facial tension
- Thread starter Dave1989
- Start date
Hey, I don't know if you mean the same, but when im very anxious im aware of my facial expression. Its like i cant control it anymore and it makes me feel i look scary (or very nervous what i always want to hide) or something. Thats the reason why im affraid to look people in the eyes or just giving a simple smile. Like some people are anxious about blushing, i have this with my facial expressions...
Yeah totally. But not just when anxiety hits, by now it's just tense all the time. So much in fact that the feeling in my forehead is almost completely gone. I also clench my jaw allot due to facial stress. It used to be so bad the people would tell me to stop because the sound of grinding teeth annoyed them. :/
I do the jaw thing less now, but the facial tension remains.
I do the jaw thing less now, but the facial tension remains.
Dave1989
Well-known member
Yeah Ace that's what I mean, but in my case it actually feels like my face is changing shape etc because of it, it might be something to do with having b.d.d as well i'm not sure but it's a strange/unpleasent feeling to say the least.
I know what you mean Puma, it's happening now and i'm sitting in my room with nobody around which makes it stranger, not sure wether it's cause there is that much on my mind but it's weird.
I know what you mean Puma, it's happening now and i'm sitting in my room with nobody around which makes it stranger, not sure wether it's cause there is that much on my mind but it's weird.
Dave1989
Well-known member
Yep exatly the same for me, feels as though they get bigger and bigger which in turn makes me more anxious. My mouth as well when I speak, feels as though I can't move it properly.
EscapeArtist
Well-known member
God, this is one of the worst things about SA. I always have this... Also voice tone, I feel is very flat while my face is very tense. It just doesn't give way, it doesn't matter what I do. I don't know what to do about it, it makes me feel so uncomfortable and unusual!
Yes, sometimes clench jaws, too. Hurts after I release.
MaliceInWickedland
Well-known member
Happens to me all the time. My muscles tense up at an insane rate and no matter how hard I try to control them, I can feel myself frowning, especially at school. People always ask me "What's wrong?" or "Why do you always look pissed?" I can't help it!! To make things worse, whenever I make eye contact with random people, I glare at them even though I don't mean to and that's most likely why so many people don't like me, but that's just fine because I don't like anyone in that hellhole of a school either...
groovy
1
I play saxophone, and this realllyyy bugs me when i'm performing... everything will be going along just fine, then gradually as I get more anxious for whatever reason, my facial muscles begin to tense. If I were alone or at a lesson, I might be able to control it, but in performance situations something evil creeps into my mind and tells me that I can't do it. lol. Eventually I start to lose it and can't hold my embouchure (mouth position) properly.. all sorts of terrible stuff happens from there... haha
DespairSoul
Well-known member
Hi there
Hmm i wanna say DONT WORRY yea but i worry about the same thing. Yes i do and i think you write good point about BDD coz this have a lot of come on.
If u think u make some grimace and feel disagreeably its more as SA. Coz i have SA coz of BDD ok im not able make me diagnose by myself thats true but feel it like that. If we dont accept selfs how others can? And by talking just like you say...you arent alone:
:::
DespairSoul
Well-known member
just a quick tip, ive found that chewing gum when facial tension is really bad helps, im not sure why maybe it loosens facial muscles or something but ot seems to aleviate the tension quite a bit for me, give it a try
This i use all the time chewing gum is my frend also.
If have really bad issues with facial strung face i take me one and i feel little more free from my horrible tense of face its really helping me. Aleviate this is the right word. I recommend this to everyone. But funny will be if i will be 80 and still chewing gum in my mouth. Good will be if i get Alzheimer and i totally forgot about my SA,BDD whatever
UnOccupied
Well-known member
Pretty sure this happens to anyone with anxiety disorders. Tensing up your muscles is a natural human reaction to physical danger. Your back muscles and shoulders probably get tense too, you just don't notice it as much.
It is perfectly natural to tense up under physical fear, but our anxiety makes us tense up under fear that is irrational and not real. It is most likely when your face tenses up, you are in no physical danger at all, whatsoever.
I like to tell myself to "loosen up" when this happens. This simple phrase reminds me that there is no rational reason to fear, and that this tensing is only an irrational reaction by my anxiety, which makes me perceive physical danger that is not really there.
Here is an excerpt from my CBT about this:
"If you're in public or in a social situation and you're feeling
anxious, just remember these two words... "Loosen Up"
What happens when we're anxious is that our body and muscles tighten up
automatically, many times without us realizing it. Technically, our
physical body is preparing to meet a threatening challenge that really
isn't there - but, since we think it is, our muscles become tight and
rigid.....
By realizing this and just LETTING GO of the tension in your muscles by
"loosening up" - you are calming yourself down and making the situation
a little easier for yourself."
-Excerpt from, Overcoming Social Anxiety: Step by Step, by Dr. Thomas A. Richards
It is perfectly natural to tense up under physical fear, but our anxiety makes us tense up under fear that is irrational and not real. It is most likely when your face tenses up, you are in no physical danger at all, whatsoever.
I like to tell myself to "loosen up" when this happens. This simple phrase reminds me that there is no rational reason to fear, and that this tensing is only an irrational reaction by my anxiety, which makes me perceive physical danger that is not really there.
Here is an excerpt from my CBT about this:
"If you're in public or in a social situation and you're feeling
anxious, just remember these two words... "Loosen Up"
What happens when we're anxious is that our body and muscles tighten up
automatically, many times without us realizing it. Technically, our
physical body is preparing to meet a threatening challenge that really
isn't there - but, since we think it is, our muscles become tight and
rigid.....
By realizing this and just LETTING GO of the tension in your muscles by
"loosening up" - you are calming yourself down and making the situation
a little easier for yourself."
-Excerpt from, Overcoming Social Anxiety: Step by Step, by Dr. Thomas A. Richards
