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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
 Posted - 05/11/2008 : 15:49:39
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When you are in chronic pain, you tend to 'scan' the areas of pain with your mind. Always paying attention to the pain, seeing what it will do next, what is changing about it, what sensations you feel, will it move, will it stop,etc.Especially those with back pain, sciatica, and leg pain.
I noticed I do it all the time. I could be talking to someone,being busy, watching TV, driving, you name it. The whole time my mind is doing the 'scan' over my areas. I realised that this is a form of CONTROL. We do it because we think that our scanning will change something, or prevent something from happening.
This is exactly how TMS thrives. It gets its power from the attention. NOTHING you think will make the TMS go away, if you are trying to think it away. I've learned that lately. Cut back on the scanning and maybe try to agree that no matter what, you will do what you want and it can run its own game. And that you no longer will try and control it, because you basically can't. I find that this makes it ease up a little more.
Control is a key ingredient to TMS? The counter intuitive part is you have to give up the 'control' to gain it in the end. A hard thing to do.
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"Over thinking...over analyzing...separates the body from the mind." Maynard from the band TOOL |
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positivevibes
204 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 16:17:35
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Yes, I tend to do that a lot. There's a "background process" going on where I am mentally assessing how my body feels. Sometimes it seems constant!
The other day, after I took that nasty tumble in the parking lot, I was in pain (which was dulled by Rx NSAIDs and Tylenol). I was having a conversation with someone and that "background process" suddenly kicked in. You know, at that exact moment, the pain seemed worse -- because I was paying attention to it. I told myself to cut it out -- stop thinking about it and pay attention to the person who was talking to me. And the pain began to feel better.
I had a very productive phone session with Dr. Bloch the other day, where he talked to me about "living in the now" and how to break out of negative circular thinking. Because after I fell the other day, I was getting really hysterical.
When you think about it, the tendency to "scan your body" takes away from your ability to "live in the now." Your TMS problem/brain is resisting, trying to make you focus on the pain or on any little discomfort in your body.
When you're engrossed in something such as playing music, or watching a really funny movie, or focusing on someone else, your pains seem better because you're focusing your attention away from your body. I think that all that "scanning" leads to a negative circular thought pattern, so I think it's important to try to break it. LA_Kevin, you call it "control" but I call it "power." You have to take away its power over you. In a CBT-type of way, decide that you're not going to "do that" right now and stop the scanning process in its tracks. Replace it with something more postive and productive. I know it's hard. I'm fighting it every day.
I'm still really pissed that I had such a hard fall on my hip the other day, but between this message board, Dr. Sarno's books, and a session with Dr. Bloch, I've been able to handle it pretty well. Every time I find fear and anxiety welling up inside of me (scanning my body and feeling dread), I instead flood myself with positive or hopeful things. I am trying very hard to break the cycle of negative thinking.
I still don't know if I really "did something bad to my back" when I fell the other day, and I won't know for at least another week. If I am feeling any weird pains or whatever after that point, I may see a doctor for an x-ray or MRI to rule out a fracture. In the past that grey zone would have driven me insane. But this time I'm able to control my thoughts better and have had several really good and happy days, despite my body not feeling perfect, and despite the possibility that the fall may have caused me some real injury.
It's all a matter of power and control. I plan to spend the next several months re-training my mind to go in a different direction. I expect it to be difficult but not impossible. And I think in the end I'll be much more mentally healthy because of it. |
Edited by - positivevibes on 05/11/2008 16:21:42 |
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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 17:35:57
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I think it's why many TMS people don't feel the moment or live in it. They're(we're) so busy assessing their body and pain.
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"Over thinking...over analyzing...separates the body from the mind." Maynard from the band TOOL |
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mala
Hong Kong
774 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 18:01:59
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Good point la_kevin but what do you do when the pain is there nearly all the time. No one wants to focus on pain. Like yourself and many others here I try not to give it any power. I try to go about doing everything I possibly can, go to the cinema or watch a movie at home( which is difficult for me coz the pain is worse when I sit) meet up with friends, travel etc. I try to get on with a normal life to take away attention from it but the pain is bad so it takes over.
If it were intermittent it would be easier coz there would be moments when you could actually savour being pain free but it's really hard when it's always there. I get so tired physically and emotionally because of it.
