Anxiety due to hyper awareness of your own walking?

[The Valeyard]

This is one of my worst anxiety symptoms. I can't stop thinking about my walking and how I'm moving my legs and it makes me really disoriented. I constantly feel like I'm about to trip. I can't walk much without holding onto something because the fear is that bad.
Does anyone else experience this?

[Enduronman]

Yup,

That's why I now have a cane to carry if I need it...although I am 46, and "old" according to my Doc's nurses...bah humbug.

[Lee Grant Irons]

Hello Valeyard,

I am sorry to hear you are experiencing this. I hope things improve soon for you.

Do you experience anything else with your walking besides fear? In other words, are you afraid because things appear to change when you start walking? Or are you afraid that something is wrong with your legs because your legs feel funny when you walk?

[The Valeyard]

Well, I have derealization and agoraphobia… plus, my therapist says I feel the need to control my environment. I guess change has something to do with it.

[Lee Grant Irons]

Derealization would be related to this. Your feel like your body is doing things, but that you are not you doing these things. SO you could be experiencing anxiety as a result of these derealization feelings. So the anxiety could be a normal response to the derealization illness you are experiencing. Have you told your therapist that you are experiencing anxiety with this?

[Enduronman]

774

Acceptance..of the world as it is. :)

[The Valeyard]

That makes a lot of sense, Lee. My therapist knows about my anxiety; I was diagnosed at 8, so it feels like it's just this huge part of my life. Very frustrating.

Enduronman -- I try so hard to practice that!

[rhar]

I get the same sort of attacks. Feel like I won't even be able to walk, feel like I'm walking to one side and just a very odd sensation in my head.

[Gingerbreadelf]

Yes, but not quite the same, I don't feel like I'm gonna trip, but occasionally I'll be focusing on a certain part of my body and then freak out cause it feels "weird". but, it's just the anxiety, and I have to accept that and try and move on with the day.

[Gingerbreadelf]

So the anxiety could be a normal response to the derealization illness you are experiencing.

Derealization IS anxiety. They are not two separate things. Derealization spawns FROM anxiety. I think so many people may not realize that, and believe derealization is it's own separate thing, which is not true.

[The Valeyard]

My therapist tells me it's a separate spectrum, though. I can be anxious, derealized, or both. They go hand-in-hand a lot but they are not the same thing.

[Gingerbreadelf]

My therapist tells me it's a separate spectrum, though. I can be anxious, derealized, or both. They go hand-in-hand a lot but they are not the same thing.

I don't see how that's possible honestly, because derealization comes during an anxiety attack.. when you have a panic attack, you get the sense of unreality (which is caused by adrenalin), (derealization is a sense of unreality because you feel disconnected) and it goes away when anxiety goes away. I've researched everything that happens during a panic attack having suffered these things for 3 years now. During the fight or flight response, the adrenalin kicks in, you feel unreality and your vision gets brighter, and more focused. It's an attack. I know I sound argumentative, but your therapist sounds like he/she knows nothing about anxiety disorders if she classifies this as a separate thing, because you can't have derealization without having bad anxiety causing it.

I know there are people with dissociative disorders, who distance themselves from emotions, and relationships etc..and I can see how that might be it's own sort of disorder (though the root of that too is also depression and anxiety). but someone having an attack of derealization where they feel disconnected/scared etc..that is anxiety!

[JLK]

Hi Valeyard!

I do this, too. I obsess about walking places thinking I will fall over or faint in the middle of the street. It helps to distract yourself with music or talking on the phone, or anything like that.

Like Claire Weekes says, "Jelly legs will get you there if you let them!"

[The Valeyard]

My father was very abusive and my therapist says I derealize and depersonalize so as to not feel any pain. He said if I hadn't developed the disorder, I most likely would have died. Now I'm out of danger the fact I still have it is dibilitating.

[Gingerbreadelf]

My father was very abusive and my therapist says I derealize and depersonalize so as to not feel any pain. He said if I hadn't developed the disorder, I most likely would have died. Now I'm out of danger the fact I still have it is dibilitating.

It's your defense mechanism, that makes sense. It is it's own disorder in that sense, though, still anxiety based. You are afraid to trust again because of your father, I assume? I'm very sorry you had to endure that kind of abuse.

They often say emotional numbness is the mind's way of protection us from extreme pain, and it's a lousy thing to experience. I'm currently in that way due to depression and an abusive relationship with someone (to top it all off), who is currently stalking me and hacking into my email accounts, it's awful. ugh.

[The Valeyard]

It's your defense mechanism, that makes sense. It is it's own disorder in that sense, though, still anxiety based. You are afraid to trust again because of your father, I assume? I'm very sorry you had to endure that kind of abuse.
They often say emotional numbness is the mind's way of protection us from extreme pain, and it's a lousy thing to experience. I'm currently in that way due to depression and an abusive relationship with someone (to top it all off), who is currently stalking me and hacking into my email accounts, it's awful. ugh.

Indeed. And thank you.
That's terrible. :( I hope everything turns out alright. Are the police involved?

[Gingerbreadelf]

Indeed. And thank you.
That's terrible. :( I hope everything turns out alright. Are the police involved?

No, it hasn't got to that point yet, thank god. I'm just keeping my distance from him, it's such a complicated and stressful situation, it's all I can do for now. :/

and you're welcome, I hope you can heal over time as well. :)