# facial muscles twitching when in social situation



## sleepysmurf

Anyone have the problem that when anxiety is high their lips / cheek muscles start twitching, or even trying to smile its very twitchy, or eyebrows twitching? or is it just me?  I hope I dont have some other disorder, im really hoping its just the anxiety.


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## Mc Borg

I don't know if it's related to my anxiety but my nose and eyebrows used to twitch a lot...possibly?


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## sprinter

sleepysmurf said:


> Anyone have the problem that when anxiety is high their lips / cheek muscles start twitching, or even trying to smile its very twitchy, or eyebrows twitching? or is it just me?  I hope I dont have some other disorder, im really hoping its just the anxiety.


I remember having such a problem during picture taking day in the sixth grade. The photographer and a bunch of classmates that were watching made a big deal out of it, I guess I had a mini panic attack and got real nervous getting my picture taken with everyone watching. I should have stayed home that day.

I remember a model that posted here about having that problem during photo shoots. If it only happens in social situations that make you nervous then it's just part of SAD.


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## millenniumman75

I know my eye tends to twitch. :stu


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## Dillion

sleepysmurf said:


> Anyone have the problem that when anxiety is high their lips / cheek muscles start twitching, or even trying to smile its very twitchy, or eyebrows twitching? or is it just me?  I hope I dont have some other disorder, im really hoping its just the anxiety.


I get this allllll the time when I'm starting to panic. It bothers me to know that people can see it happening so I often rub the area when it starts twitching and it goes away.
I don't think its a big deal really, but I'm sure its just the anxiety.


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## NJexplorer313

My face twitches especially when I try to smile when I am nervous, especially when I am being one on one introducing myself or greeting someone


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## ezpk

my lips quiver when i am thinking of words, but i don't say them... well, at least they used to. my friends gave me hella **** for it, so that habit may have burned off.


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## billy

I call it mouth retardation


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## sleepysmurf

went to doctor, turns out I have Enhanced Phsyiological Tremor and Essential Tremor.... great


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## sprinter

sleepysmurf said:


> went to doctor, turns out I have Enhanced Phsyiological Tremor and Essential Tremor.... great


hmm does it happen even when you are alone? I know anxiety can make essential tremor worse but if you don't have any tremor when you are alone and relaxed I would doubt the diagnosis. Doctors do miss diagnose sometimes.


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## sleepysmurf

yes it does... not nearly as bad though.


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## joe_span

I had eye twitching a few times some years ago and it was because of being nervous: very wound up. In any case I would strongly recommend meditation. You can easily separate it from religion, in fact there is quite a lot of fascinating work being done by the scientific community lately starting to explain how it works. It is very easy to start, the resuts are immediate and very positive. It took me half an hour a day for a week to start walking around being so mellow and at peace with myself, everything and everyone that others were getting the impression that I wasn't taking life seriously enough. Meditation is an extremely powerful tool to control and shape your emotions, If you train a bit you can detatch yourself from the stress and move to a peaceful balance from where it is easier to accept reality for what it is and devise sensible ways to work with it.


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## timb

i'm experiencing the nose twitch feeling (though it isn't visible when i look in the mirror) and am very concerned. its on and off all day, and worse when talking to my boss or thinking about stressfull things. any change in your condition sleepysmurf?


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## timb

well my doc says that it's stress. surprise surprise. it's actually not happening anymore, after two weeks. pretty good news i guess.


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## Hellosunshine

I've noticed my eye twitch real badly these days. I looked it up online and sites said it's due to stress and anxiety.


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## Post_Punk_Proclivity

I've been having this problem with my eye although apparently it's to do with a lack of sleep instead of the anxiety that's evoked from social situations (well, mainly because I still have them but my anxiety has been much less so this is how i know)

Another peculiarity of mine is to have my eyebrows racing up and down involuntarily when in a dangerous or major stress evoking situations (this may include experiencing extreme anger or fear.)

I've heard that taking a magnesium supplement can help with facial twitched quite a lot. I can only assume it has something to do with restoring the ion balances within the synapses through which nerve impulses are customarily transmitted. I know for a fact that calcium can also aid in the proper upkeep of the nervous system.


