# Neck twitching



## CreamedPi (Sep 19, 2007)

Whenever I'm in public, my social anxiety gives me surges of strange sensations through my neck that make it want to twitch and spasm. Also, I feel pressure in my head that makes my brain feel as though it's trapped in a pressurized vise. It's driving me nuts, because I'm in high school and have made ZERO friends since I'm afraid to talk to people and let them see me act strangely. Also, I can't concentrate in class because I'm so preoccupied with trying to control my spasms. It's affected my academic performance, and school/grades/going to a good college are incredibly important to me.

My neck spasms started half a year ago when I saw this guy sitting in front of me in class twitching a lot in his neck (I'm not sure if it was because of a disorder or SA). I got so scared of potentially twitching (even though I had never twitched out of SA in my life) that I became preoccupied with NOT twitching, and soon enough, I actually developed a twitch.

So far, I try to control my spasms by never looking up or making eye contact and resting my head on my hands. My family and the counselor I see sometimes tell me that I'm pretty, intelligent, and witty, and I'm miserable because I know there are so many things I could be doing if it weren't for my anxiety and twitches. Next year I will be in 12th grade, and my biggest fear is that by then, I will still have neck spasms and extreme anxiety, which will make it nearly impossible for me to express myself in the interviews (and my teachers who are giving me recommendations), that I'm expecting to do when applying to colleges.

Does anyone have a spasm problem? And if so, any suggestions for helping getting rid of it? Also, I've been trying to expose myself to as many social situations as possible (including embarrassing ones) to lessen my fear. Any suggestions for that too? Thanks! :afr


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## AJFA88 (Jun 16, 2007)

I used to have this problem in high school too. i know how it feels. Actually at the end of eight grade in middle school there were a couple of guys who always liked making fun of me, and i started to feel that annoying feeling in my neck, a brief twitch which at the time wasnt a big deal.

then when i started high school in 9th grade it got worse and worse and i was made fun of it when i twiched in front of a presentation. after that i became so worried about not making a fool of myself that i didnt pay attention to class, and my grades dropped.

when i got to 11th grade i started taking zoloft which got rid of 90% of these physical symptoms, so i dont have them but not as much as before. What i used to do, and would recommend from personal experience is...

- if you are forced to seat in the front because of attendance seating arrangements, talk to the teacher and tell him/her that you feel uncomfortable and would like to seat in the back. the teacher might just do that for you if you ask nicely.(my english teacher in 10th grade actually let me sit in the back :eek )

- I would usually take a pencil or whatever you have to distract yourself with. If the teacher is writing somethign on the board take lots of notes--again, to distract yourself.

- try to move your arms whenever you feel you cant hold control
- wear a hood(not over your head, im guessing your school doesnt allow this as well?) to cover your neck
- i always felt secured when i wore a jacket...
- Sometimes, and very rarely i tried relaxing, breathing deep, and it worked. I was also in taekwondo and did meditation so i guess it worked because of that maybe...


Im sure the school offers counceling whom you can talk to about these problems at school. in fact, when i was in high school the school councelur was the one who recommended me to a phychologist where i was diagnozed with social anxiety, so i would totally recommend that


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## laura024 (Aug 11, 2006)

Wow, that describes me. I saw a boy at school twitching his head a lot and then I started doing it :[. My neck and head are so tense that sometimes I'll twitch without even thinking about it. Everything about not being able to pay attention is the same for me. So far nothing has worked to stop it.


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## CreamedPi (Sep 19, 2007)

It's good to know I'm not alone in this situation :duck . I thought it was just weird how I starting getting twitches just because I saw this guy have them.

Thanks for the advice, Auron. I'll try it.


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## tobeyourselfisnotacrime (Jun 10, 2007)

I thaught I was alone. I joined this forum a few months after this neck twitching thing started. What's worst is it's obvious. It's something people can see. Fortunately it has begun to go away slowly. And I want to competely get rid of it.


