Tense, TMJ, tension, throat?!

[Trunchbee]

Hi everyone!
Me again ‍!! Just needed a place to vent. I’ve been dealing with really bad tension and now it’s affecting my TMJ. I didn’t realize how much of an impact it has on me. I can feel it down my jawline, in my teeth, and now I’m feeling it in my throat. I’m freaking myself out. I can’t turn this off. I know we are all sufferers of tension due to anxiety but I am Literally bugging out. I feel like my throat is closing. I feel like my lips are tingling. I feel like everything is just a freaking mess right now. And no one wants to hear about it. Thanks for reading . I hope this goes away sooner than later

 

[MATD]

5x5

 

[Trunchbee]

5x5

What does that mean?

 

[MATD]

I hear you loud and clear. Throat constriction was one of the most difficult physical symptoms for me. Thankfully, as my body tension has decreased, it has all but disappeared. It was very painful at times and caused my esophagus to narrow. I had to get an endo scope and the doc found the narrowing so he stretched it. Just another example of how all the tension associated with anxiety can affect the body.

 

[Trunchbee]

Thank you!!

I hear you loud and clear. Throat constriction was one of the most difficult physical symptoms for me. Thankfully, as my body tension has decreased, it has all but disappeared. It was very painful at times and caused my esophagus to narrow. I had to get an endo scope and the doc found the narrowing so he stretched it. Just another example of how all the tension associated with anxiety can affect the body.

How do you manage the tension? I feel like it has become all consuming at this point. I work at a desk and my posture is terrible

 

[MATD]

I manage by facing it mentally, I acknowledge it’s existence. I mentally allow it to be there and accept that it is there. I surrender to it by allowing it and not fighting mentally against it. I simply let it be there without struggling mentally with it. It is simple in fact, but not easy to do. That’s where practice comes in. The more I practice, the more I can mentally allow and surrender to those physical feelings. This slows down the fear tension fear cycle. I stop being afraid of the physical sensations and therefore I don’t tense more than I already am, which causes more fear. I literally let my body sag and allow the sensations to wash over my body but I don’t react with fear, more ere without fighting to get away from them. tension, or descriptive thoughts. And I let these feelings be there without withdrawing or any other means of escaping them. It’s hard at first, but the more I practice, the easier it gets. And it does not have to be perfect for it to be effective. All I have to do is my best and when I think I can’t go any longer, I can quit. I really wish you would get “It’s Only Anxiety”. By Carl James. This is the method I am using. It is effective if we don’t give up on ourselves. It does take a little time to get adjusted to practicing the method, but in my opinion, I don’t have anything better to do. I’m giving it my best shot, and so far, I like what I see.

 

[Trunchbee]

You are amazingly strong. I think my biggest bout with HA is the physical manifestations. I obsess constantly. I google constantly. I feel like u can’t escape it.

 

[MATD]

I’ve had A & D all my life, I just turned 63. It was bad,debilitating. Over the years I tried to deal with it using therapy and meds. These things helped a little, but nothing took root or made that much difference. I finally said enough was enough, I wasn’t going to suffer any longer, so I began educating myself on anxiety. Then I found the web site anxietycentre.com and I joined. I learned so much about anxiety disorders. I started doing the relaxation meditation recommended. I had started back in therapy too. Then I found Carl James book, It’s Only Anxiety, and I started using the acceptance method also. So between these resources, I have managed to enter recovery from anxiety. It hasn’t been easy, but after I realized my anxiety was receding, it gave me the incentive to keep going, no matter how bad I felt some days, I kept going with my daily practices. It is paying off, I’m thinking and feeling better. I have to keep reading the book over and over, it helps me stay focused and reminds me of key points to be aware of. Recovery is slow, it takes time, I often need to remind myself of this as well as other points necessary for recovery. I have setbacks and have to remind myself they are part of recovery too. It’s all a process, learning, putting the information into practice and staying with it. Believe me, I have all the normal ups and downs expected in recovery. And like I said, it’s not easy, but it is getting better. In fact, if I compared myself to three years ago when I first started meditation, I have actually came a long way forward. It’s amazing how anxiety can permeate every single part of our body and mind. I think this is what has surprised me most, just the difference and the realization of what anxiety actually does to a person. But! At the same time I realize what it takes to recover, that the acceptance method concept is so simple, it’s mind boggling.

