spontaneous body movements

Has anyone ever experienced their body parts moving suddenly and/or spontaneously without consciously deciding to move them that you were aware of? I get this quite often, but not usually as much as what happened during a hypnotherapy session recently.

I was put under light hypnosis recently with a psychologist hypnotherapist, and I experienced very strong and rapid body movements then almost immediately, following a series of energetic sensations that I felt come over different parts of my body (especially my eyelids). My upper body jerked to face different directions a few times. My arms jerked hard and continued to move throughout the session; they seemed really agitated? I also made fists and other changing hand positions continuously, although I couldn't decipher what any of it meant.

The hypnotherapist was trying to have a dialogue with anyone that might be in my 'system'. We did contact something that responded, but it definitely didn't want to talk. She stopped addressing it and the movements died down a lot, and according to her, there was a really agitated, resistance-charged energy in the air that dissolved once she stopped trying to talk to it. But I haven't really read about this kind of symptom before..?

As I was falling asleep too... now I don't know this for sure, but I thought I heard bits of an exchange that weren't addressing me, talking about the session and about the crazy body movements that happened during, but not taking responsibility for them. Actually, even as I'm typing this, I'm getting weird physical sensations that I don't understand.

Can anyone relate?

I used to think I had Tourettes until I found out I had DID.

Repetitive movements, jerky motions I couldn't control, randomly punch the air,
even a quick blurtation of something...

It turned out it was my 'kids' inside. Stress aggravates them
and I find it I pay attention to what's bothering them, they calm down.
They just want to be heard and will lash out if you're ignoring something important.

I can relate.

Yeah we get these jerks and random noises sometimes. I've noticed that they occur more at night time when Catey's tired and less able to keep everyone back. They happen to us alters too when we've been out too long.

David.

broken_mirror wrote:I used to think I had Tourettes until I found out I had DID.

Repetitive movements, jerky motions I couldn't control, randomly punch the air,
even a quick blurtation of something...

It turned out it was my 'kids' inside. Stress aggravates them
and I find it I pay attention to what's bothering them, they calm down.
They just want to be heard and will lash out if you're ignoring something important.

I can relate.

That sounds like a pretty good description of what happens to me.

How did you find out who it was bothering? I'm also confused that I thought I heard something from someone who I definitely don't know yet, talking to someone else who I don't know yet either: that THEY don't know why or who the movements were coming from, found them "scary", in specific. So...

I guess I'm still in such early stages, it seems. I get all kinds of indications to there being someone, or something there, but the pieces just aren't fitting together yet. I mean, I don't know what I'll do with the information once I get it and I'm afraid of how I'll have to change my lifestyle, or that I won't be able to cope and maintain my life's current priorities in addition to considering whatever else is yet to be learned. I'm stressed out about it all the time lately. So the stress builds and I feel it and see it come through in perplexing symptoms. Do you have any advice, having come from a point of not knowing a solution/having an understanding, to this point where you're at now, where you seem to have greater awareness?

neveralone wrote:Yeah we get these jerks and random noises sometimes. I've noticed that they occur more at night time when Catey's tired and less able to keep everyone back. They happen to us alters too when we've been out too long.

David.

I see... but it's not always clear as to who it's coming from? Does anyone take responsibility or explain them ever (that is, are they intentional or just spontaneous reflexes)?

No, no one ever takes responsibility for these movements. I don't know quite how to explain it but I'll try. It's a movement made by an alter on the inside that comes through when the barrier between inside and outside isn't holding as stongly as it normally would. Like when we're tired or when we're very preccouped with something else and for some reason when we're cold. They are mostly unintentional and to everyone else just looks like a tic of some sort. Most people are polite enough not to draw attention to them.

David.

In my case they are specific kids reacting to stress or triggers, and
depending on the 'tic' I can usually tell which one is being triggered (I've done a lot of work for this though)
however they can't stop it sometimes, it's like scratching an itch.
F tends to blurt the same "nonsense" words whenever he or I am stressed about a specific thing
and he's only been able to bring it down to a quiet under the breath but even though he knows he
shouldn't say it in public it burst out sometimes anyways.

In most cases I don't know WHY they're reacting (when I do, it's because I've had experience with it)
I usually have to re-examine my situation and how I'm dealing with it.
Most of the time I've been worrying about how people are thinking about me or I get a flashback trigger,
or sometimes someone reminds me of someone I don't want to think about.
Sometimes we're tired, sometimes we're hungry.