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## Faded Lines (Sep 22, 2006)

I just made a thread about this last week. Whenever I was stressed, in the right side of my neck I feel an urge to nod my head really hard in one direction. Over time, I became very accustomed to it and probably do it 5 times a minute. I don't think it has to do with SA, but it def. makes it much worse because I feel like everyone thinks I have some kinda problem. People sometimes ask me if I have the hiccups (when I hold it in, my neck and jaw sort of twitch and it looks like I have them). I have always had strange habits, but this one is by far the worst. I hate getting asked, "What's wrong with your neck?"


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## styler5 (Oct 7, 2006)

I have the same symptom.... I've had it for over one yr. Now it's soooo bad that my head jerks and trembles like crazy, especially when I'm eating in pubilc or in class. I forgot to take Xanax last Friday because I overslept and ran to the class not to be late...it was the worst experience I've had so far. I couldn't breathe or listen to the professor because of it! And those coughs...(some of you should know what I mean) Now I don't care if I'm right about it. I just don't wanna react to the coughs!!


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## Lukefar (Jul 7, 2011)

Yeah i have this neck twitching problem as well... i only developed it recently ive always kind of been shy and got incredibly nervous when i was infront of an audience but recently this twitch in my neck has caused me serious problems. Recently my mum and dad split up because he has a drinking problem and i just finished my final exams (which i thankfully did well on) and its possibly this stress that has triggered my neck twitch.

Whenever im with a group of friends or when i go out i can tell that they see my neck twitching but no one says anything about it and its super awkward for me cause i just plain dont understand why its happening (its especially bad when i smoke or when im eating/drinking so i quit smoking but its not like i can quit eating or drinking). sometimes i can get comfortable when im with my friends and overcome it and im so pleased when i do because i can act like myself again. When im sitting at home by myself or around my mum i am able to act normal and there is no neck twitch present it only happens in social situations. Im saddened because this has made me become sort of a social recluse and im at a really good time in my life having just graduated with good grades and people tell me ive got potential to do something really good with my life and this anxiety related neck twitch is preventing me from being the person i want to be.

Its been a huge problem mainly because theres this girl who i really like, shes amazing really like the nicest person ive ever met and she asks me to go to the beach etc but i have to make excuses and avoid seeing her because of this neck twitch ive developed. im really against living the rest of my life with this problem and i will overcome it i just need to know how. i live in thailand so im not sure about finding a psychologist, i probably could if i really wanted to but i dont want my parents/brother/friends to find out because i dont want them to think less of me and my families going through a bit of a financial problem at the moment... also there are pharmacies around where i live so i could probably pick up a drug that will prevent the symptoms if i knew what it was, or if there was another treatment method i could start doing it.

I know that my situation isnt the worst one because ive only recently developed this twitch and im glad i didnt have it during school but i just want to stop it before it worsens (which telling from what people have wrote it does).

if anyone has found any full proof methods to prevent this please let me know cause its become a huge problem for me and im sure it was/is for you aswell. thanks for your consideration in this matter.
- and sorry for the long post i just want you guys to know the whole story because it might help.


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## J.T. (Jan 9, 2009)

OMG ... I can't believe I've finally found a group of people who have an anxiety producing symptom that is similar to my own. "Normal" people just don't seem to understand how this can cause so much anxiety.

Make sure to read this whole post. I offer some suggestions and possible treatments at the end. 

For almost 7 years, I've had these strange spasming sensations in my neck. The sensation is on the upper right side of my neck, around my jawline and near my ear. 

These spasms have caused my social anxiety to go from moderate to extremely severe. Now, I can barely go to the grocery store, and I'm considering dropping out of college because my anxiety to high to pass a required public speaking class.

I call it a spasming sensation because I cannot really feel the spasms if I touch that area. Because of this lack of objective proof, doctors, family, etc. don't take me seriously. For years, this has made me feel weak, as though I seeking treatment for a problem that doesn't really exist. Instead of empathy, I've mostly received pity and disbelief. 

However, there is some good news to my story.