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## jonas

sprinter said:


> I remember having such a problem during picture taking day in the sixth grade. The photographer and a bunch of classmates that were watching made a big deal out of it, I guess I had a mini panic attack and got real nervous getting my picture taken with everyone watching. I should have stayed home that day.
> 
> I remember a model that posted here about having that problem during photo shoots. If it only happens in social situations that make you nervous then it's just part of SAD.


well how dare those people make a big deal out of that.

it really does not make any sense at all that those people would be angry at you for being under more stress than they are.


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## jonas

ezpk said:


> my lips quiver when i am thinking of words, but i don't say them... well, at least they used to. my friends gave me hella **** for it, so that habit may have burned off.


how dare your friends give you **** for that. they do not realize that you are under a lot more stress than they are when you do that anyway; therefore, instead of being angry with you, they should try to understand or empathize.


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## Catlover4100

That happens to me too! I thought I was just weird lol... well, I am


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## Ash09

I get lip twitching when smiling for photographs.


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## SolaceChaser

Used to happen to me alot, but now I have some control of it by just trying to consciously release tension in my muscles, especially facial. It helps and it feels good like


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## Hypnotoad

Wow this is interesting, I was taking the team photo for my 8th grade basketball team, but before we could take the pic the right side of my face started twitching. I didn't know what happened. I thought I had a stroke


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## feelinbad

That happens to me when I'm smiling and cameras are involved. My lips start twitching uncontrollably. Last time it happened I was at a friend's wedding and she was walking down the aisle and I was smiling. I actually got anxious just watching her because she looked nervous. I though I was going to throw up!


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## awr730

You are not alone! I get the exact same thing and I get so embarrased when it happens but when im anxious i have no control over it. I feel as though people are gonna think im a freak. But yeah i get the twitching thing in my lips and cheeks really bad...sucks.


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## TheUnwelcome

Lol, I do this too. I used to think it was the adderall doing it but I havent taken adderall in over 6 months and I noticed this happens when I try to smile as well. I think it is because I am forcing myself to smile but at the same time I really don't want to.


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## Futures

I've had this happen too.

What I usually do beforehand, if I know I'm going to be in an anxious situation, is I open my mouth as big as I can to stretch the muscles and warm them up a bit. It seems to help. Maybe try chewing gum too.


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## Thea

I was searching around the Internet, and hoping to get an answer for my muscle twitches. They can be pretty bad! 
I had my first day at a new school today, and our first course was english. Our english teacher asked us to present our neighbour, so the class can get to know each other better. Well, first of all i have sosial anxiety, and second.. to speak, english, to a class with 30 students i dont know.. that was pretty uncomfortable, and most of all I was hoping that the floor was cracking so I could fall down in a hole.

Now i really really want to fix that problem, because i want to get to my class, but i dont dare talking to any one yet, because my face is shakin' so bad. I have read everyones answers here, but no one seems to have a soloution for this exept the guy who mentioned magnesium. (allready tried that).

I have the same as you, the face is getting numb, I can't smile and its like an earth quake in my face.

How to get rid of that? Does anybody know what to do? its so embaressing!

Love Thea


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## BoostedSol

Yep I have had the right side of my lip/cheek twitch when in conversations before, happens more often when I'm really nervous. It's annoying.


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## sansd

It has happened to me, especially when I'd be smiling out of nervousness and just couldn't stop. Really uncomfortable. I'm not sure how visible it would actually have been, though.


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## sansd

savroz said:


> Anyone ever overcame this problem?


Not by doing anything specific, but it hasn't happened to me for several years.


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## disarmonia mundi

I blink uncontrollably and my face scrunches up like I'm worried/pissed off/blank stare... it's the anxiety



billy said:


> I call it mouth retardation


Got something like that... it makes my speech sound ridiculous and weak.


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## SADinME

I don't know how to explain this but my head and neck twitch when i am in a public place it doesn't happen constantly but every now and then.I hate it it makes me even more anxious since i think people are noticing,only tablets like valium and xanax used to help to stop this but u get immune to them and then its useless plus those pills will make things worse in a long run.Exsercise help me a little to control my twitches


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## disk

this happens to my lips, they twitch when someone stares at me or i think they are judging me.


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## Freiheit

Happened to me before a few times. When I was laughing because someone said something funny but I was nervous because there were a lot of people around.


