What's the science/answer behind getting stiff/dizzy at events or dinners?

[[Be...]]

Hey folks...

Got a new wave of something crazy happening.

When I go to lunch with friends or a dinner meeting, I'm getting stiff with tunnel vision.

I get rigid in my upper back and neck and even dizzy when looking right or left.

Ears are ringing and I feel weak to even lift my glass of water.

I fake it best I can and once I'm back in the car, it all goes away.

What the heck is this? General anxiety?

How do you manage it?   I'll never let it win so I just stay put at the table/event even If I'm the last one out.

What works the fastest to beat this crap? How long does it last?

[[...]]

I can't say for sure but i think, yes, kind of anxiety or your own brain's reaction to stressful situations worsening while you're in a wave. I guess it can vary from individual to individual. For me, it's also dizziness, stomach cramps and stiff muscles. My guess is our wd symptoms probably reflect this personal reaction, not exactly but for most symptoms, although wd issues tend to be much longer and feel worse. Just my thoughts since i've been wondering about it too.

As for how to overcome it, i'm not sure but think your tactic is very good. I try not to pay attention because i've learned it should always pass and nothing awful is going to happen.

[[Bu...]]

Hi @[Be...],

Bear with me here, I have an idea that might be related to what you're talking about.

Years ago, while still on clonazepam, I started getting all kinds of weirdness involving dizziness, stiff upper back and neck and tunnel vision like you mentioned and worsening symptoms when I turned my head in any direction.  It was particularly bad when I was in stores or places with a lot of sensory input.  I ended up being referred to a neurological ophthalmologist who diagnosed me with "shopping cart syndrome". 

Basically it's the idea that, for whatever reason (most likely from the Clonazepam for me) a person's CNS can become overwhelmed from too much conflicting input and it causes a processing problem in the nerve that coordinates information between the eye and the ear.  It's called "shopping cart syndrome" because many people first notice it while pushing a cart down a tall, narrow aisle of a grocery store- lots of different colors, narrow space, sound reverberates oddly and the person is trying to focus on items while still moving past them all while trying to keep the cart on track.  Recipe for dizziness and disorientation.

I am just wondering if something similar is going on here, especially if you don't feel particularly anxious.  For me restaurants are often the same kind of atmosphere as stores in terms of sound moving strangely, often conflicting light sources, trying to talk to people you're with while trying not to be distracted by everyone else around you.  It's a lot to process.  

IDK, it's just a thought.  I hope it improves for you soon.

[[Be...]]

Oh gosh, sure sounds like it.....