 

[Trunchbee]

Thank you for sharing that with me! I appreciate the support.

 

[Phillies Phan]

I’ve had A & D all my life, I just turned 63. It was bad,debilitating. Over the years I tried to deal with it using therapy and meds. These things helped a little, but nothing took root or made that much difference. I finally said enough was enough, I wasn’t going to suffer any longer, so I began educating myself on anxiety. Then I found the web site anxietycentre.com and I joined. I learned so much about anxiety disorders. I started doing the relaxation meditation recommended. I had started back in therapy too. Then I found Carl James book, It’s Only Anxiety, and I started using the acceptance method also. So between these resources, I have managed to enter recovery from anxiety. It hasn’t been easy, but after I realized my anxiety was receding, it gave me the incentive to keep going, no matter how bad I felt some days, I kept going with my daily practices. It is paying off, I’m thinking and feeling better. I have to keep reading the book over and over, it helps me stay focused and reminds me of key points to be aware of. Recovery is slow, it takes time, I often need to remind myself of this as well as other points necessary for recovery. I have setbacks and have to remind myself they are part of recovery too. It’s all a process, learning, putting the information into practice and staying with it. Believe me, I have all the normal ups and downs expected in recovery. And like I said, it’s not easy, but it is getting better. In fact, if I compared myself to three years ago when I first started meditation, I have actually came a long way forward. It’s amazing how anxiety can permeate every single part of our body and mind. I think this is what has surprised me most, just the difference and the realization of what anxiety actually does to a person. But! At the same time I realize what it takes to recover, that the acceptance method concept is so simple, it’s mind boggling.

We‘ve traded barbs back and forth, but I seriously wonder about this acceptance method, as I’m attracted to it. But, how do you deal mentally with whatever the symptoms are you are experiencing? How do you dismiss the chance that they are caused by a serious medical issue? Do you see your doctor first to rule that out, or take a leap of faith and as you say, surrender to it?

One can go in either direction I imagine, even to extremes; like have every test and blood work under the sun, or the opposite, like I said, take that leap of faith and just go with the thought that it’s nothing bad without Doctor involvement? The latter is what stops me in my tracks with acceptance.

 

[bin_tenn]

We‘ve traded barbs back and forth, but I seriously wonder about this acceptance method, as I’m attracted to it. But, how do you deal mentally with whatever the symptoms are you are experiencing? How do you dismiss the chance that they are caused by a serious medical issue? Do you see your doctor first to rule that out, or take a leap of faith and as you say, surrender to it?

One can go in either direction I imagine, even to extremes; like have every test and blood work under the sun, or the opposite, like I said, take that leap of faith and just go with the thought that it’s nothing bad without Doctor involvement? The latter is what stops me in my tracks with acceptance.

It's also about learning to trust that the body will send signals to let you know when something is seriously wrong. Anxiety makes us feel like something is very wrong, but the body still knows the difference between what we perceive due to anxiety and what is actually wrong. If you're questioning it, there's a pretty good chance it's nothing.

Acceptance isn't about neglecting your health, but it's about accepting that things *could* happen. Just because it can happen doesn't mean you'll ever experience it, and worrying as if you have those things when you don't is unnecessary and overall harmful.

 

[MATD]

bin_tenn nailed it. My own leap of faith was based on the fact that I am unwilling to go thru the rest of what life I have left living in fear, I am willing to do what is necessary to recover, i researched the book and Dr Weekes, my gut instinct told me it was worth trying. I ‘m not one to fall for every quick fix that comes along. In fact this is only the second resource that I have found that actually makes sense. Anxietycentre.com was the first. I turned my power to google into finding help, instead of making myself worse. There is nothing to loose in the practice of acceptance. There is no nefarious purpose, no gurus, nothing else to buy. No chanting, special diet, weird positions etc. And, I see results in myself, that’s the best evidence I have. And while I’m talking about results, I admit the results are not what I expected, so I had to rethink my expectations and compare them with reality. I found that my expectations were not based on reality, but based on preconceived notions of what reality is. After being in the anxiety state for over 60 years, it was a bit of an eye opener for me.

