increased anxiety

[Dee]

I am having more anxiety than usual.  My had shake what feels like constantly.  I've been self conscious in stores and try to put my hands on the counter to steady them.  Today I was trying to flip through photos on my phone and had a hard time because my hand was shaking.  I tried to steady it on the phone, but again, embarrassed.  As I type my left arm is twitching and has been for some time, I'm home, alone.

I saw my nutritionist and we were trying to figure out why, so she wants me to log it.  Potentially, it could be that I stopped drinking and I don't have that sedative effect.  Potentially, with me stopping drinking, not relying on my eating disorder, and not over-exercising I don't have those negative coping skills and need to find other ones.

My fear is I had a trauma in November, I feel totally responsible.  Drinking too much and not eating enough caused me to get overly drunk and pass out.  I wonder if that last one pushed my love the edge.

I don't know; I don't know what to do.  I still have my arm twitch, I hope it goes away soon.

[Anjulie]

Dear Dee,
that must feel really unsettling when your hands shake so much. Maybe it's really because you can't /don't rely on your old coping mechanisms anymore. Which is great 

When I reduced my watching television all the time + reading newspaper/magazines/Books + drinking + eating too much, I felt a short breath and a pressure on my chest. Maybe that was fear. Honestly it's still that way often.
I think it is hard and takes time to be in the present when one tried so hard all the time to escape the present feelings. Especially, when you experienced a trauma so recently. Have you tried other healthy coping skills?
Mine are at the moment: learning guitar via app, reading in this forum, listening to music and move my body to it.

It is good however that the nutricionist has a look on it in case it is something physical which needs treatment.

[Blueberry]

Dee I'm sending  Not knowing about the trauma in November I immediately thought of the very recent (re)traumatisation with all those people who were meant to be helping you. Idk if it's the case for you but those types of incidents take me right back to childhood trauma. People meant to be helping and/or protecting us go and do the opposite. So the increased anxiety could be from there maybe?? And then not using negative coping skills compounds it, leading to shaking maybe??

Idk if this is true for everybody but a previous T of mine who had chronic pain said the upside of it is that it grounds you. So when I get a flare-up of old psychosomatic pain (e.g. in my hands and shoulders) I try and think of that. Could shaking be similar?

You're taking responsibility for the trauma in November. OK. I'm wondering if you're giving yourself flak about it? (Says she who does that to self). I think it is one of your Ts who said "it's not a question of 'if', it's a question of 'when' we go back to negative coping skills". It sounds as though you picked yourself up, dusted off and got back on track     That's the important thing imho.

See 5 things, hear 4 things etc etc - is that helpful? Or could the shaking be pent-up anger? When I had chronic hand pain it helped me to massage my hands e.g. with those prickly massage balls but I also had softer items. I guess you'll have tried stroking your dogs already.

EFT? "Even though I have shaking hands / a twitchy arm, I accept myself / love myself / forgive myself". I was taught EFT by my therapist but there are youtube videos where you can teach yourself apparently. I do EFT even for things I shouldn't need to accept / forgive myself for, like things somebody did to me in the present day.