Sudden movement/shifting sensations - Anxiety Message Board

LonelyTraveler · 09-27-2006, 07:39 AM

Hi everyone

I suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, Hypochondria and Tourettes (among other things) and from time to time, I'll just be sitting or laying there and get this sudden feeling/sensation like my head and/or body is moving/shifting a little bit to the left, right, up or down. Shortly afterwards, I'll have a panic attack because, well, it's pretty frightening.

Has anyone else here ever experienced anything like this before and is it fairly normal for anxiety?. I also get bouts of vertigo about once or twice a year (my mother has this too) but this does'nt really feel like vertigo all that much. It's more like a "movement hallucination" or just the sensation that your head or body is falling, shifting, moving, etc. Really scary!.

Diane720 · 09-27-2006, 07:49 AM

I get that falling feeling almost every day at some point. I've gotten it a lot in bed, and grab the headboard post just to steady myself. Not sure why that happens, but it does cause panic in me as well. I suffer from a lot of dizziness, so I always just assume it has to do with that. I keep telling the doctors about my dizziness and those falling feelings, but all I get from them is more pills, and telling me it could be my blood pressure or inner ear. "Could be".....that's what I get....not a definate anything....and that just causes me more anxiety. I am almost sick to death of doctors....but hey....just my opinion.

You might want to mention it to your doctor and see what they say.....but I have read other posts on here where others have that same feeling....so it may just be anxiety related.

Diane

CircusSquirrel · 09-27-2006, 07:50 AM

I've had this since I was a kid. It has happened while sitting at my computer, while sitting in traffic, all sorts of places. It used to unnerve me, but I realized it was just a balance thing that probably happens to everyone some time or another and now I don't freak out about it. I've also had problems with vertigo in the past---specifically, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. You move your head/neck a certain way and you feel like you're lurching. It's awful. I think it is possible that the other sensations we feel are somehow related to the vertigo. We may have some minor inner ear thing going on. Take care, just wanted to let you know you're not alone!

boxerlover227 · 09-27-2006, 08:24 AM

VERY INTERESTING!!! I don't know if what you are saying is the sensations I myself have been struggling with for "years".. Here is what it is like for myself, I get a floating feeling, intense Falling to the side & backwards sensation, sinking to the ground feeling, a motion sensation as if I am swaying on a boat, and my favorite the good old dropping feeling you get on an elevator.. The "elevator sensation" I also feel like my head is very heavy
foggy and swimmy and some days just have trouble holding it up! All these sensations I experience on a daily basis mostly 24/7 The only time I don't feel this way is if I am laying down, it seems to subside then. I have gotten many eye rolls

from the Doctor's I have seen in the past.. As if these feelings were being made up in my head.. These daily sensations have caused me more anxiety and intense panic attacks.. It seems as soon as I experience any one of these sensations my panic attacks kick in full force..
Inner ear, maybe at one time in my life yes but years later to still be feeling this way I doubt it, allergies hhuuumm Dr. gave me the nasal sprays on every visit and did nothing, neurological disorder thought about it but there would be so many other symptoms, TMJD possibility being that I do clench my teeth with all this anxiety and have developed tmj along the way, Headaches/Migraine's yup have them everyday so that could be a possibility as well.. Anxiety yup I have that but what came first the chicken or the egg.. Seems the anxiety is triggered by these sensations so I just don't know! But I do know this if this is what you are feeling, what I described I can guarantee you that you are by no means alone.... I feel like this every single DAY!!! It's horrible

Any thoughts or questions let me know!
Boxerlover