A weird one- would welcome your thoughts

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My (step) daughter got me a stool so I can put my feet up and hopefully sort out my swollen right foot. It’s a great idea, but both last night and this afternoon there’s been problems.

I set a time with Alexa.Put my feet up and close my eyes to relax. Then I get panicky and the hyperventilating starts! It does that repeatedly while my feet are up and I’m trying to relax. I can think of no logical explanation for it .

Both feet up?
Does this happen whenever you close your eyes or it took time?



Maybe your balance sense and proprioceptive sense are so bad, a part of your brain thinks you're floating -- then due to your torso is up but your legs are down, and the sensation of not having the control and thus 'adjusting'.

But there's nothing to adjust to compensate (sight, sensation of the ground, unusual position), therefore freaking out?



Or maybe something deep seated. Like going to the dentist and sitting on a dentist chair?

These are guesses.



How often had you ever sat that way?

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It might be something you have to get "used to."

This might be a matter of "muscle memory."

Perhaps you could run this by your stepdaughter when she comes over next. Maybe put your foot on the stool with her around.

Thanks Kraftiekortie. Definitely something to consider.

Vision is involved in balance, so closing your eyes might be the wrong thing to do. For those times when you elevate the foot/feet, do something with eyes open such as watching TV or reading.

Alternatively, you can elevate the foot lying in bed. If you start to feel like you're falling, let yourself! There's nowhere you can go if lying in the center of your bed.

You could either put the stool up on the bed, or make a mountain of pillows to put under your knees and calves. I get edema in one foot and often elevate the legs using two foam wedges one on top of the other. (This is in bed.) Then I can fall asleep, listen to radio or watch tv while I sit/lie this way.

^ Thanks for your suggestions. I'm a little puzzled by the balance and vision thing. Sure enough I'm bad at closing my eyes and balancing on one foot. However re this, I'm sat on a sofa with the stool in front of me.

Not saying you're wrong,I'm just puzzled.

This is normal. Everyone has less balance with their eyes closed.

maybe you need to get an expensive reclining chair.

We have a foot stool and my husband puts his feet up on it all the time (the cat would settle comfortably on his lap). I have tried a few times over the years but can't (and the cat never sits on my lap b/c who wants to be jostled aside all the time).

I was curious b/c I don't relax much (if at all), so if I were to lift my feet to relax I would feel uncomfortable, I definitely would not be able to close my eyes (overwhelming emotions which feel physical). I can relax in a hot tub, but I don't close my eyes --- I watch the water.

I googled it and "Relaxation-Induced Anxiety" is a thing.

Do you have experience relaxing in other ways?

This is why you should have your stepdaughter present when you start doing these things.

Have always thought that my body required the sense of dynamic tension to feel remotely normal .
Only the last few years i have learned to actually relax my entire body section by section.