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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 7:34:25
This is my story. It all started 38 yrs ago. I was eating lunch with 2 attractive girls and when i bit into my hamburger i could feel my head shake, and when i took a drink of my soda my head would shake, embarrassed, i quickly stopped eating and became very anxious about what had happened. After this incident i found it very difficult to eat in front of people without my head shaking, therefore i started avoiding eating with/around other people when possible, this became an obsession for me. Then the problem grew, i could no longer make eye contact without a slight head tremor which i believed the other person could see. This made my life a living hell and soon i didn't want to leave my house for fear that i would have to make eye contact with someone. I believed other people would see my head tremor and would think i was a very nervous person, and somehow this would be horrible.
Now 38 years later, i am still living with the obsession of fear that someone might see my head shake when i'm talking to them or whatever. Long periods of eye contact and unexpected eye contact are especially difficult. Living with this has been very difficult. Long story short, during all these years i have seen many Doctors and Psychiatrists/counselors about this problem, been on many medications, been hospitalized, been severely depressed, suicidal and just plain miserable because of this problem that i have. I have become a social introvert because of it, avoiding or dreading all social interaction. All serious medical conditions have been ruled out. I simply suffer from a tense neck that results in an occasional slight tremor, in addition i've been diagnosed with Major depression, OCD, Social anxiety disorder and GAD. I have been on hundreds of different medications and am currently on Prozac, Remeron, Abilify, Lamictal and Klonipon. Nothing has helped with the tensing of my neck muscles resulting in the tremor, thus resulting in my obsession of "will my head shake, and someone see it and think i am very nervous" situation. I live every day with this obsession, which makes my life very difficult to say the least! In addition to all the medications i have tried, ii have also tried hypnosis, CBT, diet and exercise, positive thinking and even ECT in an effort to find some relief from this problem. I know it is caused by tensing my neck and yet i can't stop it from happening...it's become a conditioned response after all these years, i.e., i make unexpected eye contact with a person and my neck tenses, and then i have a head tremor. Needless to say this has ruined my life and still makes my life very difficult.
Does anyone have any advice for me, remember i've ruled out any major medical conditions, tried hundreds of meds, including MAOI's and beta blockers, anti-depressants, benzos, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants and more. I just would like to find out if anyone else has had a similar type of problem and how they cope with it. Any medication advice would also be helpful. Just what is this weird obsession i have and how can i overcome it? Any input will be greatly appreciated.-Leroy Brown
Posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2013, at 9:42:54
In reply to My head shakes when I'm nervous, posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 7:34:25
Have you taken a muscle relaxant? Phillipa
Posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 9:48:50
In reply to Re: My head shakes when I'm nervous » Leroy Brown, posted by Phillipa on May 23, 2013, at 9:42:54
> Have you taken a muscle relaxant? Phillipa
Yes, i've tried many muscle relaxants, including valium, they don't help at all.
Posted by baseball55 on May 23, 2013, at 22:38:59
In reply to Re: My head shakes when I'm nervous, posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 9:48:50
I would strongly recommend finding a feldenkreis practitioner. This is a kind of message therapy where the point is to learn to identify and control muscle tension. I did it years ago because of constant painful tension in my neck and shoulders and learned to relax the muscles at will.
Posted by Hugh on May 24, 2013, at 11:39:30
In reply to My head shakes when I'm nervous, posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 7:34:25
This might help.
Posted by joe schmoe on May 26, 2013, at 9:56:20
In reply to My head shakes when I'm nervous, posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 7:34:25
This won't help, but I get the same thing, and I think it is fairly common for people with social anxiety. If I make eye contact in a stressful situation, my neck tenses up and my head starts to tremble, causing me to want to break eye contact. It has also happened to me when eating in a social situation.
Unlike you I have gotten relief from things which affect GABA, like klonopin and alcohol, though.
I have adjusted my lifestyle to avoid such situations, particularly stressful jobs which involve managing others or public speaking. It sucks, but what can you do. Modern society is extremely stressful for people with social anxiety. If I was a farmer, like most people were 100 years ago, I would be fine - the dirt doesn't try to make eye contact and judge you based on how confident you are.
I am surprised that klonopin hasn't helped you, since it is a muscle relaxant as well as transquilizer.
Posted by ed_uk2010 on May 26, 2013, at 15:07:35
In reply to My head shakes when I'm nervous, posted by Leroy Brown on May 23, 2013, at 7:34:25
Leroy,
May I ask how much social contact you have at the moment? I imagine that you've spent relatively little time in social situations over the years due to your severe phobia-like obsessional anxiety.
I was wondering whether it might be possible to treat your anxiety by greatly increasing your social contact under the supervision of a psychologist. The idea being that your anxiety would be extinguished once it became clear that people were not reacting to your tremor.
There is some evidence that the antibiotic cycloserine can be an effective aid to exposure therapy/fear extinction performed by a psychologist.
Posted by Phillipa on May 26, 2013, at 20:33:21
In reply to Re: My head shakes when I'm nervous » Leroy Brown, posted by ed_uk2010 on May 26, 2013, at 15:07:35
Ed it's used for TB?
Posted by ed_uk2010 on May 27, 2013, at 2:14:59
In reply to Re: My head shakes when I'm nervous » Leroy Brown, posted by ed_uk2010 on May 26, 2013, at 15:07:35
Hi Phillipa,
Yes, cycloserine is an antibiotic active against tuberculosis. It is not a first-line med for TB. It is used for certain strains resistance to other drugs. In recent years, it has also been investigated as an aid to exposure therapy due to its neurological properties.
Posted by Leroy Brown on May 28, 2013, at 7:47:40
In reply to Re: My head shakes when I'm nervous » Leroy Brown, posted by joe schmoe on May 26, 2013, at 9:56:20
> This won't help, but I get the same thing, and I think it is fairly common for people with social anxiety. If I make eye contact in a stressful situation, my neck tenses up and my head starts to tremble, causing me to want to break eye contact. It has also happened to me when eating in a social situation.
>
> Unlike you I have gotten relief from things which affect GABA, like klonopin and alcohol, though.
>
> I have adjusted my lifestyle to avoid such situations, particularly stressful jobs which involve managing others or public speaking. It sucks, but what can you do. Modern society is extremely stressful for people with social anxiety. If I was a farmer, like most people were 100 years ago, I would be fine - the dirt doesn't try to make eye contact and judge you based on how confident you are.
>
> I am surprised that klonopin hasn't helped you, since it is a muscle relaxant as well as transquilizer.Thanks joe, although i'm sorry you suffer from the same affliction, it's good to know i'm not alone.
This is the end of the thread.
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