For years, I only focused on the sternocliedomastiod, trapizius, and other large neck muscles; however, I was unaware of the platysma muscle. 

The platysma muscle is a thin sheet of muscle that lies right underneath the skin and covers most of the front and side regions of the neck, including the area where I feel the spasming sensation. A quick Google images search will provide a better description. 

After researching, I eventually found the following quotes from Dr. Sumaiya Khan. 

"This (the platysma muscle) is the muscle that can also draw down the corners of the mouth, which helps to make the expression of a grimace"

"When a person shows symptoms of platysma muscle spasms, he will end up having involuntary contractions of this muscle, which may make the person involuntarily grimace"

These unusual symptoms describe a symptom I am having. When it spasms, I feel and see the corners of my mouth draw down as the muscle attempts to pull the jaw down. I can resist; however, it causes a great deal of tension.

Anyways .... I started massaging that area (underneath the jawline on the right side), and I could finally feel the knotted muscle being pulled. To massage it, you have to pull the skin in that area downward or to the side by hand, messaging instrument, etc. The key is try and stretch the surface as opposed to the deeper muscle of the neck. Another thing that helps for me is using a muscle rub, like Biofreeze. 

I don't know if you-all have the same cause; however, I felt compelled to make this post just in case. I haven't broken down that knotted area yet, however, I just started, and I have 7 years of accumulated tension to release. 

I will let you-all know if this works. 

If you have question, post them; however, forgive me it I'm slow to respond, I don't always visit this forum regularly. 

 Good Luck!


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

I used to have spasm problems alot. Now rarely. They don't call a nervous twitch for nothing. You sound like a hsp. Reading about under-reacting to your invirpnment will help!


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## Danielmcjesse (May 1, 2013)

I also have a neck twitching problem. I have no idea what triggers it but it seems like it happens most when I feel no-one is looking at me. It really scares me because it happens a lot while I am driving. What happens is I will begin to twitch my neck in a rapid forward jerking motion as if I was slightly nodding. While I do my neck twitch I also happen to flutter my eyes shut and this can happen for up to 2 to 5 seconds at a time in each twitch. It seems as if it is becoming worse. I also feel it is becoming a dangerous habit that i cant control... Although "habit" isnt really what it feels like it is. "Twitch" and "spasm" seem like more fitting words to describe it. The thing that i hate most is the thought that i may have a twitch happen when i am driving (driving is always is a time when i twitch) with my fiancè in the car , or anyone else and possibly cause an accident because my eyes were shut! I really hate this problem and i wish it would just go away. It sometimes seems as if it is a voluntary twitch but the majority of the time i am doing it and cant stop... What happens is- i tense up my neck muscles and jerk my head forward and down in a slight nodding motion. This is almost always involving my eyes to flutter shut until the twitch stops. Sometimes the twitches will become very frequent... Sometimes even minutes or seconds apart in occurrence. When they are at the worst it causes my neck to become sore from the constant tensing up and jerking. It happens when : i am eating... drinking... smoking... driving... playing video games... watching tv... walking... and pretty much during every other thing i do... the only time it isn't much of a problem is when i am talking face to face with someone...... To conclude: I do not like this... I want it gone.


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## Banco (Jan 10, 2011)

When your talking about the spasm in the neck, does it affect your head too? ex; your head wobbles left to right?


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## Danielmcjesse (May 1, 2013)

Yes it is a jerking motion that looks like i'm rapidly nodding a tiny bit... It isn't any extreme movement... Kind of like a twitchy little nodding of the head forward i small bit


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## kelley421 (Dec 27, 2012)

