I forgot my number one rule, and it cost me:

Im not sure this applies to vereyone as we each deal with our TMS in our own way but I'm hoping this story resonates and potentially helps some people out:

Im a 20+ year TMSer who in the past 1-2 years finally overcame 95+% of my TMS equivalents.
Then about a week ago, a nasty neck spasm came on in my sleep, while I was dreaming about my ex-girlfriend, whom I split with two weeks prior. You simply can't get a more direct-TMS-cause/effect-scenario!

Heres the thing, I had actually written an "important" note in Evernote that I wanted myself to refer to in the event a neck spasm came on. At the time I wrote it, I thought I had definitively "beaten" or "figured out" my elusive neck spasms. Heres the actual note that I have in Evernote:

Remember this day! 12/9/2014 12:59 PM
You had a significant neck spasm that had already started, right after a back work out at the gym.
You knew that these pains came after the gym because you are conditioned to react this way.
You didnt fight the pain but rather accepted and observed it (for the first time ever).
You attributed it to feelings of rejection, fear and anger and then decided to just go about things as usual.
You did not massage or stretch it!
Then went to dinner with Ashley and it just went the f*$k away!
The following day there was no pain. AMAZING.

Unfortunately for me in this recent scenario, it had been so long since my last problem that I forgot about my rule of not giving it any attention.
So, when the spasm hit, I jumped out of bed, panicked and immediately went to the wall to stretch. I followed this with a 30 minute rigorous massage and foam rolling routine which only solidified the TMS. Its really quite amazing; in hindsight I can recall that the more I massaged it in that first hour, the worse it got.

Following a week of immobility the pain finally started to subside (yesterday), so i went to the gym to throw a workout in the face of my pain and today I feel great.

Today I decided to journal about this experience in my "TMS Folder" in Evernote and stumbled upon the above note.

Moral of the story (and to compound what Fred Amir posted in my thread last week), do not give in to the pain.

Accept and observe.
With love and compassion.
And go about your day without fear.

Best wishes to all.

 

Hi, avik. You are doing great. Your post shows how you are being active despite any pain, and how great you feel afterward.

I'm sure your healing success is an inspiration to many still struggling with their TMS symptoms.

Your three closing affirmations are wonderful, each a terrific mantra.

 

have you posted a success story? 20 + years is a hardcore case...would be great for people to hear!

 

Thank you Walt.

 

Have been trying to write one for over a year but always find a reason to stall and not complete it...

This recent episode has inspired me to try and finish it. Thanks for the post.

 

Thanks Jan.

 

Wow this is great! Thank you for sharing!

 

Thanks Avik. I am day 21 er and had my first experience 2 days ago of telling my pain to firmly go away and after 30 minutes or so it did - mostly. Just so crazy to me we can do that with our conscious mind. I was encouraged by all the people on TMS wiki to try such a wildly crazy idea and hearing your story just further encourages me to keep at it even though it is hard to believe it can work that way.

 

Very inspiring to read this. It's a lesson I've had to learn a few times and am in the process of learning once again.

 

Wow sounds just like me. leg, back pain started after running so I would check after my run to see how I feel. Guess what it hurt LOL. So now I am stuck in this cycle of leg, hip, tailbone (see I cant even explain where it actually hurts). I wake up check myself, start stretching, foam rolling googling and end up in more pain. I really dont even know how to ignore the pain as I am obsessed and analyzing it all day. Your story gave me some advice, I need to ignore it! I just have to convince myself its nothing serious and I just cant quite get there yet.

 

It's hard to do. I can manage to ignore it for a minute or two, but it's like trying to ignore a Mariachi band that's got you cornered in an elevator. Stay off the Google! Nothing good can come of it -- it's all horror stories. I know from overcoming a bout of OCD I had 10 years ago it's possible but it takes time and concentration. You may have to catch and correct yourself obsessing thousands of times a day for the first week or so. It's exhausting but it can be done.

 

Glad to hear Ken.
Just stay the course.
Dont forget...the pain wants you to focus on it, as focusing on it, feeds it.
The more you feed, the stronger it gets.

When you ignore it or starve it (of attention), it dies off...