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## MaddyRose

I definitely get the lip twitching, I especially noticed it last night when I went to dinner for a birthday party. It's strange, no other part of my body really twitches (I do fidget a lot I guess with my hands and feet, but that seems different. I could probably control it if I concentrate) I don't really want to cover my mouth all the time, it would just draw attention to it, but the only other options it seems is to drink often or keep talking :|


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## mike8803

millenniumman75 said:


> I know my eye tends to twitch. :stu


+1


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## pegger18636

I've had the twitching with my eyes too. Much worse though, is the feeling I get in my mouth area and cheeks. How to describe it...it's like I lose control of my emotions. Sometimes when I feel extremely anxious, or after I stop a forced smile, it feels like I can't control or hide my facial expression. Like my mouth is hollow or something, I don't know how to illustrate it properly. Anyways I know when this happens my face reads like I'm super angry or that something is definitely very wrong, even though I don't been to be hostile or confrontational in any way at all. It's the worst thing ever, it doesn't happen often but it has happened a few times when my anxiety has been at it's worst. Can anyone relate to this?? :S


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## radames

Wow, I can definitely relate to this mannerism. I used to sing a lot in college and sometimes, when I was on stage, my upper lip would quiver so much that I wondered if I looked a bit like Elvis on speed or something. My eyebrows would twitch too. I think that it was just stage fright though. Now when I get nervous I just yawn a whole bunch and get really tired but as soon as I get on stage I am ok.


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## kev

I have the same problem. I have a really unflattering one where I snarl involuntarily (which I blame on previous use of antipsychotics but who knows). It's really embarrassing because people don't always recognize it as a twitch... they actually think I am angry at them. It sucks.


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## MagusAnima

The area below my right eye has started twitching lately, even when I'm on my own I can see it fluttering under my skin in the mirror, it really creeps me out. I just try to rub and poke it to try to make it stop. When it twitches more violently it feels like it kinda jumps which weirds me out. 

I hope it stops, it is fairly noticeable I imagine. :afr

The only way I can think of to stop it is to reduce stress levels, but that's not exactly easy to do.


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## ALopes

I've Been experiencing This To, Mainly With My Cheeks & eyebrow, Which Wen My eyebrow Moves, It Feels Lik My ear Is Moving As Well, Idk If That Makes Sense But Wen Yu Move Yur eyebrow Up N Down, You'll Notice Yur ears Movin' As Well. Idk If This Is Another One Of My Delusional Thoughts But I'm Pretty Convinced iHave This As Well


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## Freiheit

My face twitches sometimes when I'm out around strangers. Never happens when I'm at home.


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## rosebudxo

I've only had something like that happen to me once. Thank God.


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## millenniumman75

My eye would twitch sometimes. It usually happens when I talk too much - like lack of oxygen or something.


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## liso

My mouth twitches/shakes all the time when I smile for pictures...but only if there are a lot of people standing around watching.


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## Antis

rosebudxo said:


> I've only had something like that happen to me once. Thank God.


You realise how lucky you are?

I had a tutor interview ages ago, I had a head twitch initiated by my neck at least 5 times during the interview. She just kept talking and talking, it was 20 minutes of her just talking to me. She noticed the twitches, it's easy to notice because it's a visible shaking movement and she was looking straight at me and talking, she is also the social type of teacher and she's taken notice of my shyness in class, hell, she even called me loner, indirectly.

This is the main thing that makes my SA unbearable. Uncontrollable movement of the face, neck, lips, hands..... There are some meds that help, but not all the time for me.


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## pariscommune

*facial twitch*

Hi everyone...i have a huge problem with facial twitching in social situations.. Does anyone know how to treat it? Perhaps with botox injections? Or does anti-depressants work? Please let me know! Seems like everyone's just posting about the same problem but no one is offering any kind of solutions...


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## fedupwiththis

Hey this happens to me quite often in a social situation...
I just cant smile... if i smile my cheeks start twinching or trembling.
I just want to be normal, Even when with friends i become nervous when somebody cracks a joke and i cannot laugh.....
Once it starts twiching then after that i cant even speak ...