Wow, am I glad I found this thread. For about 4 years now I have struggled with daily spasms. They started off CONSTANT. I mean that literally. I initially went to the emergency room and they told me I had "myoclonus". It was 24/7 spasms for 6 months, mainly in my neck and shoulders but my knees would rise to my chest in bad episodes as well. This was accompanied by severe headaches, feelings of electricution, tingling, nerve pain, dizziness, nausea, etc. I was given seizure meds to control them, but the medicine made them worse. The only thing that would stop them for a few hours was..eh..marijuana. I had just about every test you can get. I saw a neuropathic chiropractor and a neurologist. Eventually, I saw a naturopathic doctor and started a vitamin regimen that made a significant improvement. I was spasming considerably less, though still daily. I got worse again, then better, and this would keep happening until I was only having a dozen or so spasms a day. I was elated. However, things started worsening again. I was fainting, having seizures, and my speech was being affected as well. I ended up taking another seizure med, and THAT one worsened things too. The neurologist suggested that all of these issues may be anxiety-related. She suggested I see a psychiatrist (the 5th one I've seen in the span of a decade), but the psychiatrist prescribed a medicine that, upon researching, sounded even more dangerous than the seizure meds I've tried (she prescribed Lamictal, I've taken Keppra, Clonazepam, and Vimpat). I didn't fill the prescription, as it stated that the medicine could cause a type of seizure known as "myoclonic jerk". I've been "diagnosed", so to speak, with myoclonic jerk/myoclonic seizures...so I think you can see why I'd rather not try that out. I am not epileptic. I am conscious during the seizures. The spasms do affect my entire body, moreso than when they started (arm flapping, hand tremors, head nodding/tilting, hunching, knee rising to chest, etc). They occur in varying strengths, and the movements are fairly unpredictable. People on Stickam used to ask if I had Tourettes. I also get muscle twitching pretty much everywhere. I'm in constant pain. BUT...I will tell you that I feel worse when I have caffeine. Makes sense, right? Caffeine is not a friend to our nervous systems. I'm a Coca-Cola addict, so it can be difficult to stay away from. I've had a few seizures in the past couple of weeks, and I think it's because I've had too much soda. If you're curious what the seizures are like: my head shakes rapidly, my arms pound and my legs kick whatever surface I'm laying on (and if I'm standing when it starts to happen, I usually fall to my knees and end up on the ground), my back will arch sometimes and my bottom will leave the ground (almost like I'm pelvic thrusting the air). This only lasts about 10 seconds, but it SUCKS...especially when I involuntarily pound my head on something hard. 

So it's possible you guys are suffering from myoclonic jerk as a result of severe anxiety.

Here are some suggestions on what you can do to help ease your spasms, but I would suggest getting a blood test to have your vitamin levels checked so a doctor can recommend safe dosages for you if you have any deficiencies (I had a severe D deficiency, which was contributing to the spasms), or just what they think would be best for your spasms:
*Vitamin D
*Vitamin B12 (and other B vitamins)
*Magnesium
Those are the main ones. These are some herbal supplements that might help you as well:
*Dong Quai
*L-Theanine
*Kava
Really any sort of safe, mild, sedatives will probably help you...and anything that calms the nervous system naturally. If you're into herbal teas, try decaffeinated green and chamomile. Skullcap is an herb that you can take in tincture form or buy a bag of from an herb shop (locally or online) to make tea. It is rather bitter, so if you do decide to try it out you'll probably want to sweeten it with honey.

You might also consider trying to stay away from caffeine, high fructose corn syrup (and aspartame...and sucralose...and all o' those artificial sweeteners). My naturopathic doctor had me using Cell Food drops and juicing fruits and vegetables. I don't use the drops anymore because they're pretty expensive, but they're good for if you're trying to detox and help your body get the nutrients it needs to repair itself.

I still spasm every single day, more times than I can count, but I still go out with my family and sometimes by myself. If you're afraid to go out with friends, just tell them what's going on. I really don't think they'll judge you for it, especially if you make jokes about it to lighten the mood. My brother says things like, "You dancin' over there, Michael Jackson?" I tell him I'm "swatting invisible flies". I wish you all the best of luck and hope you feel better SOON.