It also happens more frequently at night time like neveralone said.
I've heard others say that too and according to my T it's because the kids that are keeping everyone
all settled get too tired to hold them back at night time.

You won't always know who it's bothering right away. Sometimes you can ask, quietly, or ask one of the other
kids if they know, but unless you know your whole system (which I don't think I do, although I think I'm close,
after almost two years) then sometimes it's one of the ones stuffed away that haven't dealt with their stuff yet.
Sometimes, it takes a little while to figure out who it is anyways, even if it's one you're used to.
When I have a switch sometimes it takes us a while just to figure out who is out!
Other times we know right away.

Some of my most exaggerated movements turned out to come from my exiles (the littlest kids hiding away)
and it wasn't until I had gotten it safe enough for them to come out, and slowly talk, that I realized who it was
coming from. It also helped me sleep, because at that point I realized most of the exaggerated movements
were also caused by the hypervigilant F who was awake at night while I was asleep!

Don't worry, stuff starts off pretty weird but it eventually starts to make a LOT of sense

neveralone wrote:No, no one ever takes responsibility for these movements. I don't know quite how to explain it but I'll try. It's a movement made by an alter on the inside that comes through when the barrier between inside and outside isn't holding as stongly as it normally would. Like when we're tired or when we're very preccouped with something else and for some reason when we're cold. They are mostly unintentional and to everyone else just looks like a tic of some sort. Most people are polite enough not to draw attention to them.

David.

Oh I see... well this is very helpful for me to hear, I can relate to the "tic" description of course. I mean, it doesn't totally explain of course but... its interesting and a relief to hear that this symptom I have occurs in other people too. So I guess you would interpret that as someone who is trying to come out, or is reacting to what's going on? Someone co-conscious?

In my case they are specific kids reacting to stress or triggers, and
depending on the 'tic' I can usually tell which one is being triggered (I've done a lot of work for this though)
however they can't stop it sometimes, it's like scratching an itch.
F tends to blurt the same "nonsense" words whenever he or I am stressed about a specific thing
and he's only been able to bring it down to a quiet under the breath but even though he knows he
shouldn't say it in public it burst out sometimes anyways.

Wow, you can tell What do you mean by "work"? Sorry if this is a loaded question, haha. No pressure. But it seems like, by your description... that it's a reaction to something that's bothering them, thats happening outside? So they're co-conscious, but not in control of your body?

In most cases I don't know WHY they're reacting (when I do, it's because I've had experience with it)
I usually have to re-examine my situation and how I'm dealing with it.
Most of the time I've been worrying about how people are thinking about me or I get a flashback trigger,
or sometimes someone reminds me of someone I don't want to think about.
Sometimes we're tired, sometimes we're hungry.

Yeah, I suspected this is my case... whenever I get a poke, a jerk, some kind of reflex-jerking motion in my body... its in eerie sync with something I've just "fallen" upon in my mind. I could be considering a certain subject and then drift off and "alight" upon a related concept or memory, and then I'll get something. Or I'll be in the aftermath of it, or struggling not to dwell on a subject I've unintentionally reminded myself of... and will get a lot of this in the following 15 minutes or so. Yeah, seems when I'm tired it happens more! And lol, hungry. Do you get hunger pangs from those who aren't in control, even if you don't think you're hungry?

You won't always know who it's bothering right away. Sometimes you can ask, quietly, or ask one of the other
kids if they know, but unless you know your whole system (which I don't think I do, although I think I'm close,
after almost two years) then sometimes it's one of the ones stuffed away that haven't dealt with their stuff yet.
Sometimes, it takes a little while to figure out who it is anyways, even if it's one you're used to.
When I have a switch sometimes it takes us a while just to figure out who is out!
Other times we know right away.

ah, 2 years, that's really incredible. So I guess 2 years ago, you wouldn't have all this advice for me. I might have a long way to go. as it is, I never know the reason, I can only speculate... but it's good to know that the phenomena happens with others in m situation. I'm still coming around to the fact that this is really what I have on my hands here. I don't even know it for sure yet... but I guess as I can see, I keep finding ways I have things in common with everyone here.

Some of my most exaggerated movements turned out to come from my exiles (the littlest kids hiding away)
and it wasn't until I had gotten it safe enough for them to come out, and slowly talk, that I realized who it was
coming from. It also helped me sleep, because at that point I realized most of the exaggerated movements
were also caused by the hypervigilant F who was awake at night while I was asleep!

