Cant stop shaking or function. Is this anxiety/stress over something so trivial???

[Shakeyshakes]

I have had a shit week. I am having a total over reaction to an ongoing tax credit saga (7 years). They have sent me 10 letters this week telling me nothing I dont already know. I always get a bit worked up when dealing with this ongoing saga with them because we just go around in circles nothing ever getting resolved - usually I have a few sleepless nights as I worry until it passes, swear about them to DH but its no real biggy.

This week though as soon as I saw the brown TC envelopes (just 2 on Weds)on the mat I felt physically sick and a little bit shakey. Thursday 2 more - same reaction. Friday 6 letters arrive and my legs gave way before I even read them. They are only telling me stuff I already know and although its a bit crap news wise for us - its not devestating or anything new we didnt already know, so I just dont understand what has happend to me.

Anyway I was concious but collapsed to the floor. I started to physically shake and I have not stopped shaking since. I tried to go out (I was just on my way out when the post arrived) but was shaking so much and felt so sick I couldnt move to stand up. Half an hour later I managed to get to the toilet to be sick.

I sat watching a DVD to try and calm down and just shook for 3 hours until DH came home. As soon as I saw him I burst into proper sobbing tears and cried solidly for around 2 hours. Really hard crying. It would not stop. I could not even speak properly to tell him anything. DH has been lovely and calm and practical about the letters telling me as I already know - its a bit of a non issue in the big scheme of things. He sat down today to respond the letters
and just been lovely but today I am still shaking. I have had to force myself to eat because I feel so nervy and sick. I had to try eating to make sure it wasn't lack of food making me shake. I am very tearful today as well. I am shaking in my chest as well and my heart feels like it is racing.

My head knows this is a stupid over reaction to a small hassle but my body is acting as if something massively awful has happend. Its so bad I can hardly function. I could not even manage to make a cuppa 3 hours ago - I knew what I need to do but somehow was all disjointed and trying to put water in the kettle with the lid still on and stood there thinking I need milk I need milk I need milk but not able to kind of connect that I had to get the milk from the fridge.

This is freaking me out! I even left the house earlier with odd shoes on and didnt notice until I got home and went to take them off. Funny yes - but I cannot function properly. My head feels odd and fuzzy and I keep bursting into tears and I dont know whats caused it. The shakes continue.

Can anyone tell me what the hell is happening to me??? Why have I had this over reaction? And how can I make it stop. I am scared - I feel I have kind of lost control. Please can anyone offer me some advice or tell me they have been through similar and how they got back to normal.

Shakeyshakes I don't have any experience of this but I didn't want to leave your post unanswered.

Is your DH there? Does he know you're still feeling like this?

What else is going on in your life, are you generally under stress?

Thank you Threeleftfeet for responding to my rather long post.

DHis here next to me in bed sleeping. He does know - he has been concerned all day. I am letting him sleep because he has been at work all week and had a pretty hard going few days and driven alot of miles.

I had been a bit down around Xmas time but nothing major. Earlier this week I remember thinking I am back to my normal self again - properly back and was feeling quite good about life.

Have a few other niggles - odd worries about kids - both starting at new (different) schools in September but nothing major.

I wish I could be more held and I knew what to suggest!

Hopefully if I bump your thread a few times, someone more knowledgeable will come along.

A friend of mine used to get panic attacks, she said they made her feel like she was very far away, not connected from what was going on around her. Perhaps it was a panic attack? But can they last such a long time I wonder (my friend's used to come and then go within 20 minutes or so)

*help not held!

Aww bless you threeleftfeet! very kind of you to be so supportive.

I am going to try mind over matter and watch a DVD here in bed and hope I can drop off. I should do soon - I hardly slept last night.

Just getting the DVD out the box will be a faff cos my hands are so shakey

I am wondering about a panic attack but bloody hell - this is a long one if thats what it is.

I will log on tomorrow - or later if I dont drop off to see if anyone has some advice.

Thankyou threeleftfeet

Oh Shakey, poor you

Can you get to an out of hours clinic tomorrow? If you prefer your GP, do as little as possible tomorrow and get an emergency appointment for monday. Your DH sounds great but enlist some help from family/friends.

When you've got that sorted you can get tax credit help. My MP was fantastic.

Oh, and keep posting here if it helps.

MN mantra: "This too will pass"

Thanks Annie too! Hmm - maybe it is a panic attack

A prolonged one!

Thank you tall

Do you think OOH would see me??

Not too much planned for tomorrow except type up a letter to HMRC!!

What a waste of a weekend

No worries :)

Might be worth talking to NHS direct if your doctor's is shut? I've found them very useful on occasion when I've had random medical problems out of hours.

They've been able to explain a couple of things that were really worrying me at the time.

Yes I think if you can't stop shaking it's reasonable to go to see a Dr.