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## kelley421 (Dec 27, 2012)

Even if you don't have myoclonic jerk (which you probably don't if you're not experiencing it several times daily), it's not uncommon to develop stress and anxiety-related ticks.Try these things to help your spasms SOONER RATHER THAN LATER before they worsen. Speaking from years of experience, when you have them every single day you get pretty weak and you experience a lot of nerve pinching from simple movements. The nerve pinching can cause a lot of pain and other uncomfortable sensations throughout your body. It's no fun. Taking a natural approach to lessening your anxiety is a lot safer than trying your luck with anxiety medications, or even seizure medications for your spasms, which can often worsen the situation.


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## kelley421 (Dec 27, 2012)

Then again, I started experiencing spasms the same month I had my wisdom teeth extracted where I had complications from the general anesthesia (was shaking violently when I came to, discovered a deep scratch in my arm that I know I didn't create because my fingernails were not long enough). So it's possible that my issues were CAUSED by something else but are being worsened by my anxiety.


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## OverComeIt (Jan 28, 2013)

Lol I used to twitch really bad...Something that has helped my anxiety and twitchin is really deep breathing and relaxation techniques....Taking deep breaths in, holding them, and letting the tension flow out of you...


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## wanderer13 (Jan 13, 2012)

I also used to have it. It is a psychosomatic problems that is about repressed feelings (anxiety in this case) not coming to the surface but expressing themselves as pain or whatever.

You can google "tension myositis syndrome" and maybe read a book about it.

The solution is mainly just being aware that the twitch/pain is a repressed feeling, and telling your subconcious to allow your feelings to surface.


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## Melissa0109 (Oct 20, 2013)

*Neck Twitch*

I have a similiar kind of problem which started about a month ago. I get these urges to pull my neck to one side, the only way to describe it would be a twitch. Sometimes they're quick but sometimes I hold my neck in a slanted position for over 5 seconds. I also do the same with my arm and back but my neck is worse. I get constant urges to keep doing it and it's getting to the point now where it's giving me a lot of pain in my neck. I normally do it when I'm driving, at work or when I'm on my own, don't normally do it round people.

I don't know it's a form of anxiety because I also pick the skin around my finger nails until they bleed and that's apparently a form of anxiety too.

Can anyone help me?


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## MuckyMuck (Oct 15, 2013)

Like everyone else, actually surprised im not the only one with this weird problem. Although its not as bad as some people here seem to have it, i get it randomly but not a lot thank god. I get when talking one on one, like people said, you want to stretch your neck, or squeeze it or just start moving your head around to try get rid of it.
I even put this as a question in a recent little questionnaire i posted.
Such a weird thing.


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## Dgutes (Nov 22, 2013)

I have the exact same thing. It went away for a while (7 mos or so) but then came back w/ a vengeance.


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## shypoet90 (Oct 14, 2013)

I feel like an epileptic because of how bad the tremors get. My neck twitches and my walk and speech become robotic.


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## SpeechlessMe (Feb 23, 2014)

Hi, please email me at [email protected]. I have the same exact problem. It's been really frustrating these last few years. In only 17 and I thought this would go away long before. There's a lot I could say but anyway, just know that there's other people with the same problems. And I believe that's its more mental than physical and if we learn to just relax we would be able to make this go away naturally.  please reply!


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## obiobi8 (Feb 27, 2014)

I have something similar but I don't know if its the same thing....
the one I have is basically, whenever I'm alone like on my computer I feel an urge to contract most of the muscles in the front of my throat to change the position of my Adam's apple....sometimes I move it to the right, sometimes to the left, sometimes I try to swallow it.....
sometimes I also move my whole head and jaw and lips to the side to extend my neck and try to calm it down.....
this can keep happening up to 1 time per second (60 times per minute)....
And I find it really hard to stay for even one minute without doing it.....
I've been doing it for so long that sometimes I also feel the taste of blood in my mouth......
fortunately, whenever I'm with someone else or in public it completely disappears but I still feel the need to move my head and jaw to the side (maybe once every hour).....I only feel the need to do it nonstop when I'm absolutely alone without anybody......