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
Edited by - mala on 05/11/2008 18:04:00 |
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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 18:59:00
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My pain, although mostly low grade nowadays(except for the scare a few days ago) is ALWAYS there. It's 25/7, and it has been for 6 years. I have had it go away for a few weeks one time. When I work out a lot it goes away for a few hours, but starts back up when I get out of bed and start 'thinking' about things.
The only relief I have is sleep.
So my pain is pretty much always there.
As far what you said, I totally agree. It's hard to ignore it, that's why I gave some advice to help. Every little effort helps. If you practice these things, they become habits, and habits lifestyle, and lifestyle into stable patterns.
I know it's a BITCH. Trust me, I know completely how hard it is. And remember, I'm not telling you this as someone who has beat TMS yet, it's just something I noticed.
When I was in my worst pain I had electric feelings down my legs when I sat, water 'drip' sensations down my legs, my groin would tense to the point where it felt like someone my grabbing my nuts. I had bilateral 'sciatica', front and back, down to the toes. If you told me not to "think about it", I would probably have thought you were nuts. There were points where I couldn't sit for 5 minutes, LITERALLY.
WHen I first picked up Sarno's audio book, I had just come home from being put up in a hotel and receiving daily treatments on million dollar machines for a month. IT ALL FAILED.
I still couldn't sit.I came home and listened to Sarno's book for about two hours, the whole thing I think. After just listening, I could sit for 3 hours the next day, after that I purposely made myself sit 6 hours the next day, and I did. Within a week I was sitting all the time and thinking about it less. Soon sitting was normal again and no more pain than any other position or activity.
To make a long story short, I realised the pain wasn't 'real', or structural, and that somehting like sitting could not have possibly done what it did.
Try just not giving a rats ass about the pain. Or do a study. Buy Sarno's first audio book, listen to it while sitting. See how your brain and body reacts. Or take a time when you feel no pain. Like when you're concentrating on something so much you don't even notice. If you ever have these times, take them as evidence of the pain being a hoax or ghost.
It does work. Like many people, I have the hardest time practicing what I preach. So I say these things to remind myself also, because I know they work, I just slacked off on practicing the theories. And there has to be a complete change in lifestyle to really 'defeat' TMS.
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"Over thinking...over analyzing...separates the body from the mind." Maynard from the band TOOL |
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mala
Hong Kong
774 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 19:22:31
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My pain goes away too when I work out and when I walk my muscles loosen up. It's the oxygen flowing to the various parts. I have had this pain now for almoat 6 years but had complete respite for almost a yaer and a half after reading sarno. It came bach after doing yoga (talk about trying to do normal activities) in Dec 07 and hasn't gone away. I got most relief when I lie down .
i'm so glad that you are convinced that the pain wasn't structural coz that gives us all hope. How come it's stll low grade though?
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2008 : 21:18:30
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quote:
Originally posted by mala
My pain goes away too when I work out and when I walk my muscles loosen up. It's the oxygen flowing to the various parts. I have had this pain now for almoat 6 years but had complete respite for almost a yaer and a half after reading sarno. It came bach after doing yoga (talk about trying to do normal activities) in Dec 07 and hasn't gone away. I got most relief when I lie down .
i'm so glad that you are convinced that the pain wasn't structural coz that gives us all hope. How come it's stll low grade though?
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala
I don't know why. I think because I haven't gone as far as I could go with TMS work. That's the only think I can think of. I'm trying to find out.
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"Over thinking...over analyzing...separates the body from the mind." Maynard from the band TOOL |
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darlin
13 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2008 : 23:53:59
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I totally understand this. It has been a mental fight for me for a while. To the point of twitching frustration, tears, and eventually sleep. I am at the constant frustration of a low and dull pain mostly in my lower spine and leg area. Some weeks are worse than the next but at least the twitching, muscle cramping, and sharp pains are far less than before.
I hurt EVERYday... and I get frustrated that i feel like i should be able to control it. It is MY brain after all.. right!?
Just feeling you... so much... and thankful to finally read words of compassion and understanding from people. I really felt like I was going crazy for a bit. Like.. if this is all in my head, I am a NUT!
Trying not to obsess about the pain, and changing your focus of attention is always the goal, but being emotional humans.. it is not always as effective as we would like it to be.... we are human. |
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Don't 'scan' your pain areas.