I will see how I am after I get some (much needed) sleep.

Thank you everyone for your support tonight. I am going to try watching a film now and hope I nod off.

I'm sure they'd see you. It's not a waste - it's good you're listening tp your body

to

I'm so sorry-sounds not just scary but exhausting. Perhaps this is your body's reaction to the accumulated stress of 7 years of dealing with the brown envelopes, plus school worries?
Something that you might find helpful is to try and ground yourself in the now to try to gain some calm- breathing deeply and rhythmically, fir a count of 5,trying to make the out breath longer than the in. Also, if you can, put both feet firmly on the floor. Really try to focus on the breath to switch off your brain iykwim?
Do do make an appt with the ooh tomorrow, and I hope the DVD has a suitably distracting effect.
Panic attacks are horrible and I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. Have fingers crossed that you can sort out the tc problem soon.X

I have PMd you shakey x

Could you and DH rent a PO box close enough to your DH's work to allow him to check it at lunch and have the HMRC post redirected there? Or get it sent to his workplace and ask secretaries etc not to open it?
Would it be possible for him to take care of the tax business instead of you?

I have gone through similar with exH sending me summonses in the post and e-mail missives to the point where I set up a special e=mail account just for him (that I still quake about when I have to go to it). Wiped me out for a day or two every time.

One exercise I did was to focus on what I could see with my peripheral vision and let my jaw relax while doing 7-11 breathing (count of seven in and eleven out).

Just wanted to say hope you are feeling a bit better today. Although you rationally say that what has happened does not warrant your reaction it does sound like it is a culmination of 7 years of stress and the brown envelope is a trigger for you. Think you need to be kind to yourself do something nice, eat some dark choc (mood boosting)
Is it close to your period think we are all a bit oversensitive around this time. I am prone to having melt downs over seemingly trivial matters around this time?
Am also really upset over tax credits as are a lot of people.We are£ 545 down and it really made a difference to me as I have no income

Well I managed some sleep but woke at 4am with the wind and rain and am now panicking the trampolene is going to take off in these gales.

I did get back to sleep for 3 hours 9am to midday. My sleep pattern is shot to pieces. 2 hours sleep then I wake and my tummy lurches and I tremble.

I feel calmer but still edgy. I am no longer physically shaking permanently, it comes and goes but still feel shakey inside and very tense all the time. Not cried yet - but feel I could if something/anything else goes wrong.

I am relieved that the post lady does not come on a Sunday but feel sick about what tomorrow may hold. Although WHY????

We need to tweek and finish off the letter my DH wrote yesterday. Bless him he is very practical but a bit rubbish at putting it into words so the letter just needs to be polished up a bit iykwim. That alone is making me feel awful yet it is a practical step into getting this resolved. I want to know whats happening and being said etc etc because much as I want it all to just go away and end - it wont anytime soon because they dont know their arse from their elbow!!

I am absolutely shocked and a bit fed up with myself. Mentally telling myself to get a grip because I am getting on my own nerves. This is just not like me! I usually get a tad het up swear a bit, bang a fews things about but deal with it and just get on with life. Really am puzzled at this reaction.

I cannot eat again today. DH just made me some toast and despite chewing and chewing it I just could not swallow it. Oh god am getting all tearful again now!

This is just not like me. I am going to wait and see my own lovely GP tomorrow (hope he is there someone told me he was away last week) rather than battle this weather to see some stranger at the OOHs place 15 miles away. I need to pick up my precription for my IBS tomorrow anyway.

There was so much I wanted to sort out and do this weekend and I just cant seem to function and have lost my gumption.

Thank you so much for reading my self indulgent posts, especially those who "held my hand" in the early hours of this morning when I was frightened.

Although this panicky feeling is horrid I am slowly getting used to it - but wish I could just go back to normal.

Oi, you're not being self-indulgent - and you will get back to normal. Hope you've had a reasonably relaxing day and stop giving yourself a hard time for slowing down - sometimes you just have to.

There might be someone at CAB or similar who could take on your case but in the meantime, wait for your letter to get in the system, then get someone to ring and check they've received it. Record the tax credit person's name and the time of the call. Tell them you're doing that and ask them to record that on your file. They're slippery characters.

You'll be okay, honest x

Be kind to yourself for a while, take some vitamin C if you can, and if this feeling doesn't go away within a couple of days, go and see your doc.

It may be panic attacks, but equally it may have a physical cause if, as I understand it, you have been through a long period of stress, which can affect the body as much as the mind.

D

Another practical suggestion -- have you and your DH considered hiring a tax lawyer or tax accountant to take care of this thing that has taken over your life? I think it would be money very well spent.

Are you able to get out for a little bit of a walk at all? Around the garden or up and down the road? Weather permitting of course..

You might like to have your thyroid functioning checked out.