 

[bin_tenn]

bin_tenn nailed it. My own leap of faith was based on the fact that I am unwilling to go thru the rest of what life I have left living in fear, I am willing to do what is necessary to recover, i researched the book and Dr Weekes, my gut instinct told me it was worth trying. I ‘m not one to fall for every quick fix that comes along. In fact this is only the second resource that I have found that actually makes sense. Anxietycentre.com was the first. I turned my power to google into finding help, instead of making myself worse. There is nothing to loose in the practice of acceptance. There is no nefarious purpose, no gurus, nothing else to buy. No chanting, special diet, weird positions etc. And, I see results in myself, that’s the best evidence I have. And while I’m talking about results, I admit the results are not what I expected, so I had to rethink my expectations and compare them with reality. I found that my expectations were not based on reality, but based on preconceived notions of what reality is. After being in the anxiety state for over 60 years, it was a bit of an eye opener for me.

Thanks for adding that explanation, I think others will find it very helpful. I agree, there is nothing to lose in practicing acceptance. Maybe I'm wrong, but my own observations and experiences show, to me, that setting expectations is often a major factor for those of us with anxiety disorder. Those expectations may be about how we feel every day, which can cause anxiety, but we also tend to set expectations when seeking the help we need (acceptance, therapy, medication, etc). When those expectations are not met, we feel frustrated, anxious and so on.

I think what helps is to set some high level goals, and not so much in terms of expectations. By "high level goals" I mean realistic, and nothing that seems even slightly unreasonable. If I said "I want to start learning and practicing acceptance and see results within three weeks" I know I'd feel rather discouraged if I didn't see those results in three weeks. Instead, I just try to tell myself "I should start using this coping technique I learned and give it some time to see if it helps." If it doesn't, oh well. If it does, great!

 

[MATD]

Thanks for adding that explanation, I think others will find it very helpful. I agree, there is nothing to lose in practicing acceptance. Maybe I'm wrong, but my own observations and experiences show, to me, that setting expectations is often a major factor for those of us with anxiety disorder. Those expectations may be about how we feel every day, which can cause anxiety, but we also tend to set expectations when seeking the help we need (acceptance, therapy, medication, etc). When those expectations are not met, we feel frustrated, anxious and so on.

I think what helps is to set some high level goals, and not so much in terms of expectations. By "high level goals" I mean realistic, and nothing that seems even slightly unreasonable. If I said "I want to start learning and practicing acceptance and see results within three weeks" I know I'd feel rather discouraged if I didn't see those results in three weeks. Instead, I just try to tell myself "I should start using this coping technique I learned and give it some time to see if it helps." If it doesn't, oh well. If it does, great!

Absolutely. Once I figured out that my expectations were off, I had to adjust. I realized I was off the mark, I became willing to make the adjustments. The further I get, the clearer it becomes. I know I will have to make more adjustments, and the realization is that they are necessary for my own recovery.

 

[Iugrad91]

We‘ve traded barbs back and forth, but I seriously wonder about this acceptance method, as I’m attracted to it. But, how do you deal mentally with whatever the symptoms are you are experiencing? How do you dismiss the chance that they are caused by a serious medical issue? Do you see your doctor first to rule that out, or take a leap of faith and as you say, surrender to it?

One can go in either direction I imagine, even to extremes; like have every test and blood work under the sun, or the opposite, like I said, take that leap of faith and just go with the thought that it’s nothing bad without Doctor involvement? The latter is what stops me in my tracks with acceptance.

I prefer not to think of it as a leap of faith, but more like a rationalization. Not every feeling or sensation means something is wrong. If we don’t get past that initial feeling of anxiety that pops up, it’s a slippery slope to a full blown anxiety attack. Rationalizing that feeling and those thoughts means you are actively doing something to stop the anxiety cycle. I have to do it over and over, sometimes many times a day before it starts to stick. When I think “but what if” then I rationalize that (right now) my symptoms may point to something else but more likely it’s anxiety, or just a part of being a human, and in the past all of my issues have been things that either resolved itself or could be treated. So if I feel and physically have the symptoms of an infection, I go to the doctor. If I have a headache for a few days I let it go because it’s probably stress and I try to drink more in case I’m dehydrated, or get more sleep if I’ve been up late or tossing and turning during the night. I can rationalize to myself that it’s nothing serious, and I need to give my body time to fix itself. Googling is out of the question, and keeping busy with exercise, meditation, and hobbies in my free time definitely helps.