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## HoneyBear (Mar 1, 2014)

*I'm not alone *

See firstly I suffer with anxiety, if not anxiety then it's depression but I guess the mind is only designed to think of one thing and one thing only. 
I'm bored I've just won quit a lot of money and I'm so bored that my mind has no focus rather than being afraid of anxiety. 
My twitching started at the opticians, I hadn't ate all day so I thought I just had a lack of food so I got over it quit quickly. 
Then it happened again while dress shopping and I was already sort of thinking about it.

My anxiety only really happens when I'm thinking about it, when I'm scared of it. 
So I know if I had an outlet I would be okay.

What I am scared of is I've never been a nervous person, never really shy or cared what people think so I don't want to start developing social anxiety just because I have far to much time on my hands to think.

I need a job like ASAP ;(

I need to find and make some friends that understand this, because I'm not ready to tell mine so they can't help.

I'm from the UK x


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## HAPPYDAYS12 (Jul 17, 2014)

*neck tic*

I am so glad to find this forum. I am not sure if when I had surgery many years ago and my hand was compressed against my neck during anesthesia if this started the spasms I have on a daily basis, together with difficulty breathing, headaches, neck pain. Sometimes I feel like I cant breath. Went to many chiropractors, who cracked my neck and went to a rheumoidtologist who gave me what I think were muscle relaxer shots in my head. These were only temp fixes. Now my doctor who wont give me a muscle relaxer because of my age(I will bust a vessel in my head so age does niot matter) if I cant stop this, said to drink a glass of tonic water with quinine every night. This is for restless leg syndrome and hopefully might help,. The spasms dont happen when I eat, but cant do that all the time. Help


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## HAPPYDAYS12 (Jul 17, 2014)

I have tried biofreeze and neck stretching in the area that i feel the sensation to spasm my neck. It sems to at least give some temporary relief. I notice that there are rare times that i can make it stop for weeks at a time by breathing and rolling my neck(which causes other pains) and then i get filled with anxiety and it starts the vicious cycle all over again. It never goes away completely. Someone also mentioned the platysma muscle and i found a chat room to find out if that is where this problem stems from. Again, comforting to know it is not only me. Oh, how lucky people are that dont have anxiety reactionss.


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## Polish (May 28, 2015)

I also have this problem a spasm in my neck, it has happened on and off for many years, mainly the next day when I was drinking or taking drugs,but now just in every day life, it would happen when went to pay for thing, focusing my hand in a steady direction using my bank card with people present. 

Theses are methods that's really helped me 

Meditation 

Eating breakfast lunch and dinner all good meals full of nutrition 

Taking about it on forms like this 

Going to see in person people with real life problems, like disability and seeing how some of them have real difficulty in life and really don't care what other people think of them 

regular exercize pushing yourself to the intense limits 

Dealing with underling worries head on and writing out practical solution you think off to deal with them yourself 

Drinking herbal tees 

Understanding that many people in life are kind and caring to these situation 

Being open about this happening and laughing at your self 

Have a feeling off standing tall, everyone is different 

Stay away from medical drugs 


I have began a path of spiritual enlightenment this has helped me the most, it has made me realise that our silly neck problems is just in our mind and in the big picture it really doesn't matter this life is short to short to be worrying, what ever people see or think mean nothing compared to what happens in the end


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## teuton (May 31, 2010)

I have this too, but for me it's happen only when I have high anxiety. Most of this situations of high anxiety I can predict them before, so I use beta-blockers, this will make my head to not twitch anymore.

I always found this twitch related to my essential tremor. When I am under high anxiety my hands tremor and my head can twitch. I wonder if it's the same for others.


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## SpeechlessMe (Feb 23, 2014)

*Found Out What It Is*

Hi Guys!