Does any body knows solution on this please tell me if somebody has overcome this :blank
I havent seen a solution in this post please post a solution


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## JackNoah

My eyebrows, cheeks, lips and jaw shake violently when I'm nervous. My throat shakes too so my words come out audibly shaky, and my arms and legs shake violently too. I'm not sure if other people can always see it but it's the physical side of SAS that makes it so hard for me. I'm not sure if I'm just a naturally shaky person, because I shake even when I'm not stressed.


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## JackNoah

Antis said:


> You realise how lucky you are?
> 
> I had a tutor interview ages ago, I had a head twitch initiated by my neck at least 5 times during the interview. She just kept talking and talking, it was 20 minutes of her just talking to me. She noticed the twitches, it's easy to notice because it's a visible shaking movement and she was looking straight at me and talking, she is also the social type of teacher and she's taken notice of my shyness in class, hell, she even called me loner, indirectly.
> 
> This is the main thing that makes my SA unbearable. Uncontrollable movement of the face, neck, lips, hands..... There are some meds that help, but not all the time for me.


How could I forget, my whole head/neck shakes too. Looks like we've got the same problem :roll. What meds have you tried that help? My GP has run blood tests etc for me and they've all come back clean, and she doesn't seem to fully comprehend that I have anxiety, she puts it down to stress and 'nerves' :sus.


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## candiedsky

good god yes. Especially when I think someone is watching me. :|


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## RoarOfTheMemphisBelle

Sometimes I get a neck twitch, especially when I find myself acting a bit superficial.


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## peter19

I'm almost 30 and was diagnosed with essential tremor quite some years ago. I don't know exactly when it started but I do remember having it much earlier in my young life already.

At first, I was just glad I knew what it was (my condition had a name!), but it began to bother me more and more over the years. I have it over my full body (hands, abdominal muscles, legs, but most emberassingly: my face: mouth/smile tremors and eyelid tremors).

I've tried Propranolol (up to 40mg 3 times a day) in combination with Xanax (up to 0,5mg as needed), and although this does seem to help with the hand tremors, don't find much relieve in my facial tremors.

I have my tremors all the time (also when I'm completely alone and relaxed, but stress does make it much worse).

Most of the time when I try to laugh, my mouth starts to tremble like crazy. The medication doesn't seem to help with this. People notice this, so sometimes I just don't laugh as if I don't find it funny (makes me look arrogant) or I try to act like I didn't hear it or I look away. Just because I don't want to be embarassed.

This is really getting to me because I have a very social life. When it's my birthday I try to drink enough (alcohol seems to solve this trembling mouth problem) before I have to open any presents for example.

I'm always anticipating situations where I will have to laugh and my trembling mouth will get noticed (like meeting and greeting new people, business meetings, social events, etc...) and even try to avoid some situations (people DO see it, my essential tremor doctor even asked me to videotape it, because it's very unusual and rare he said).

So it's also having a psychological effect on me. It's really starting to ruin my life, because laughing is one of the most normal things people should be able to do. I don't want to be drunk to be able to laugh normally. Even grinning will show the tremors.

Now the doctor has prescribed me Clonazepam (Rivotril) - I'll have to build this up to 3 x 0,5mg / day. I can still take 40mg Propranolol as needed in combination with this.

This is the first time I'll use a benzo on a daily basis (the Xanax I only used as needed). We will probably build up the dose if needed and combine it with long-lasting propranolol I guess. If that doesn't work, we can try botox injections, but I'm not comfortable with that at all.

Do you think I might find relieve in Clonazepam for my facial tremors (I don't care too much about the other tremors)? Does anyone recognize this and have any other things to share with me? Any experiences with these drugs and this particular problem and dosage?

I would love to talk to other people with this condition.

Thank you for listening.

Some resources (facial tremors aren't described in the literature often, and no treatment has been described at all, only some cases that confirm the condition):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1031891/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19489077
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_tremor


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## desparado

pariscommune said:


> Hi everyone...i have a huge problem with facial twitching in social situations.. Does anyone know how to treat it? Perhaps with botox injections? Or does anti-depressants work? Please let me know! Seems like everyone's just posting about the same problem but no one is offering any kind of solutions...


Yawn :yawn as wide as U can...This will help U regain ur posture.


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## OverIt82

*I have the solution!*

I had to register to this forum so I could let you guys know how to fix this! Ahh I feel your pain!

