| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Sis |
Posted - 06/06/2004 : 20:42:04
Does anyone have fear and anxiety that then causes the pain and/or numbness to get worse. Does it happen right away or sometimes the next day or latter? I feel like when I get real panicked my numbness reoccurs shotly thereafter-the next day-right then-or I start having numbness in other parts of my body. Can fear really bring this on?
cyn |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| polly |
Posted - 06/07/2004 : 13:23:27
It truly is a vicious circle. For me the fear causes the pain, yet I'm unable to break the fear factor. Mostly, I'm afraid of falling since walking is such a new thing for me. Oddly, if I turn on some music, I can dance without any problems. This was the first thing I did when I read MBP and I continue to do it now.
The numbness has so many "maybe, could be, sounds like" attached to it and it sounds like you're caught up in that. From what you've posted, you should be secure now that it's TMS and you can heal it. I've spent the last few years convinced I was dying. It takes time to turn the brain around.
Good luck,
Polly |
| Dave |
Posted - 06/07/2004 : 08:12:00
I find it's best not to connect any specific thoughts or feelings to specific symptoms. TMS is random.
Nevertheless I have found that symptoms do not correspond directly with emotions. I may have a very stressful day at work and feel no pain, and then the next day I am more relaxed and get some lower back pain. It could be that the stress itself serves as an adequate distraction, and there is no need for the pain/numbness. Then when things settle down, the repressed RAGE kicks in, as you unconsciously sit in judgement of the day before, or the days to come.
But thinking this way really doesn't do any good, because we can never know exactly what brings on the symptoms. It's best to take a long-term view. The symptoms will come and go, randomly. Regardless of whether you feel them, you should stay the course and try to feel your emotions when they occur. |
| Susie |
Posted - 06/07/2004 : 08:07:22
I feel there is a direct correlation. At the beginning of my back incident, before I realized what was wrong, I was terrified. The pain was absolutely horrible. With each new sympton came more fear and then more pain. Sarah Jacoba is right. It is a vicious circle. I seem to have a pretty good handle on it most of the time now but during a stressful situation the symptoms will sure arise. I bet it's going to take constant maintainence for most of us to feel well. For me, getting past the fear was the biggest factor in being able to get better. |
| Sarah Jacoba |
Posted - 06/07/2004 : 00:33:09
I wouldnt sum it up as just fear or anxiety, but yes, our mind's engagement (whether you call it dread, panic, or whatever) with the possibility of pain not only enhances our pain, in essence it IS our pain. I.e. if the pain is psychogenic then the genesis of pain is our brain's activity, including stress and worry. That in my mind is precisely why some of us continue to struggle with this for so long. It's a vicious Catch 22 when just hating and fearing the pain is the very cause for its continuation.
--Sarah
"When dream and day unite" |
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