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Paul
134 Posts |
 Posted - 04/19/2007 : 14:23:11
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After all the reading in the books and reading through posts, I'm starting to realize that FEAR of your symptoms seems to be the biggest thing one has to overcome to beat the pain. Wouldn't you agree?
It seems those who have gotten better finally didn't fear their pain anymore even when it got bad and eventually, it just goes away. Of course, this is hard to do especially when pain is screaming at you.
So basically, if you BEAT YOUR FEAR once and for all...you will (should) beat your pain? |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2007 : 15:14:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Paul
After all the reading in the books and reading through posts, I'm starting to realize that FEAR of your symptoms seems to be the biggest thing one has to overcome to beat the pain. Wouldn't you agree?
It seems those who have gotten better finally didn't fear their pain anymore even when it got bad and eventually, it just goes away. Of course, this is hard to do especially when pain is screaming at you.
So basically, if you BEAT YOUR FEAR once and for all...you will (should) beat your pain?
Yes, I tend to agree that fear is a powerful factor in the perpetuation of TMS symptoms, especially fear over that dreaded attack that we all, at one time or another, have gone through and has shaken us to the very core of our being. That fear must be challenged on a daily basis and one strategy is resuming all normal physical activity and continally telling yourself - until hopefully the message seeps in the unconscious- that there is nothing physically wrong and that there is no need to worry about injuring oneself. Yes, it hurts like hell but there is no alternative if one wishes to recover. Fear, of course, is not the cause of the pain.
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Sarno-ize it!
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Edited by - shawnsmith on 04/19/2007 15:20:23 |
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sensei adam rostocki
USA
167 Posts |
Posted - 04/19/2007 : 15:17:16
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Hi Paul, Fear is a piece of the puzzle, but not the complete picture. I do feel it is a major perpetuator of pain in many patients, but it is not the original cause of the pain. It is merely a response to all the bullying we go through as patients from our torturous conditions. In order to truly beat the pain, one must come to terms with all the factors causing it and perpetuating it. In my time working with patients, including myself, I have never found a single one who had only one factor responsible for their pain. Usually, it is a combination of contributing factors which must be recognized, acknowledged and accepted in order to "get better". -Sensei
CURE-BACK-PAIN(dot)ORG |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2007 : 00:25:50
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Here are my 5 biggies (also from working with myself and many others on this stuff):
1) cognitively getting that what we are feeling is not really a problem with the body
2) willingness to actually FEEL the underlying feeling that is being expressed or distracted from by the symptoms (usually distracted from; not always)
(yes, I know this may not be orthodox in that I am saying you have to feel it and it is said that you don't - just knowing the rage etc. are there is enough. My take on this is that "just knowing" is often such a step up from not knowing that it can cause health breakthroughs, but they may not last until the unfelt stuff is actually felt)
3) a faith or realization that if the body could so miraculously produce symptoms (and move them around) it can miraculously stop producing them
4) persistence, as mentioned above, in getting back into doing stuff a bit ahead of feeling all bettah
5) an ongoing commitment to this approach even when the "schtuff" shows up in different ways
That will be 2 cents.
xx
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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Shary
147 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2007 : 09:20:45
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Paul, I agree that fear is the biggie. At least it seems to be for me--fear of activity, fear of issue outcomes, etc. Much as I'd like to Karate-chop a stack of bricks to release negativity, I know I'd probably be crippled for a month if I tried. Or at least I'm AFRAID I would. If I go for a walk when my SI joint hurts and my hip isn't working right, I know it's going to be worse later--and it is, of course. This makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sure, the mind and emotions are causing the pain, but the pain is REAL, not imaginary. I'm not sure this is the case for everybody, but I'm learning that the fear of making myself worse is a major part of my TMS.
So how does one get rid of all this debilitating fear? It gets to be such a Catch-22 that there often seems to be no way out of it, which is terribly depressing. And there we have yet another stressor to deal with. Maybe we just have to keep remembering that knowledge is our friend. It allows us to expose these subconscious schemes for what they are. Then, eventually--hopefully!--the schemes will no longer work and the TMS will disappear. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2007 : 10:42:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Shary
If I go for a walk when my SI joint hurts and my hip isn't working right, I know it's going to be worse later--and it is, of course...
So how does one get rid of all this debilitating fear?
RETURN TO NORMAL ACTIVITY!
Walking is one of the most normal of activities. I've been told I have arthritis in my hip and to get it replaced, I've been told it's TMS, I've been told it't both.
All I know is that if I go for a walk, with-in 10,15, or 20 minutes my hip pain goes away, my stride is normal and my limp disappears and I feel better afterwards NOT worse!
To break the fear cycle, just do it!
When you discover that it works, you gain confidence and feel better.
some of my favorite excerpts from 'TDM' : http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
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Shary
147 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2007 : 16:57:47
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TT,
You're right, of course, and intellectually I do know that. Emotionally is sometimes another story. Thanks for the wise reminder. I WILL just do it! |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2007 : 20:26:52
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I have wriiten lots of posts in the forum about fear and not fighting the pain. Of course returning to normal activity is also very key. Use the search feature http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/search.asp?FORUM_ID=2 to find some of my posts on...
no fear
fight
fighting
Take care, -Stryder |
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Isn't this the REAL trick to beating TMS problems?
