SPD Support Forum

I don't do a huge amount of exercise, so I'm not a hugely fit person. At my work on two occasions I've climbed a rather large structure, involving stairs, ladders, small doorways that you need to climb out of (I don't want to be more specific, as it might give indications of where I work) to a rather high point (50-70 m above the ground). I do have a reasonable amount of issues with heights, although for some reason I don't really seem to get triggered with that by doing this climb (the heavy work boots may be helping), but the rung ladders are not nice.

When I did this earlier this week I ended up with shaking legs. Not wobbly legs like you might get after too much exercise, but actually shaking legs (I remember getting that when I did indoor rock climbing one time as a teenager - they could see my legs shaking as my feet were resting on the wall, from the ground). After I've come back down, changed out of the boots, eaten, drunk water etc. both times I've felt completely and utterly wiped. Everything feels heavy. Even my head and I can't really concentrate/feel a bit disconnected. I feel like I need a nap. I don't manage to regain back much energy that day, either.

I'll be speaking to my OT about it this week (along with the rest of the list of things that I'm wondering about), but I was wondering whether anybody here had any thoughts on whether this is just an exercise-worn-out related thing or whether there is likely a sensory component in it. I've got not great proprioception and am hypersensitive on everything but visual (although I fall in the mild category).

It sounds like a panic reaction to me. I get the same thing if I see a snake--major phobia. I really don't recover until the next day. In addition, while it's happening I sweat profusely. Hope that helps.

The weird thing is that I don't 'feel' panicked while I'm up there or after. Sure, I really don't like the rung ladders, but otherwise I'm feeling fine.

OT thinks that it's the delayed reaction that can occur up to two hours afterwards, particularly with vestibular issues. And has given me some things to help me to do to deal with it. Yay!

Oh boy does that sound fun! NOT! That sounds like my reaction to an overdose of the wobble board. My balance melts down and I get pysically limp! I can have shaking,motion sickness and panic. I call that a balance meltdown. My learning breakthough reduces the frequency of these meltdowns. But if I overdo the learning breakthrough then I can bring it on. That because the learning breakthrough is powerful enough to develope and strenghthen my balance and also melt my balance down. When I use it I have to be very vigilant to dizziness and queasiness. I stop when I have either and I largely avoid them. A word of warning. When you age your balance weakens. If you don't strenghthen your balance you may be prone to falls and may have a walker as early as 50. And limp muscles may mean incontinance as well. Learning Breakthough will help you avoid that. Or at least a wobble board on which you practice daily. It helped me tremendously.