In certain situations, people attempt to control stress-induced tremors by gradually developing various compensatory patterns. These compensatory patterns often involve excessive muscle control, leading to the formation of incorrect muscle memory and stress responses, which can eventually develop into stress-induced movement disorders.

To improve this situation, it is essential to trace back to the root of the problem—analyzing the scenario in which stress-induced tremors first appeared. This scenario is often one that induces significant nervousness. When a person experiences extreme nervousness, their body may start trembling uncontrollably. This is a normal phenomenon, a manifestation of muscle tension under extreme stress. Trembling in such situations is a natural and reasonable response. In fact, under extreme nervousness, people can exhibit various physiological reactions that deviate from their usual state.

Symptoms, such as tremors, increased muscle tension and spasms, tightened blood vessels, dizziness, and numbness in the limbs, serve as signals, which indicate that there is a mismatch between the external environment and the individual’s inner state.

If one does not understand that these are normal bodily responses under extreme stress, they may perceive them as signs of losing control over their body. Since psychologically related symptoms lack an organic cause, people may feel an even greater sense of mystery and loss of control over these symptoms. This fear triggers a natural reaction—a desperate need to regain a sense of control. One common approach is to excessively control muscle movements. The individual attempts to regain control over their body through this method, even at the cost of losing flexibility.

Excessive muscle contraction as a compensatory habit to control stress-induced tremors gradually replaces the body’s original muscle usage patterns. This habit fundamentally suppresses one’s energy and flexibility, resulting in excessive muscle rigidity, which can easily lead to involuntary spasms. On a functional level, this diminishes not only movement flexibility, but also stability. This is because soft and elastic muscles help absorb movement-induced vibrations and maintain stability.

Another crucial question to consider is why an individual experiences extreme fear after trembling. Not everyone who trembles under stress experiences such intense fear. When a person feels extreme fear following an episode of trembling, it is likely because self-control is of paramount importance in their life. On one hand, they fear that their environment will not accept their trembling symptoms and will reject them as a result. On the other hand, they realize that they can no longer force themselves to adapt to their environment through suppression and control. This sense of helplessness can cause panic, much like the anxiety that arises when psychological defense mechanisms fail—at this point, the individual loses their protective barrier and is left vulnerable to direct confrontation with perceived threats.

Additionally, the appearance of symptoms may confirm an internal belief: “There is something wrong with me.” Prior to experiencing these symptoms, the person may have already been subjected to constant external criticism, which led them to develop an implicit belief that something was fundamentally wrong with them. The emergence of symptoms may serve as validation of this belief—”I was right: there really is something wrong with me.”

Why would a person believe that they are inherently flawed? This question may lead back to their childhood environment. If a child is constantly criticized by those around them—being told that their preferences and choices are wrong, that they must obey others, or else face punishment or social exclusion—how does the child cope with such pain? The child may conclude, “I must be the problem.” Consequently, they feel the need to obey others to do what is “right.” Over time, this belief—”I am flawed”—takes root.

One important psychological concept to consider here is cognitive dissonance, the conflict between one’s actions and beliefs. In order to survive and resolve cognitive dissonance, children internalize many inaccurate messages from others about themselves. As a result, changing these beliefs in adulthood can be quite challenging. At a fundamental level, individuals tend to identify with the views that others have imposed upon them. If they reject these views but lack the power to resist them, they may experience severe inner conflict, which could threaten their psychological survival. If an individual cannot change their actions, they may resort to altering their cognition, beliefs, and superego to align with external expectations.

If a particular scenario evokes extreme fear in someone, while most others in the same situation remain unaffected, the problem does not lie solely in the scenario itself but also in the individual’s inner world. A person’s inner world is shaped by their past experiences. Fear of a particular scenario is not something that arises for the first time in that moment; rather, it has been accumulating over time. The emergence of physical symptoms is simply a matter of when, not if.

The real question is: Why does an individual feel extreme nervousness in that particular scenario? Before their trembling symptoms even began, they were already experiencing extreme tension. But was such tension truly necessary? Why does it manifest in their psychological state? What causes their nervousness?

This is the real issue.

Thus, the fundamental approach to resolution lies in addressing both the external environment that induces nervousness and the internal environment. The internal environment includes one’s psychological structure, cognitive patterns, and core beliefs. In essence, it involves easing inner conflict between one’s true needs and one’s deeply ingrained but limiting beliefs. In the short term, individuals may rely on psychological defense mechanisms to cope with stress. However, lasting improvement requires personal growth and the development of healthier thought patterns and values to cultivate a more balanced and resilient inner state.”