I think I have protracted withdrawal TMS, could it be?

Hi,

I recently found a YouTube channel by Gustav F, about protracted withdrawal TMS. I withdrew abruptly from SSRI meds at the start of the year - then “kindled” by trying to go back on them briefly and suffered acute withdrawal that sent me to hospital for a couple of months. The acute withdrawal is well and truly over now, but I’ve been plagued by a protracted withdrawal, not pain but weird neurological symptoms and brain stuff - the weirdest things, some of the symptoms don’t even exist. It involves a lot of health anxiety and anticipatory anxiety, it’s horrible and affects my life quite a bit (I can only work part time). I live in fear sometimes.

So I thought I was neurologically damaged, and I had to wait months/years for healing according to the SSRI withdrawal forums (which perpetuated my fear greatly), but Gustav has convinced me that I may have TMS. At first I was in disbelief, but something occurred tonight that has shown me it may be so. So something happened with my partner, who I love very much, to cut a long story short I thought she was pulling away from me, and was falling out of love with me, (I was jumping to conclusions), as the emotions started to rise, I felt dizzy, and when I was walking my legs felt weak (but they weren’t) and I was getting other neuro stuff like neuropathy, similar to my protracted withdrawal symptoms. I wasn’t thinking about the emotion anymore but the scary symptoms. It went on for half an hour until I received a communication from my partner that everything was fine, I misunderstood totally. I realised about ten minutes later from that reassurance text that the weird symptoms had settled down, no leg weakness, no dizziness or neuropathy in my feet.

I remembered what Gustav said - that the brain makes symptoms to distract from scary emotion. That’s exactly what happened!

So I’m sure I have non pain TMS, where do I go from here to sooth my anxious nervous system? Thanks for your thoughts and advice.

(I just want to add, I have spent literally $7,000 on a psychiatrist, cardiologist and neurologist (including extensive testing) and they can’t find anything medically wrong - I thought I had MS at first with the weird protracted withdrawal symptoms but that was ruled out too.)

 

There are many ways you can begin to soothe your anxious nervous system. What do you like to do? Do you like to read, walk, paint? What are your hobbies? Throw yourself into them. Begin showing your brain you are safe.