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carbar
USA
227 Posts |
 Posted - 03/06/2007 : 20:28:36
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Hello, oh, my, this gets a little long, but I just wanted to let this out!
I have been pain free for over a year from my RSI-related TMS. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm trying to tackle the little stuff know, like having clearer skin and heartiness against the common cold.
I was doing well on the cold front. Especially since I work with little kids for work. I had 1 mild cold in the fall, and took a few other days off from school mostly due to feeling anxiety. I also felt germs creeping up on 2 other occassions, but I was very vigilant about staying hydrated and taking all meals and some vitamin C potions. So, those never really developed, but I felt tired.
This weekend, though, I guess I came down with some full on germs, and it was such a weird experience. I was travelling for work and to visit a friend, so I rode a bus for 2 hours on Friday morning. I felt stuffy and achy on the bus, but, you know, bus air can do that. So I ignored it. Then, I was at a work conference all day and I had a runny nose, but it was nothing out of control. Then, there was a lecture in the afternoon, and my eyes were all teary and I had a weird feeling in my right ear. But, still, I basically ignored this and went on to have a mild night out with my friend. I slept on the floor that night (and felt stuffy and kinda miserable, but was still glad to be visiting my friend) and got up the next morning for a full day of coffee and pounding the streets shopping. I had my tissues in hand and sneezed a bunch, but still, I really just ignored these symptoms and "felt" okay. I was enjoying what I was doing very much.
Anyhow, so I got back home and had a full Sunday, while feeling rather miserable physically. I went to church and then had a date and went shopping, and it never really dawned on me that I was sick, even though I was blowing my nose constantly. Now I was aware that I was having "REAL", but I chose to ignore it as a TMS kind of thing. I didn't even out much conscious thought into ignoring it.
So, I went to work on Monday, not thinking I was really sick. And then I had a really miserable beginning of the day. It turns out I was actually congested, so raising my voice to be heard by the kiddos was straining my throat. My kids were acting up coz of a long weekend off, and I was very impatient and upset by their behavior. By the end of the day I was blowing my nose just as much, but I had a full on headache, which I never get in other circumstances at work. I came home from work and took care of a few things and went to bed super early and slept in.
I guess I'm just trying to figure out what this is. I stayed home from work today, mostly because I felt I didn't want to repeat yesterday's misery. Of course, staying home and feeling guilty and overwhelmed by what wasn't getting done coz I was "sick" wasn't really the healthiest mindstate to be in. Right now I just don't FEEL super sick, even thought I'm full of phlem and coughing and sniffles.
I feel like the TMS believer in me for some reason wants to deny what might be legitimate sickness. Because I know my old pattern of using being sick to avoid problems. So, part of me thinks I was more afriad of another bad day at work then actually "FEEL"ing sick.
Has anyone else had really different experiences of "the common cold" since they recovered from their major TMS ailments? |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2007 : 20:41:11
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Two of the main differences, for me, are 1) I virtually always know exactly why I got sick, and 2) I get sick during, instead of after, a period of stress.
I'm just getting over a cold, and actually had a bit similar experience to you at the beginning -- I felt a few symptoms but kind of ignored them, not "Oh I can't be sick" but "Oh, I'm probably not, who cares, I feel fine". Then I definitely had a cold and felt rather miserable for a few days, babied myself a little. And I knew why -- work stress and stress about my boyfriend's housing situation. I actually spent some time lying awake due to cold symptoms and tried to feel some of the rage and frustration, and I journaled some. The cold did make me feel tired and weird for a few days, and I sneezed and had some congestion, but it's been extremely mild (no sore throat, no coughing, no need to stay home), and I attribute that to the fact that I realized why I was sick, and consciously tried to let up and let out some of the pressure.
Every so often we do get into TMS-stress overload and sometimes the result is a cold. I don't think it's a big deal if that happens, so I don't worry about whether I'm more or less resistant to colds, or tell myself that I'm stressed but not to get a cold, or anything. I just go on, assuming I probably won't catch cold, and trying to stay psycholoyically aware.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
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carbar
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2007 : 21:01:54
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Hi ACL, thanks for the quick reply.
Maybe I'm working myself up a little too much. Clearly there's a germ and there are also some stress related reasons. One + the other = cold symptoms.
I was so fatigued all day, though, I was lying in bed or balled up on the couch. I guess that's babying myself in my book. :D
I've also noticed I'm using this illness to avoid a stressful task. Not so GOOD!