I've done a lot of researching and found out what this neck twitching could be. In short, it is called dystonia. Dystonia is basically a physical symptom, not really a disease. However, the symptoms differ greatly for each person who has it. For me, I have a neck twitch, a focal dystonia called spasmodic tort. I could go into a lot of details, but it's better to just check it out yourself and see what you can find. Google Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, it's a good website and I found a lot of information on it.
There is NO cure yet. However, there are some medications or therapy that has helped. However, DON'T GIVE UP! I haven't given up. Even though it affects me every single day, I haven't given up yet. I live life the best I can. Yes it sucks, but I believe that they will find a cure one day. Best of lucks, guys! :grin2:


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## ApathyDivine (Feb 28, 2012)

When my anxiety is at its worst I get a twitch too


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## 7th.Streeter (May 11, 2011)

The twitches: Neck jerks,eye twitch, spasms 

Are simply the product of high anxiety and your body ridding itself of this nervous energy. 

I remember when I was so scared of this, but after reading darn near every article and hospital trips...theres nothing T fear..nothing bad is going to come of it..like I said....
Its just anxiety leaving your body.

But if you're still concerned, see a D by all means...but don't be made if I tell ya I told you so when u come back with a clean bill of health 😊


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## 7th.Streeter (May 11, 2011)

SpeechlessMe said:


> Hi, please email me at [email protected]. I have the same exact problem. It's been really frustrating these last few years. In only 17 and I thought this would go away long before. There's a lot I could say but anyway, just know that there's other people with the same problems. And I believe that's its more mental than physical and if we learn to just relax we would be able to make this go away naturally.  please reply!


So true its all mental... Nothing to worry about &#128522;


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## Kestin (Jan 20, 2016)

I'm so glad to hear I am not the only one. 
I've had anxiety for a while now, and was only diagnosed a few months ago. But I have twitching in my neck and the right side of my body. It's mainly only there when my anxiety gets bad for a few days/weeks or when I'm nervous, which is majority of the time. Everytime it gets worse I panic so much more, and think I have something seriously wrong with me. But I know twitching is a huge part of anxiety. I just need a way to help cope through all of this, and I hope you guys are doing well with it all.


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## Dziedzjd (Jan 20, 2016)

A couple technique's Ive learned to cope with this is breathing slowly into your nose and out your mouth and keeping your chin and eyes down. This works for me when im getting a haircut as a twitch badly then.


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## IWantToBeNormalAgain (Jun 2, 2017)

*I CAN'T TURN MY NECK TO THE LEFT because I'M AFRAID OF SPASMING*

I am going through severe anxiety and depression. I'm in 9th grade and its the last month of school and I can assure you that 2017 will be the worst year of my goddamn life. 3 months ago, I developed extreme neck spasms. I had a piano exam around that time, and I experienced the most pressure I've ever been through. Just suddenly without warning one day, I couldn't turn my head to the left because something was stopping me. At first I was confused with myself and didn't recognize what the darn hell was going on, but as 1 month passed by, I fully realized what the hell was wrong with me. over a period of 2 months, i have lost the ability to turn my neck to one side without spasms in my neck.

I experiance EXTREME SPASMS EVERY SINGLE DAY (In social situations and ALL of my classes at school): I am an AP STUDENT (gifted student) AND I AM ALREADY GETTING LOW GRADES IN MY ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES, AND THE NECK TWICTHING STOPS ME FROM LOOKING UP, TURNING MY NECK IN THE LEFT DIRECTION, AND STOPS ME FROM TAKING NOTES AND LEARNING ANY LESSON.
I am so so so afraid of turning my neck to the left because I know my neck will start twitching UNCONTROLLABLY and neck spasms will occur. MOST OF ALL, A DISASTER OCCURRED RECENTLY. My science teacher has new seating plans every 2 months and 3 weeks ago, she MOVED ME TO THE VERY RIGHT SIDE OF THE CLASS AND I AM FORCED TO TURN MY HEAD ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT IF I WANT TO SEE THE WHITEBOARD/SMARTBOARD AND TAKE NOTES OR LOOK AT MY TEACHER WHEN SHES TEACHING. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I. FEAR. GOING. TO. SCHOOL. I have nightmares of my fear of school, I'm unable to communicate with my friends, I cannot especially interact with boys, and the boys I like....my focus is 100% on my fear of my next neck spasm and EVERYDAY I FEAR SCIENCE CLASS. I am SO SELF CONSCIOUS and I sit at the very front row of my science class. My science class is 1 hour and 15 minutes long everyday, and I have to use my arm/hand to support my neck in order to turn my head to the left. TRUST ME...EVERYDAY I TRY TO CURE MY SPASM. I FORCE MYSELF TO TURN MY NECK ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT, BUT I ALWAYS END UP TWITCHING AND SPASMING UNCONTROLLABLY. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF LIFE. I do not see a future for myself if this continues.

