Why do i get like this?!

[The_First_Star]

Hi, first time to post here, my friend told me about this website and it seems like a great place to talk to people and be myself without worrying what people think. I appreciate everyones comments and advice.

 

Ok so i have a problem, in a nutshell, i shake. Right now if i hold my hands out they have a slight shake in them, i can never hold them completely still. But the main problem is how bad it can get, and for sometimes no reason whatsoever, but its totally ruining my life, i get self conscious about people noticing me doing it, or even simple things i cant do because i get so worked up. here are a few situations where i have started to shake alot,also my heart can start to beat faster and i have heart palpitations, i get hot and sweating and sometimes really bad times i have been close to a panic attack.

 

1. Last week i was on my tea break at work and they were throwing a raffle to win bottles of drink. nothing intimidating, just pay £1 and take 5 tickets from the box. I started to queue up, there was alot of peple waiting, and gradually as i got nearer and nearer the front to pay and get my ticket, i started to shake alot (its usually just my hands that u can notice/are worst) heart palpitations, getting hot. Just as i was next to take my tickets i left the queue with the excuse 'oo i dont have enough change' how pathetic is that, it wasnt even an intimidating situation, i dont understand why i was like that.

 

2. I used to work in a pub, sometimes i could control my shaking but gradually as a i went to work each day, my shaking/anxiety would get worse and worse. One time i was serving shots of tequila and i couldnt hold the glass i was shaking it all over the place and the customer noticed and asked if i was ok. I lasted a month, pouring pints, any drink became a nightmare as i couldnt control my shaking, and i left at the end after a particularly bad night where i was close to having a panic attack over it all and thought i was gonna have to run out on my shift. Now there was nothing bad going on, i was just serving drinks but why did i get in this state?

 

3. more explainable reasons for my shaking, public speaking. other times could be cos im eating m food in front of people and i think their watching me. meeting new people/formal situations can lead to me shaking. Still to this day when i have dinner with my bfs parents i can rarely pick my glass up to take a drink cos im shaking so bad.

 

This is ruining my life and it seems to get worse as im getting older, its effecting me and controlling me now. I just think i am such a weirdo for acting this way but i have no control over it. Can anyone please offer some insight/comments/advice to let me know what this could be/how to help me.

 

Please tell me im not alone. I feel like i am the only person to act/feel this way.

 

Thank you for reading i know its long.

[_Tiki_]

It sounds like social anxiety. Are you stressed out about anything? Do you suffer from low self esteem?

[The_First_Star]

Apart from when i get like this, i am one of the most laid back persons there is, everyone comments on how calm i can be. I dont understand why i should be anxious about unintimidating situations, their just everyday things. really gets me down.

 

And yes, i do suffer from low self esteem, had a rough time in the past with bf(s) who physically and emotionally abused me, its all stemmed from that i think, or that defo made my confidence/self esteem fall to an all time low/non existence.

 

Thanks for replying

[_Tiki_]

I'm sorry to hear that I think it definitely contributed to the shakes and panic attacks. I've been through that too. You need to get your self love back. Maybe a counsellor could help with this? Or there might be a self esteem course near you.

[wiser]

It sounds like social anxiety. Are you stressed out about anything? Do you suffer from low self esteem?

 

Tiki pegged it.

 

To take it a bit further. When you start to get anxious in public situations, the typical response is to avoid it. So you may find yourself not going to parties, or feeling sick before some sort of event. If you decide to attend, you will experience these symptoms, and it may get worse over time as you become fearful of having the symptoms, moreso even than the event itself.

 

As far as the shaking, same thing. You become more anxious because you start to worry about the trembling, and people noticing, and the anxiety causes the shaking to be worse, and it can build...

 

Either thing can result in full blown panic attacks, and this is how phobias develop. You need the assistance of a therapist who is specifically trained to deal with anxiety disorders and phobias. They use "cognitive behavorial" threapy to introduce you to anxiety causing situations and you gradually learn to deal with it.

[ghost69]

anxiety or an improper diet. i know when i've not had enough nutrients for a period of time i get that way.

 

but from your description of the situation, it sounds like what the above posters said. you are nervous for some reason.

 

i did notice a trend in your posts. the first one you said it happens when there are people around. in the second post you said everyone comments on how calm you can be cause you are so laid back. this says to me that you are worried about what others think about you. you need to break yourself of this.