An Odd Trend In My Adventures With Kissing

[Proteus]

I might ask this one to the board, but I decided to give you a whack at it on the off-chance that there's somebody here who has an answer for me.

I'll cut to the chase-- I've kissed three girls and been quite comfortable in doing so. I'm traditionally without nerves and tend to be really quite stable as far as anxiety goes, even with public speaking most of the time. However, each of these three times, I've proceeded into the kiss very slowly, taking my time on the preliminaries and trying to savor the fleeting moments. In this, I've found that, prior to kissing, I begin to shake-- not just my hands. I'm talking moderately intense involuntary shivering and shaking, neither quite a siezure nor just a simple shiver. But I'm not nervous or terribly anxious, even though the kiss is imminent. I normally shake a little bit less while kissing, but it is not until the finality of it has arrived that I really stop.

Everywhere I've looked has suggested an anxiety issue.

So my questions are these:
What is going on? Might it be disadvantageous or distracting? If so, is there any way I can alleviate it?

Thanks!

[habiba]

Having kissed far more than three boys, I can say with reasonable confidence that your shaking is a pretty common thing. I don't think it's anxiety, as some of the guys whose shaking I've personally experienced have been the most chill and anxiety-free people I've ever known. I'd guess that it's just an automated physiological response to the anticipation or to being a bit nervous. I always thought it was cute and sort of endearing. I always thought, "Awww...he likes me! He's shaking!"

[Proteus]

Lovely. Consider my fears placated!

And yet my curiosity is still running rampant
It's still a little strange, seeing as I'm usually the one in charge of moving those particular muscles. Maybe I'll ask the doctor next time werf's about. I'll probably get over wondering before then.

[Damasta]

It's possible to be nervous without feeling nervous. Two examples.

First, I joined the football team during my Freshman year of high school. Right before our seventh game I suddenly threw up on the field. I never showed any signs of sickness afterwards, so I guess it was nerves. It's kind of weird since I didn't feel at all nervous during games 1–6, nor any of my soccer games, basketball games, nor wrestling matches (nor did I throw up for any of them).

Second, in my second area on my mission I was called upon to play the piano for a musical number in Sacrament Meeting. I only knew how to play one hymn (the one being performed) and I'd never played in front of a crowd before. I felt fine, but when the time came and I actually sat down to play, my hands were shaking like I was in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease.

So even though you don't feel fluttery or jittery, and you feel like you've got things under control, your body may still be enacting a stress response.

[Tao]

Ehh, and it may not be anxiety at all. Any intense emotional arousal can instigate fasciculation. Due to the circumstances, people may tend to only think of nervous shakes, but it isn't uncommon to tremble over heightened emotions. Fear, anger, excitement, anticipation, dismay, lust, joy, the list goes on. Significant emotions mean significant happenings, and the body naturally gets keyed for something to happen. While you are "usually the one in charge of moving those particular muscles" your tremors denote that these are not usual times. Ergo: someone else is driving the bus.

Despite the fact that I have not kissed far more than three boys, I second everything else habiba said.

[Whistler]

um fasisculation is my favorite word of the week.

[Proteus]

Linked off of fasisculation's wikipedia page, I get myokymia a lot. I guess I'll just bank on my shaking being an intense case of anticipation and some other positive emotions. I guess, as a manifestation of feelings and thoughts that normally have good connotations in my mind, I'll put the kissquakes in the "this is an alright thing" category for good.

[vorpal blade]

Linked off of fasisculation's wikipedia page, I get myokymia a lot. I guess I'll just bank on my shaking being an intense case of anticipation and some other positive emotions. I guess, as a manifestation of feelings and thoughts that normally have good connotations in my mind, I'll put the kissquakes in the "this is an alright thing" category for good.

On the other hand...it might be a guilty conscience:

Alma 12: 1
1 NOW Alma, seeing that the words of Amulek had silenced Zeezrom, for he beheld that Amulek had caught him in his lying and deceiving to destroy him, and seeing that he began to tremble under a consciousness of his guilt, he opened his mouth and began to speak unto him, and to establish the words of Amulek, and to explain things beyond, or to unfold the scriptures beyond that which Amulek had done.

Mosiah 16: 13
13 And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?

D&C 10: 56
56 But it is they who do not fear me, neither keep my commandments but build up churches unto themselves to get gain, yea, and all those that do wickedly and build up the kingdom of the devil—yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that it is they that I will disturb, and cause to tremble and shake to the center.

[habiba]

Vorpal...I am going to think of that every time there are lip-lock-tremors from now on. Hahahaha, talk about a mood killer!

[vorpal blade]

To habiba,

How horrible!

Vorpal



To everyone except habiba,

[Things are going according to plan.]

Vorpal

[Tao]

[Things are going according to plan.] :wink;

Vorpal

Hmmmm.... I feel like I should be worried here....

[Portia]

This sounds similar to the invariable tightness in the throat and butterflies in the stomach I get before singing publicly. Doesn't matter how relaxed and confident I feel . . chalk it up to your autonomous nervous system betraying you, I guess.

[FauxRaiden]

My guess as to the reason for the shaking would be adrenaline. Kissing releases all kinds of endorphins and adrenaline, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that you're shaking because of it. *shrug*

[xkcd ***]

Sexual tension.

Yeah. I said it.