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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
 Posted - 07/15/2006 : 09:59:11
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hey all!
i've been doing great with the work and have a quick question: in trying very hard to ignore the pain and get back to living, is it ok if the pain still gets you down sometimes? when this happens i immediately ignore the symptom and ask myself what's going on inside, but part of me is worried that by virtue of even feeling this way, i'm going to stay stuck. in other words, the fact that i'm not blocking the pain out entirely and getting back to normal life, that it's still affecting me (in this case emotionally). i have a feeling this is perfectionism; could i be right?
and want to know my immediate reaction? "i need more antidepressants!" (oy)
Seth |
Edited by - lobstershack on 07/15/2006 10:01:52 |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2006 : 12:28:17
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Seth,
yes
right
right
don't take more anti-depressants unless Dr Sarno tells you to
read his newest book THE DIVIDED MIND ! |
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Curiosity18
USA
141 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2006 : 12:50:57
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Seth,
I am so proud of you! I strongly second TT's words, and really want to encourage you to keep at it! It sounds like you've made so much progress. I truly hope that you're allowing yourself to relax and have fun this summer while you continue with the TMS journey.
Curiosity |
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2006 : 21:18:03
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Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I have made progress! Yippeeee....!! But going back to my original question, why exactly are these thoughts traversing my mind? is it yet another way to keep TMS in place?
Seth |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2006 : 21:42:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Seth
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. I have made progress! Yippeeee....!! But going back to my original question, why exactly are these thoughts traversing my mind? is it yet another way to keep TMS in place?
Seth
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Seth, yes.
The thoughts are a TMS distraction to keep you from thinking about thoughts that you don't want to think about. |
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Jim1999
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2006 : 23:06:10
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Seth,
Congratulations on your progress so far, and keep up the good work!
I continue to have relapses of pain, even though I'm fully recovered. The relapses are pretty rare and short-lived, but they can still be discouraging. The perfectionist in me wonders why I've failed to keep my TMS perfectly under control.
I think this is just something that most TMS patients to live with the rest of their lives. It sure beats full-blown TMS!
Jim |
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2006 : 21:15:43
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I very much appreciate the responses to this post, but was wondering if I could get some additional input on my initial question. It seems as though I'm doing well at ignoring the physical, but am getting a little obsessed about this lingering depression. I mentioned that I am on meds, which definately keep me out of the that dark whole, but there's a part of me that feels I have to keep increasing my dose or trying others until I don't feel bumed out about the pain, i.e., not let it effect me emotionally. Is this a fruitless endeavor that, in actually, is sort of like chaising a rainbow? It's just hard to ignore this sort of thing.
Thanks.
Seth |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2006 : 21:52:00
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Seth, Sarno says that depression is a TMS equivalent. If it were me, I would try to wean off the meds and get to the root of the problem through TMS work as reccommended in the books or with the help of a TMS therapist.
I have tried meds for depression several times and only looked upon them as temporary aids to get through a crisis. I hated the Lexapro and how it made me feel, like I was not myself and it was making me into a zombie.
That's my advice, wean off the meds with the supervision of a doctor and get to the source of your TMS emotional issues and resolve or accept them.
Good Luck,
tt |
Edited by - tennis tom on 07/29/2006 21:53:31 |
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 07:59:19
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You bring up an interesting point regarding the issues: resolve or accept them. While I've definately been bringing many issues to light with the help of my therapist, I've done little in this regard. How important is this? Most of my issues--sexuality, conflicts with father due to his personality, etc.--are not resolvable; how does one accept them?
Seth |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 09:12:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Seth
You bring up an interesting point regarding the issues: resolve or accept them. While I've definately been bringing many issues to light with the help of my therapist, I've done little in this regard. How important is this? Most of my issues--sexuality, conflicts with father due to his personality, etc.--are not resolvable; how does one accept them?
Seth
Seth,
I recall your issues with your sexuality. I believe you have seen Dr. Sarno, and, perhaps?, a TMS psycho-therapist. I don't feel qualified to solve your issues from my end.
It begs the question: what are the people you are paying good money to, (or funny money, i.e., insurance money), doing for YOU? I don't feel qualified to help you from here. I don't have the data of your life and also, I don't have the time, and am not being paid for it.
I was once told that if you don't pay for psycotherapy with your own money it won't work--I feel that is true.
Maybe, taking the meds, is PREVENTING you, from doing the work to access the psychological roots of your TMS issues. I know, meds prevented me, from doing the work. Until I weaned off, I wasn't getting anywhere--my thinking was too clouded, from anxiety and depression--TMS affective equivalents.
Good Luck and I hope this helps a little bit,
tt |
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 12:41:42
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While I do not plan on weaning off my meds -- I tried that last summer with disasterous results -- your responses did get me thinking. Depression versus unhappiness. I think there is a very important distinction between the two. You see, the medications got me out of the black hole, the depression so to speak -- whether or not this was placebo does not matter to me. Yet this lingering feeling I describe, I feel it's more to the tune of unhappiness. And you know what, I never ever, despite all the sludge I've been dredging up, thought of myself as unhappy. But you know what? I am unhappy and I think this is a key discovery. All this unhappiness that has been festering and building inside of me, I never came to recognize it. And now I have. I'm glad I posted this issue, because I never would have came to this realization otherwise. I just have to remember to connect these feelings to my symptoms.
