

Yesterday I found myself doing the chihuahua shake while out with a friend. It was really quiet embarrassing. Luckily this is a friend who knows of my struggles so minimal explaining was involved.

Is it just me? Any tricks on stopping it?

[priggles]

It sounds like the adrenaline trying to work its way out of your system. Our bodies release all this adrenaline during an attack. It's meant to prepare us to fight or run from the danger, but with panic, there is no danger. Still, we are left with this mess of adrenaline.

Can you keep a few weights in your cubicle? Do some curls or other exercises to work off the adrenaline? You could even put a dumbbell between your ankles and lift your legs in the air from a seated position. As a bonus, you will have some toned arms and legs!

[gnat]

I actually do have a standing cube and do a lot of stretching and stuff as I work. I am not able to get away long enough to get any aerobic exercise in. I know if I get aerobic exercise in before an attack hits it helps me be calm, but it's so hard when I'm so depressed. I have to force myself to do any activity that isn't sleeping and by the time I get home from the work and the kids in bed, I find myself crawling into bed more often than not. After the physical and emotional fight I go through all day, there's just nothing left.

I do dance a couple times a week, but outside or a structured class I am unable to push myself enough to get any physical or emotional benefit from it.

[spondiferous]

Well any exercise is good. Have you talked to a specialist about this? A doctor? A therapist? Are you on meds? Because some meds can cause shaking as well. I have shakes from my meds. I know they are caused by my meds because they are listed as known side-effects (for both of them) and I didn't have them before I started taking them.
Might be worth looking into.

[gnat]

No, I'm not on meds. It's a stress reaction. I do exercise regularly but it doesn't help. Heck, I've even exercised about 30 minutes before one stress trigger brought it on.

[Vossie42]

Do you suffer from inability to concentrate? I find that when I shake, I can't concentrate on anything. Exercise doesn't do much for me in those situations. But just doing some chore or other will help calm me down. I think it's the fact of accomplishing something that helps. Otherwise I sit there like a quivering piece of jello unable to do anything but shake. Xanax helps, though lately I've needed something stronger like klonopin. The meds don't take away all the anxiety but they do lower the stress level to something that I can manage on my own.

The shaking sounds pretty bad. Meds can help bring the level down to something you can handle. Over time you can gain more ability to handle what brings on the shakes and thereby use less of the meds. Yes, benzodiazepams can be addictive, but they aren't always.

[gnat]

I do have difficulties concentrating at times when it hits me, but not always. It usually hits me at work and I would be unable to take ativan or klonopin while working, as from what I understand they both have sedative effects and can make concentration more difficult. My job requires fast paced work with great accuracy and required me to be able to think clear. It has also hit me on stage where again I feel it would be a hinderance.

Originally Posted by Vossie42

Do you suffer from inability to concentrate? I find that when I shake, I can't concentrate on anything. Exercise doesn't do much for me in those situations. But just doing some chore or other will help calm me down. I think it's the fact of accomplishing something that helps. Otherwise I sit there like a quivering piece of jello unable to do anything but shake. Xanax helps, though lately I've needed something stronger like klonopin. The meds don't take away all the anxiety but they do lower the stress level to something that I can manage on my own.

The shaking sounds pretty bad. Meds can help bring the level down to something you can handle. Over time you can gain more ability to handle what brings on the shakes and thereby use less of the meds. Yes, benzodiazepams can be addictive, but they aren't always.

[Vossie42]

Have you taken ativan, xanax or klonopin before? They do tend to have a sedative effect. You could halve or quarter your dose and take it only as needed. Just a thought.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Having had anxiety problems all my life, I relate to your shakes. I sometimes twitch, and often shake; it's just normal for me, but I can't speak for the severity, as these are just words on a screen.