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Fox
USA
496 Posts |
 Posted - 12/10/2004 : 09:41:51
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| I was just thinking about how pathetically obvious TMS sypmtoms can be, but how the TMSer may not see the connection between the conditioned pain and the anger/fear directed towards certain people or situations...For example, for months I had severe leg pain that lasted for hours after walking up the long flight of steps to my office at work on the second floor. I expected it and of course it happened every time. I ended up taking the elevator every day instead even though it was out of the way. My steps at home, though there were fewer of them and they were carpeted, did not elicit the same pain response. When I finally linked the flight of steps at work and the resultant pain with my anxiety about my role in the workplace and my anger that my life was complicated by having to work in the first place, I was able to climb these steps with less pain and sometimes with no pain, and if I got the pain, I could talk my brain out of it usually within a few minutes....Another example...I could not bend over and lean forward to kiss my wife goodbye each morning without pain or turn towards her on my left side and lie next to her in the bed without pain. When I was able to relate these conditioned responses to my relationship problems and to the great anger that I felt over this, the pain pretty much went away when I performed these activities. Like with the steps at work, if the pain did come after the feared activity, I was able to talk my brain out of the pain within a few minutes. |
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Laura
USA
655 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2004 : 14:33:07
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Fox,
It is truly amazing how obvious it is. I just can't believe how easily we condition ourselves to experience the pain/feeling, etc. My back and neck have been hurting so much lately and I know it's just my TMS making the "rounds" into some of it's favorite locations in my body. My vertigo has been pretty much nil. However, my husband and I are planning to take our daughters on vacation to Texas to see my family during the holidays and this has kicked my vertigo into high gear. The reason I suspect this is happening is fear. Fear of seeing my family (that always generates all kinds of negative emotions whether you expect it to or not) and feeling guilty about not getting on an airplane to get there. Since my vertigo started nearly 3 years ago after a flight to Cancun, I have not stepped on a plane since. In case you haven't read any of my other posts, I believed I had a condition called Mal de Debarquement, which happens to an individual after they have been on a boat, plane, or train. What happens is the individual continues to experience a feeling of motion or rocking in their brain and does not return to feeling stability on land. It has been a bumpy "ride" for me and has recently dissipated, mostly to the help of Dr. Sarno's books and realizing all my other stuff was TMS so why not this. I have convinced my husband that we should drive to Texas (a long trip from L.A.) because it's cheaper, but actually I'm must scared of what might happen when I get off the darn plane. So, this morning I'm walking and my husband calls my cell phone and starts discussing this with me and what happens? I feel dizzy. It is only a fleeting moment that I feel this way, just enough to remind me "Hey, you scaredy cat, you aren't getting on a plane."
Oh, the mind is such a powerful thing.
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Fox
USA
496 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2004 : 09:03:50
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| I can relate to your getting a TMS response (in your case, vertigo) because of thinking about the situation/physical activity even though you did not actually experience the situation/perform the activity. Yesterday, while attending church, I chickened out of putting my hymnal back into the hymnal holder -- which is impractically located under the back of the pew in front of the church goer. (My son had gotten the hymnal for me when the services began.) That's because it requires quite a stretch to return the book there and I usually get leg pain right away after this movement - which can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. I did feel guilty about leaving it on the seat of the pew for someone else to eventually have to put up....Well, I got the leg pain anyhow. I guess it was because I did have a vivid mental image of myself performing the dreaded activity - while trying to decide whether or not to take the chance - even though I didn't end up performing the activity. Or, less likely, the pain was related to the guilt of not putting something up that I got out (I always do that!) or the guilt about being weak-willed and not facing my fear or maybe the anger about the lousy construction of the pew....I did get rid of the leg pain pretty quick by talking to my brain...Believe me, next Sunday, I'm going to stretch down there and get the book and put it up myself! |
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Laura
USA
655 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2004 : 18:46:50
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Fox,
Good for you! Well I, on the other hand, am driving to Texas because I just don't want to chance feeling worse. However, that little nagging voice in the back of my head keeps telling me that even driving could make me worse (some of the people who got the dizzy thing said it got worse after long car trips too!). I'm trying very much to ignore that voice! The truth of the matter is, when (and I do say when) I do decide to get on a plane, I don't want it to be at such a stressful time of year when security and all the crowds might make matters worse. I think sometimes we just need to take baby steps.
Laura
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2004 : 19:35:51
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| Laura- IMHO if you have great trepedation in flying and you can get where you are going by another means then by all means travel that way. Why should you have to fly if you really don't want to? My sister won't fly because she has a great fear of crashing. She has an executive position in a company and travels frequently by bus or train. I say good for her. She gets where she needs to go and goes anywhere she wants. I find that with tms I have developed a dislike for confinement. I want to be able to leave at any time and this is something I have fought to get under control. After all, you don't want to get up in the middle of a meeting because sitting there is making you clausterphobic. If you feel ill you might want to leave and you really can't leave a plane. You might consider that this is what is bothering you also. I have really improved by what you refer to as baby steps. You will gain confidence and with it comes strength. If you get dizzy in the car just rest your head. It's not gonna kill you. I was really dizzy for a year. It has totally left. Yours will too. You just need to not be afraid of it. Dizziness can't hurt you. It is a harmless symptom. |
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How pathetically obvious TMS can be