WORST OF ALL...I HAVE PIANO CLASS EVERY WEEK. I DREAD PIANO CLASS EVERYDAY AND DEVELOP SEVERE ANXIETY FROM IT. I KNOW QUITTING PIANO IS NOT A CHOICE BECAUSE ive been playing for my entire life and I never had a problem with spasming until 3 months ago. The place where you put your piano peice on the piano is really high up (above eye-level) at my piano teacher's house, and I dread the peices where I have to play low notes. YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE I CAN'T TURN MY NECK TO THE LEFT AND LOOK DOWN AT MY FINGERS. I END UP SHAKING MY NECK UNCTROLLABALLY THE ENTIRE PIANO CLASS AND I END UP SWEATING SO HARD BECAUSE IM SO EMBARASSED. Of course my piano teacher realized this issue, and WORST OF ALL IS THE SIGHT READING. I am forced to play a peice I've never seen before, and I HAVE A HARD TIME LOOKING BACK AND FORTH FROM THE PIANO PEICE, TO MY LEFT HAND AND TO THE LOW NOTES. I LITERALLY CANNOT PLAY PIANO LIKE I USED TO. DO u know how depressed this makes me? I LOVE PIANO SO MUCH AND NECK SPASMING HAS RUINED MY ENTIRE LIFE. I have been a calm piano player since i was 6 years old. at the age 0f 14, i cannot play piano anymore. But i end up going to piano classes every week and SUFFERING. I DON't have any more words. I am so FEARFUL FOR MY FUTURE AND I. want to give up......I can't take notes in class...i can't look anhbody in the eye, i can't eat properly, I can't speak without getting nervous of my neck, and I CANT SIT ON THE SCHOOL BUS WITHOUT TWITCHING MY NECK THE ENTIRE TIME. my life is a pile of goddamn hell. I cna't join and clubs or councils at my school, and i can't give presentations in my class without breaking down or shaking or trembling. I also have a severe case of leg trembling. i dunno if u guys do too. I

If someone is reading this and has a solution, or anything to help me, please please please help.

a walkthrough of a neck spasm I experience in science class:
1) I try to turn my neck to the left just a little bit
2)my neck muscles start clamping together and I feel extreme neck strain
3) i know if i move my neck anyway, it will start spasming
4) i either have the choice of resting my head on my hand for support, or i go through the neck spasm
5) once the neck spasm starts, i experiance a chill/wave of fear and my heart seems to skip a beat. 
6) i start to panic and my heart rate increases by a lot. i am in full panic mode. 
7) i THINK IN MY MIND that everyone is watching me, so i try to stop the spasming....of course i spasm even more
8) i instantly look downwards and take a huge breath to try to stop. I hunch my back over and look down on my desk to calm down. usually this helps. 
9) I cannot gather the courage to look up anymore, or else the spasms will start again. I cannot look left either. (for some reason i dont have a problem turning my head to the right)
10) i end up staring at the desk the entire class, and i get even more panicky when i tink about how everyone in the class might be staring at me, and how i sit in the front row.
11) whil everyone else is taking notes and looking up to the whiteboard or staring at the teacher when she talks, i end up just staring at my desk for 1 whole hour. dont ask how i do it. I either pluck up a bit more courage to rest my neck on my hand and turn a bit left to take notes. i cant do anything else other than that.

im glad i found this forum. god please help me.  i wish the best of luck to everyone out there who is experiancing spasms. we can do this. we can get over this. we cant lose damn hope.


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