 

[Jonathan123]

I manage by facing it mentally, I acknowledge it’s existence. I mentally allow it to be there and accept that it is there. I surrender to it by allowing it and not fighting mentally against it. I simply let it be there without struggling mentally with it. It is simple in fact, but not easy to do. That’s where practice comes in. The more I practice, the more I can mentally allow and surrender to those physical feelings. This slows down the fear tension fear cycle. I stop being afraid of the physical sensations and therefore I don’t tense more than I already am, which causes more fear. I literally let my body sag and allow the sensations to wash over my body but I don’t react with fear, more ere without fighting to get away from them. tension, or descriptive thoughts. And I let these feelings be there without withdrawing or any other means of escaping them. It’s hard at first, but the more I practice, the easier it gets. And it does not have to be perfect for it to be effective. All I have to do is my best and when I think I can’t go any longer, I can quit. I really wish you would get “It’s Only Anxiety”. By Carl James. This is the method I am using. It is effective if we don’t give up on ourselves. It does take a little time to get adjusted to practicing the method, but in my opinion, I don’t have anything better to do. I’m giving it my best shot, and so far, I like what I see.

Often, there are replies that I myself would have written, and that is one of them. Thanks for that Mat!!!

 

[HulaHoops]

Hi everyone!
Me again ‍!! Just needed a place to vent. I’ve been dealing with really bad tension and now it’s affecting my TMJ. I didn’t realize how much of an impact it has on me. I can feel it down my jawline, in my teeth, and now I’m feeling it in my throat. I’m freaking myself out. I can’t turn this off. I know we are all sufferers of tension due to anxiety but I am Literally bugging out. I feel like my throat is closing. I feel like my lips are tingling. I feel like everything is just a freaking mess right now. And no one wants to hear about it. Thanks for reading . I hope this goes away sooner than later

Hi Trunchbee, I have experienced this too, jaw pain and tension headaches and that throat closing feeling (plus feeling like I had a lump in my throat). This was right after my father passed away in 2007. I was convinced there was a tumor in my throat or neck or thyroid, it would feel weird and pins-and-needles tingly, and would hurt. I'm VERY doctor-avoidant but it got so bad with my symptoms (and worrying myself sick) that I finally went to the doctor. We did blood work and she checked everything, it all came back normal, and she talked to me about depression. I had no idea at the time that depression and anxiety can cause actual physical pain! And that there can be so many different kinds of symptoms and pains too, including the exact ones I was experiencing! I was so relieved that nothing was wrong physically and the crazy thing is, once she explained this to me, it all went away. Like seriously within a week I was no longer getting those throat and jaw pains and they have never come back. Get your symptoms checked, it can give you so much peace of mind, and the doctor is there to listen to you.

 

[Trunchbee]

Hi Trunchbee, I have experienced this too, jaw pain and tension headaches and that throat closing feeling (plus feeling like I had a lump in my throat). This was right after my father passed away in 2007. I was convinced there was a tumor in my throat or neck or thyroid, it would feel weird and pins-and-needles tingly, and would hurt. I'm VERY doctor-avoidant but it got so bad with my symptoms (and worrying myself sick) that I finally went to the doctor. We did blood work and she checked everything, it all came back normal, and she talked to me about depression. I had no idea at the time that depression and anxiety can cause actual physical pain! And that there can be so many different kinds of symptoms and pains too, including the exact ones I was experiencing! I was so relieved that nothing was wrong physically and the crazy thing is, once she explained this to me, it all went away. Like seriously within a week I was no longer getting those throat and jaw pains and they have never come back. Get your symptoms checked, it can give you so much peace of mind, and the doctor is there to listen to you.

Thank you for sharing this with me. My dad passed away almost 3 years ago and I still haven’t coped. I’m going to call my doctor, I’m just scared of bad results. I know how dumb that sounds but I’ve just been so anxious that it feels all consuming.

 

[HulaHoops]

Thank you for sharing this with me. My dad passed away almost 3 years ago and I still haven’t coped. I’m going to call my doctor, I’m just scared of bad results. I know how dumb that sounds but I’ve just been so anxious that it feels all consuming.

Grief effects everyone so individually; it can take a long time to deal with and process it. And its not dumb to be scared of bad results at all, I think most people are apprehensive about stuff like that, especially when you don't know what you're dealing with. It's downright scary! Hang in there, I know what you mean about that all-consuming anxiety, and I hope you can feel better soon.