*Botulin Treatement!!* Otherwise known as Botox. And no you don't get it done at the botox clinic, learnt that the hard way, you need to get a referal from your doctor for a Neurosientist to do the treatment. They will know exactly what to do and this isn't uncommon so don't be scared. When I finally went to the doctor about it, because I'd been keeping it a secret for so many years until a lightbulb went off in my head and I realised I could paralise this thing with botox! Then I got onto google and researched it to find out I was right! When I saw the doctor said she'd just refered someone recently to this neurosientist who had a sever facial tick for her whole life, and the botulin fixed that almost completely. So for a twitchy muscle, the botulin will fix that right up! That baby won't be able to budge HAHA. Only thing is it wears off after 4-6months so you have to keep getting it done. And its expensive, I'm in australia and it is $385 but I get $220 back from medicare, plus I have health cover so I may not have to pay for much at all since it is not cosmetic.

The waiting list is 3 months, so I haven't actually got mine done yet but I can't wait! This stupid twitch in my left cheek only used to happen in extreme anxiety or stress circumstances since highschool, but after I had a major anxiety attack a few years back, it wants to twitch all the time, actually it has caused me to have social anxiety because I'm so worried that the muscle will start twitching. I have been on Lexapro to calm the nerves for a couple of years, then I went off it, but after six months (probably after the lexapro finally wore off) the urge to twitch came back and the extreme nervousness around anyone (except mum and bf) came back. I mean even around my best friends. Its horrible! I have to keep my palm on my face like I'm leaning on a table or I quickly try and get out of conversations at work and run back to my desk. No one knows exept my mum and whoever has seen it, I am too embarrassed to tell anyone.

I will post back after I get my treatment to let you guys know how it went.


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## sponge1978

peter19 said:


> Most of the time when I try to laugh, my mouth starts to tremble like crazy. The medication doesn't seem to help with this.
> ......
> Do you think I might find relieve in Clonazepam for my facial tremors (I don't care too much about the other tremors)? Does anyone recognize this and have any other things to share with me? Any experiences with these drugs and this particular problem and dosage?
> 
> I would love to talk to other people with this condition.


I'd also love to talk to people with facial twitching, mouth twitching, problems, because I have it bad and I can safely say its ruined my life.

I think your essential tremor and facial twitching might be 2 separate issues, IMO a twitch is not a tremor. For a while I thought my facial twitching problems meant I must have some kinda essential tremor condition and therefore it could be treated with stuff like propranalol, but unfortuneately this is not the case for me. I've been on clonazepam and propranalol. Propranalol helps me a bit in terms of anxiety (eg stopping racing heart/adrenalin) but not facial twitching. Clonazepam helped me greatly with anxiety which in turn improved my facial twitching slightly (but didnt eliminate it), and I dont see this drug as a long term solution, since it causes dependence and you get tolerant to it (but I know some people do take it long term). I took it for about 6 months, my GP wouldnt prescribe it to me so I bought it online, but I kept having to increase my dosage and decided to stop.



OverIt82 said:


> I had to register to this forum so I could let you guys know how to fix this! Ahh I feel your pain!
> 
> Botulin Treatement!! Otherwise known as Botox. And no you don't get it done at the botox clinic, learnt that the hard way, you need to get a referal from your doctor for a Neurosientist to do the treatment. They will know exactly what to do and this isn't uncommon so don't be scared. When I finally went to the doctor about it, because I'd been keeping it a secret for so many years until a lightbulb went off in my head and I realised I could paralise this thing with botox! Then I got onto google and researched it to find out I was right! When I saw the doctor said she'd just refered someone recently to this neurosientist who had a sever facial tick for her whole life, and the botulin fixed that almost completely. So for a twitchy muscle, the botulin will fix that right up! That baby won't be able to budge HAHA.
> ........
> I will post back after I get my treatment to let you guys know how it went.


I'm quite sceptical about botox for facial twitching. Many years ago I went to see a specialist to ask for botox in my lips to help me speak without my lips twitching out of control, and he told me you couldnt do that because you wouldnt be able to speak properly bcos all the muscles in your lips/mouth are required for speaking, you'd look very strange when speaking, and also your lips would start dropping bcos the paralysed muscles can no longer maintain the lips shape/form. So I would think that similar would apply if getting botox injections in your cheeks.