Wow, even ones who are far from being "up" can affect the body? How did you find that out? How did you get them to feel safe? Would you have advice for me?

An alter can be awake while you're asleep?!

Don't worry, stuff starts off pretty weird but it eventually starts to make a LOT of sense

I sure hope so. Thanks for all this. It's really helpful to me

I probably spent too much time trying to figure myself out and ended up burning myself out multiple times
the first year, which is why I know myself so well. Yeah, I spent too much time.
I was so fixated on FIXING, I forgot to live.
At least I can help, somewhat!

What I mean by working to figure them out, is usually to have a journal everyone can write in, someone external
to me that my kids can talk to (If they don't feel safe talking to me, which they usually don't) -this person being
very skilled in dealing with trauma, lucky me... sitting still for long periods of time, closing my eyes, listening
VERY carefully to everything that they say, or every jerky movement and recording it, along with whatever
I was thinking about or was exposed to at the time, and even doing recordings.
My hunny figured out a heck of a lot of stuff, he's very talented in being able to figure this stuff out, I owe him
so much... and my therapist helped loads as well.
I'm also fortunate to have been a pack rat (I have collections of all sorts of things from when I was very young to
now, so I have videos... pictures... school work...) so I can look at all these things I -don't- remember, and
find out who reacts to them, and why, and who was there during it, and (sometimes) what was happening.
Other times, they reveal to me in my dreams lost memories, tweaked slightly by dream fare.
There are all kinds of things you can do to learn yourself, but I would recommend LIVING first and learning second...
I made that mistake Never push too hard or too fast while learning, and take lots of time to process.
It will all come in time. If you force it bad things happen and you usually end up taking a step backward.
You'll usually be warned by becoming hazy or someone reacting.

I've described my system somewhere in my posts, certain ones are not "awake" but they are constantly filtering information,
so that they can react and wake up to specific triggers, without knowing the context. The ones who are dead asleep don't react at all, and the ones who are "awake" know the context and what was happening as well.

If I'm hungry, they'll usually get really upset if I don't eat, or someone will eat for me.
Oddly enough, even if I've eaten and I'm full, someone will go and eat again if they don't realize I've eaten because
they enjoy doing it... not good for the stomch D:
It's good to keep everyone updated on what's going on, med taking, food taking, water drinking...
Once co-conciousness happens more frequently it won't be as much of an issue.

The little kids remember some of the worst things we don't remember, and they have little kid fears.
So if they're filtering information they can still react.
Sometimes you need a specific alter awake in order to draw out a younger kid, because one of the jobs
that alter has is to keep that little kid asleep... if you can calm down the alter, let them know they're safe,
not judged, nothing bad will happen, and they're not around anyone from the past anymore, then they might
relax a bit and gradually (This does NOT happen the first few times in my opinion, it took me all of two years
to finally talk to one of them) allow the extremely vulnerable young one to peek out, and maybe heal a bit
if they are accepted, loved unconditionally, and not made to feel bad for their emotions, and feel safe.
Some of the littlest ones can't write but they like to draw, talk or play to share their story.
The only reason certain ones have EVER come out is after two years of an extremely stable, safe relationship
away from all my abusers, with a very loving man that understands DID and trauma very well and would
never touch or do anything inappropriate to the kids, and hug them while they cried or were angry (Only
if they allowed him to hug) They'd prefer to open up to him than to me, because they feel he is safe.
Only once they were ABSOLUTELY SURE he was 100% not going to leave us, not going to hurt us, never going
to do something bad to us, did they finally peek their heads out.
It sounds like hard conditions, and it is, but that's what my specific system needed.

It sounds crazy, but yeah, an alter CAN be awake while you're physically sleeping.
I had the worst sleeping problems and woke up if someone even gently opened the door (And made no noise)
because F would be awake and know they were there. He could sense (or was listening) to presences close to me.
Once we found this out, we made sure F felt safe enough to sleep as well (Make sure he knew nothing bad would
happen to us, he was pretty adamant about keeping his post!) and my sleeping problems vanished, and I no
longer need sleeping pills and can sleep through my sweetie getting up in the night or snoring.

That's the amazing thing about DID, is that it's adaptive functioning. We mold ourselves to save ourselves from the
worst abuse and pain imaginable. It actually makes so MUCH sense, it's crazy. It's the abuse that wasn't sane.

Maybe I should write a book about everything I've learned