| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| smashist |
Posted - 08/08/2007 : 10:28:18
It's been a while since I've been here. For several months now I've been kind of stagnating as far as recovery goes, but I had a "breakthrough" moment that a lot of you success story people have talked about. I finally can say with a great deal of confidence that all of these problems I've been having are entirely psychological in nature, and this new-found confidence has also given me the ability to manipulate the symptoms by talking to my mind. I don't have total control over them, but I can seem to turn them off or lessen them to a certain degree by talking to my subconscious mind. My question is, does this power increase with the degree of confidence you have in the TMS protocol? I guess this is directed at some of the veterans of the board, but if you ever have a little attack, can you completely shut it down at will?
yeah right. |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| crk |
Posted - 08/09/2007 : 12:33:57
For minor tms "triggers," as I call them, yes- I can stop them by doing this weird thing I call the "inner scream." I am thinking the words "no you don't! leave me alone!" and I get this mental picture of the scream being stopped inside me and the energy running through me, rather than a sound coming out. It's so hard to explain this, but it's like an intentional, isometric tightening up through my neck and down my back. It's voluntary, so it only lasts a second or two and is accompanied by the "inner scream." LOL-someone watching me might think I was trying to pass gas or shuddering over an embarrassing memory. Anyway, when it's done the pain is gone.
It's the severe episodes that are beyond my control. For these, I agree with Dave: you must persevere and keep doing the reminders. One thing that is really helping me with this last attack (almost out of the woods! yay) is to stop in the middle of the painful movement and say "yes I will bend over, and you, pain, are bull****. Nothing is wrong with my back." Stopping mid-movement to deliver this message seems to have a greater effect than struggling through a movement and doing the self-talk when the pain is over.
Here is a caution I've learned this week -- less activity leads to even greater pain and spasms. It's like letting tms roll down hill out of control.
Gotta run. Good luck,
CK |
| Newmom |
Posted - 08/09/2007 : 12:17:52
I have never been able to immediately stop a "little attack" but I have been able to learn to stop obsessing over them. I have found that if I do not obsess over the "little attacks" they never get any worse and ultimately go away. I simply learned to ignore them. Now when I feel a "little attack" I make sure I get up and move and become physically involved in something else so that I do not obsess. This helped me.
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| Dave |
Posted - 08/09/2007 : 09:14:32
You can't control TMS symptoms. They are created by our unconscious. Best you can do is learn to ignore them. This fights the conditioning and ultimately "tells your brain" to turn them off. |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/09/2007 : 02:29:31
I should have said that loads of work went into my recovery - reading, journalling, discussing on this board - I became pretty self-centred for a long time. I have to say I put my own needs first for a while (easy for me to do:my two children are grown and both married: not so easy for lots of people, I know). I spent many an hour just walking and thinking. I learned to live 'mindfully', to live in the moment, rather than always thinking ahead or back to the past. I stopped being scared of what might happen - if it happens, it happens. That attitude allows a kind of freedom I had never had before.
What all this work on my mind did, as well as curing my TMS, was give me a real sense of achievement.
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| dsk |
Posted - 08/08/2007 : 17:30:41
I'm very new to this sma**** (3 weeks), and the power has been slowly growing as AnneG suggests. While I know the issues I have are TMS-related, I think it is taking awhile for this to sink in--for me to truly 100% let go of any doubt/worry/fear. I've had pain for so long, that it is hard to completely ignore. I know some people have reported immediate relief from their pain, but that has not been the case for me. However, I have been feeling better, which gives me more confidence, which makes me feel better, etc. I feel like I am replacing the old pain-cycle, with a new feel-good cycle.
Constant reminders, journaling, self-reflection all have helped tremendously. |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/08/2007 : 16:09:41
Yes, I can, Smashist - not sure exactly when I completely stopped reacting badly to any physical symptom that reared its ugly head. My take on it now is - assume it's TMS, ignore it and it will go away - no fear or anxiety.
The power did increase over time - no dramatic breakthrough - my recovery was gradual and all the better for it.
That breakthrough moment you descibe is a turning point.
Best wishes
Anne
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