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mmcgurren
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2007 : 21:30:52
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I'm pretty new to the whole TMS thing but I will say this. Fairly recently I was asked to go to a friends (boyfriend at the time) seminar to help launch a new business. I knew I was there to work which was no big deal BUT I was completely done with the relationship. I worked the first day and completely dreaded working the second day. At the end of the first night I found myself dizzy, light headed and then I started throwing up! I had a terrible stomach ache. I felt like the flu. Needless to say, I didn't work the next morning as I was so sick...but I know myself and I KNOW my stress and worry over working made me physically ill! It was crazy! That has never happened to me before. You may have just had a simple cold but we can work ourselves up so much that we get sick. I know it's easier said then done but just try not to get so worked up and gets lots of sleep when you feel something coming on.
quote:
Originally posted by carbar
Hi ACL, thanks for the quick reply.
Maybe I'm working myself up a little too much. Clearly there's a germ and there are also some stress related reasons. One + the other = cold symptoms.
I was so fatigued all day, though, I was lying in bed or balled up on the couch. I guess that's babying myself in my book. :D
I've also noticed I'm using this illness to avoid a stressful task. Not so GOOD!
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2007 : 08:45:24
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quote:
Clearly there's a germ and there are also some stress related reasons. One + the other = cold symptoms.
I was so fatigued all day, though, I was lying in bed or balled up on the couch. I guess that's babying myself in my book. :D
Yeah. I think the babying helps let up the pressure, so this is one case where I wouldn't do the standard Sarno approach of "bully on through". Plus, you can get other people sick that way, and exhaust yourself, since your immune system has already taken the hit.
I did push myself a bit more than usual during this cold, since it was so mild, but I made sure to check in with myself before doing it to see how it would work out.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2007 : 09:34:34
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Whether or not a cold takes hold and evidences in physical symptoms, is perhaps dependent upon the auto-immune part of our TMS-minds giving in to it. I've found if there's some activity I realy want to do I can stave-off (now consciously) the symptoms. But if it's something I didn't want to do like have to turn in a paper in college or take a test I hadn't prepared for, I was a genius at developing cold-like symptoms.
Dr. Sarno mentions auto-immune stuff in the books. |
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momtoone
18 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2007 : 14:07:00
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| Just wanted to share this bit of info with you. My very young son has been very sick for several weeks. The "bug" was running rampant through my family including grandparents, husband, aunts..ect. They all kept saying you (meaning me) are next. I told them nope not me, I am not getting sick. Well I am a full time college student (went back for mid-career change) and I just started spring break the other day. I have neglected my journaling and I had already told myself that I was going to do spectacular work on myself this week. Well you guessed it, I now have the "bug". When I awoke yesterday I thought ohh..no I can't believe now of all times I am sick, when I was going to do such great insightful work. Then I read this post and I put it all together, why I picked now to get sick after everyone else I on the mend (another AaHa moment). So I am not sure who started the original post to this, but I have proof the mind does not want us to beat this and will do anything to prevent healing. Good luck |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 03/07/2007 : 20:42:33
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Hi Momtoone,
Sounds like the TMS-goodist profile. Taking care of everyone else's needs above your own. At least your a trooper. It would be easier to get sick and not have to toil over others. You can now practice the Western form of meditaion, staying home with a cold.
I always wondered how doctors, who are constantly surrounded by all forms of contagion, yet seem to rarely catch anything. There must be some TMS thing about it that elevates their immune systems to ward-off catching illnesses. |
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carbar
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2007 : 22:02:14
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Momtoone, thanks for the story about your "bug". I had a stomach thing that was definitely absolutely a germ, but this "cold" is certainly something more inbetween.
TT wrote:
I always wondered how doctors, who are constantly surrounded by all forms of contagion, yet seem to rarely catch anything. There must be some TMS thing about it that elevates their immune systems to ward-off catching illnesses.
Right on! This is a great question to ponder.
You know, I'm also extra sensitive to cold-having right now because my mom has had a really bad cold that "just won't go away" for the past 2 weeks and I *know* it's TMS for her, but she doesn't buy into the concept. So, I'm very discouraged mentally to be falling for the same gremlin tricks as my mom. (My inner child and unconscious must be having a field day with all the weird issues this brings up!)
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fighting a cold...tms backfire?