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About me. I've had problems with my lips and face twitching since my early 20s, I'm 33 now. I have bad social anxiety, but I know the only reason I have SA is because of my facial twitching, that is what I'm scared of, not people. Talking/conversation is always physically difficult for me (due to lip/face twitching) but I can do it with certain people, only people I feel very at ease with, otherwise (and depending on anxiety etc) speaking is a physical impossibility, I just cant control my mouth, therefore I cant speak. This problem has ruined all aspects of my life. I have huge difficulty just having simple conversation with people at work, I only work in office 2 days a week since I cant bear to humilate myself for any longer than I have to. I have tried everything to overcome this problem eg, medication, CBT, therapy, facial exercises, accepting-and-not-trying-to-control-it, but nothing has helped. As other people have mentioned, there are other factors which make things worse, eg laughing/smiling, coldness, excitment. I'm so jelous of people who can talk normally, freely.


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## kennyc

It's cause your muscles tense up when you get anxious and go into the fight or flight mode.


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## sponge1978

Wheres the edit button? Moderator can you please delete the first post of mine.


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## Elona

I have the dreaded eye-twitch worthy of any clique serial killer in a film.


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## Layla

Sometimes when I get crowded outside my eyes will twitch, it's weird, my friends say they can't notice it, but to me it seems like my eye area is moving a lot, it doesn't bother me as much now as it used to though.


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## an230290

Well i'm slightly happy that im not alone but this issue is really bothering me. Can't really enjoy my life as much. My face twitches, my eye lid twitches basically all the muscles in my face feel like they are moving. So annoying. This happens when im under any pressure or anxiety even lifting heavy objects. Im a student its obvious ill never get work or anything. God knows best but living with this illness is terrible though it can be worse god forbid that happens


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## JamesC

Yep its the anxiety - nothing else. Not to worry, it will go once you get SA handled.

J


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## OverIt82

*I got the botox.*

Hi Guys

Well I got the botox for my twitching cheek muscle and it does seem to work. I am still anxious as it is early days but I would definately at the least, recommend you go get a referal from your doctor for a specialist in botox treatments for this sort of thing. There is no point in being on anxiety meds because your anxious about your face twitching, if it can be helped. The injections are just under the surface of the face, like a pin prick and being in my cheek and next to my eye - it hasn't changed the appearance of my normal face movements.

There may be certain parts of the face that cannot be treated absolutely completely but I would think an improvement would be better than nothing at all. Its better to ask than do nothing.

Also don't give up after one dodgy doctors review. I had to leave my regular doctor just to get my anxiety medication because he refused to give it to me! Doctors can be sceptics to - they're human, If you don't get what your looking for from one, at least see one more. This is something that will change your life, I would do everything that I could.

Good luck guys.


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## MidnightBlu

I used to have really bad head/face twitching when I'm sitting in a new class with a lot of people.


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## omerta

Have you find any solution about cheek tremor under stressed situation. Please share any kind of news have you reached. Thank you guys 

sorry for my english 
regards


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## lamboftartary

Yeah, not so much these days in social situations.. It just seems to occur when I am at home sitting or something.. like a series of spasms .. I thought there was something really wrong. However the doctor just said it was stress. It used to occur, the facial ones, in school all the time when having to deal with people and teachers.


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## ace2112

an230290 said:


> Well i'm slightly happy that im not alone but this issue is really bothering me. Can't really enjoy my life as much. My face twitches, my eye lid twitches basically all the muscles in my face feel like they are moving. So annoying. This happens when im under any pressure or anxiety even lifting heavy objects. Im a student its obvious ill never get work or anything. God knows best but living with this illness is terrible though it can be worse god forbid that happens


I am a new member. You definitely are not alone. I noticed my first jaw/lip tremble/twitch in 2003 when I was a senior in college. Now almost 10 years later, the situation not improved in the least.

My lips and cheeks tremble when:
1) I look anyone in the eye (Needless to say I sadly avoid eye contact and feel like I have to have my guard up 24/7.
2) I try to laugh or smile (Dealing with this for 10 years I have completely lost my sense of humor, which sucks because I can't remember the last time I had a good belly laugh. 
3) I feel guilty (often, for no reason)
4) I feel ashamed " " "

I've lost many friends over the years simply through avoidance and excuses of why I couldn't hang out. I just couldn't face them that particular day, week or whatever.