Happy Summer!
Seth |
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 13:20:40
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It's good to hear you're doing well, Seth - the hard work you have put in is paying off. The worst is behind you now.
Read a good quote about depression the other day, one that I have never come across before. 'Depression is just rage without the enthusiasm.'
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 17:05:06
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quote:
Originally posted by tennis tom
quote:
Originally posted by Seth
You bring up an interesting point regarding the issues: resolve or accept them. While I've definately been bringing many issues to light with the help of my therapist, I've done little in this regard. How important is this? Most of my issues--sexuality, conflicts with father due to his personality, etc.--are not resolvable; how does one accept them?
Seth
Seth,
I recall your issues with your sexuality. I believe you have seen Dr. Sarno, and, perhaps?, a TMS psycho-therapist. I don't feel qualified to solve your issues from my end.
It begs the question: what are the people you are paying good money to, (or funny money, i.e., insurance money), doing for YOU? I don't feel qualified to help you from here. I don't have the data of your life and also, I don't have the time, and am not being paid for it.
I was once told that if you don't pay for psycotherapy with your own money it won't work--I feel that is true.
Maybe, taking the meds, is PREVENTING you, from doing the work to access the psychological roots of your TMS issues. I know, meds prevented me, from doing the work. Until I weaned off, I wasn't getting anywhere--my thinking was too clouded, from anxiety and depression--TMS affective equivalents.
Good Luck and I hope this helps a little bit,
tt
Seth, I don't feel you are responding to my posts. I am not getting much feed-back, accept that you will not get off the meds. You asked me for info on depression in another post and I responded in a heartfelt manner. I will not give you anymore time unless you give me some feedback. |
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 18:34:55
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TT,
Actually I did respond, albeit indirectly. You're replies helped very much. Like I mentioned earlier, I would not have come to these important realizations had it not been for your responses. I don't really have much else to say, other than, unfortunately, I am not able to go off the meds; but I am very confident that I will prevail regardless. Thanks again!
Seth |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2006 : 18:38:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Seth
TT,
Actually I did respond, albeit indirectly. You're replies helped very much. Like I mentioned earlier, I would not have come to these important realizations had it not been for your responses. I don't really have much else to say, other than, unfortunately, I am not able to go off the meds; but I am very confident that I will prevail regardless. Thanks again!
Seth
You're welcome, Seth. |
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h2oskier25
USA
395 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2006 : 06:56:49
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Seth,
When I started making serious progress with TMS, I also faced the "Hey, I'm not really all that happy right now" thing. I realized I had been going through life pretending to be happy, and sincerely trying to be happy with everything. It was so much easier than facing the depth of my unhappiness and all the choices I had to make my life better.
I cried over the current unhappiness.
I made plans to change what I could, even if that was long term and wouldn't make a difference right away.
You know what, the depression went away. The crying was cathartic and felt really good. The whole thing was like a new beginning for me.
Don't try to cover up your unhappiness, I've learned.
Beth |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2006 : 10:05:25
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| Good post h20 ! That's how you do the TMS life work. Should be made into a "sticky". |
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2006 : 07:00:46
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Beth,
Great post. It touches on many of the issues I'm currently facing.
It's not easy realizing that all these years you've been harboring this profound unhappiness, and not even realizing it! Part of me is upset at how this could even be possible. Am I really that detatched?! But you know what? The meds got me out of that deep, dark hole, and no amount or type of medication is going to take away that unhappiness that has been festering for so long. I believe that this line of thinking is probably just another distraction, because conceivably one could spend a lifetime tinkering with drugs in hopes of finding that "magic" combination.
Beth, based on what you said, I feel as though I should not fight this unhappiness, rather accept it as not only reality, but the cause of my pain as well.
It's hard though. I find myself waking up some mornings and upon feeling the pain, getting sad that I still have it. It's as if I think I should be getting up everyday exuberant, happy and excited, and if I'm not, then something is wrong. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this?
Seth |
Edited by - lobstershack on 08/01/2006 08:00:41 |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2006 : 09:06:07
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"It's hard though. I find myself waking up some mornings and upon feeling the pain, getting sad that I still have it. It's as if I think I should be getting up everyday exuberant, happy and excited, and if I'm not, then something is wrong. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this?
Seth"
yes |
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flyefisher
48 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2006 : 09:39:52
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Yes. It sucks. But you have to remember the depression and fear that brings on will perpetuate the TMS. I'm still working a lot on this, so I 'feel your pain'.
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lobstershack
Australia
250 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2006 : 10:02:09
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But it's true that no amount of medication can alleviate this feeling, you must overcome it yourself, right? I'm just struggling with how to do this.
Seth |
Edited by - lobstershack on 08/01/2006 10:02:25 |
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hot fun in the summer