Alcohol eliminates this, but only as long as you are buzzed and keep drinking.

Benzos work too. Once you are accustomed to them, the relief disappears. 
I am now on 4mg a day Ativan and that does nothing for me anymore since I started Ativan almost 2years ago. Through the years before that I was prescribed all the others: Valium, Xanax, Klonapin, etc.

Tried other drugs and they mainly got me in trouble.

So the main problem is the constant worry and concern and repetitive thinking about this all day long everyday literally drains all my energy. Days get longer, time slows and my jaw generally stays sore daily (psychosomatic!)

There is more to put out there, but just writing this drains me. I feel a strong sense of relief though getting this off my chest. (I've been in therapy 12 years too  )

Anyone feel like someone is staring directly into your soul when you make eye contact. If so, welcome to my club.

Thanks for this board. I look forward to working, helping and sharing.


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## ace2112

Bump


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## gannon

Has anyone here tried botox treatment for their facial twitches? If so, how has it been working. Im thinking about going to my doctor soon so i can try the botox injections.


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## sad vlad

In high anxiety sometimes my eyelids are closing on their own for 2 seconds. It feels like a strong violent contraction. Must be related to the facial muscles contraction.


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## Yusef

*How I beat the twiching/awkward smiles*

I have suffered with an anxiety that made my smiles seem at best insincere like I was secretly anxious, and at worse I would have uncontrollable twitching. At one point I was researching if smiling was even necessary in social interactions and if there was some way around it because I really felt it was best if I just didn't smile if it would be like that.

My philosophy became if I couldn't smile genuinely then maybe I shouldn't force it adjust hope people understood that I am not the smiling type or something.

Then I decided to try something. This might not work for everyone but it works for me. I went for a nice long jog. This boosts serotonin which my research told me is necessary for a positive emotional state. I followed the commonly recommended frequency of 2-3 times per week for 30 min. In about a week my smile had improved and in two I felt better than I had in a long time and my smile was perfect. Also I made sure I slept a good 8 hrs from 10:30pm each night.

This might not work for everyone but I hope some people try it and benefit or at least are lead in the right direction.

For me it seems if I go for even a week without following this cardio routine I start falling back into the anxious state and the anxious smiles follow. I'm totally cool with doing more cardio thought because I am 10x happier in general when I do it, it's like I feel complete and not much can get to me, and I'm far more social.


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## blasteen

they usually say that eye twitches or some other muscle twitches are causing by either magnesium or calcium deficiencies. On anxious days, I am little bit unable to keep my head up, because my face muscles tend to get tense when I hold it up


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## lalaalaa123

THIS IS CRAZY!!! Left cheek muscle, bridge of left nostril, upper lip, jaw muscles all twitch NON STOP FOR MONTHS (LIKE 9-9 ) THIS IS DESTROYING MY LIFE!! I have bad teeth 2 missil bottom molars, bottome teeth are very crooked and misaligned and after I eat my jaw muscles get very tired so maybe this is causing it?? please help!!


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## millenniumman75

My left eyelid has been doing this lately. It's the weirdest thing. I keep wanting to grab it :lol.


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## shah

*cheeks twitch mostly when embarassed and anxious*

I have this problem for about a year now and im am always paranoid in social situations and wud ask myself "what if" I get embarrassed or anxious and people notice my twitch(around the cheeks) I think this is why I have SA. I am very down and depressed these days and I just hope somehow some way I find an answer to why this is actually happening.. an actual concrete answer will put my brain in peace for sure. I just hope to god its the anxiety thats causing it and nothing permanent.
It actually feels as if maybe theres something wrong with my brain..can u guys relate to that? And feel mentally drained?? With very little brain energy? i think to myself sometimes that maybe somewher some nerve is not working! Mayb its jus me.

CBT has not worked for me so I am booking an appointment with my doctor to get on anxiety pills hopefully it resovles the issue. If anyone knows anything that helps my issue plz plz do reply i have tried vitamins, magnesium now im trying out omega 3 to see if it helps


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## Pike Queen

Absolutely. If I smile at someone for too long, the left side of my face starts to quiver. It's the weirdest thing. Perhaps I don't smile enough. xD


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