Derek S. Mood and TMS

This question was submitted via our Ask a TMS Therapist program. To submit your question, click here.

Question

Do endorphins play a significant role in long-term recovery from PPD?

The reason I ask is because my pain only seems to improve when I'm in an unusually good mood, and I assume this is because of the pain-negating effects of endorphins. Obviously it's impossible to be in a fantastic mood all or even most of the time, so depending on endorphins for relief doesn't seem like a viable strategy for recovery. Or is it?

Part 2 - am I correct to view the pronounced effect of mood on my pain level as strong evidence of PPD?

This may seem like a no-brainer, but the reason I ask is because I assume that pain due to a structural cause would also behave this way. I would love any insight here.

Thanks and sorry for being a bit long-winded!

 

Answer

Hi there.

Specifically speaking to the role that endorphins play in TMS recovery is probably a question better suited for a physician. That said, for the purpose of your recovery from TMS, I don't think that it matters if you know which neurotransmitters are doing what.

What matters is that you know that your mood directly affects your pain levels, and vice versa. Instead of focusing on how your mood interacts with your pain, try to not focus on it. This is a behavior that moves you toward outcome independence, which is a key part of recovery.

Try to challenge the notion that your pain has to negatively impact your mood. I know this is hard but it is crucial. If you are going about your day and you have pain, work on standing up to the pain by refusing to allow it to get you down. Tell it that you are making the rules now and you can enjoy a day and be in a good mood even if you are symptomatic. Sometimes this will work and sometimes not so much. It doesn't matter. Just keep practicing this concept and it will change.

You are correct in assuming that the mood/pain relationship is evidence of TMS. Getting structural causes ruled out through the proper medical channels is vital though.

If the structural causes are ruled out, you don't need to analyze this relationship any further. It will become another vessel for preoccupation. Just acknowledge the relationship, work on managing your fear/anxiety, and make room for emotional work. Approaching your TMS like an equation is a trap.

Assert your capacity to create your mood via your thoughts and attitudes and it will gradually improve along with the pain.

Best of luck!

-Derek

---

Any advice or information provided here does not and is not intended to be and should not be taken to constitute specific professional or psychological advice given to any group or individual. This general advice is provided with the guidance that any person who believes that they may be suffering from any medical, psychological, or mindbody condition should seek professional advice from a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions. No general advice provided here should be taken to replace or in any way contradict advice provided by a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions.

The general advice and information provided in this format is for informational purposes only and cannot serve as a way to screen for, identify, or diagnose depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions. If you feel you may be suffering from any of these conditions please contact a licensed mental health practitioner for an in-person consultation.

Questions may be edited for brevity and/or readability.

 

What a great answer derek, your answer helped me recognize some stuff in myself, it's amazing the way this beasts works.

 

Great question Walllc643! And good answer Derek. This may be one for an endocrinologist. I've also wondered about the relationship between endorphins and TMS. Can you become an endorphin junkie trying to become TMS pain free?

 

When one enters a fight or flight state, endorphins are released. It's an evolutionary beneficial response, as endorphins numb pain in case of injury in a fight. Endorphins also light up the pleasure center of the brain, so as a fluke of evolution, entering a fight or flight state can light up the pleasure center of the brain. This is why some people like horror movies, this is why some people are compulsive gamblers.

The purpose of TMS (in most cases) is to serve as a vessel of preoccupation. Fear is the most powerful form of preoccupation. So as crazy as it sounds, it isn't trying to overcome TMS that can lead to someone becoming an endorphin junkie, it's TMS itself that leads to this. When one neutralizes their fear associated with TMS pain, the symptoms often go away. So essentially overcoming an addiction to endorphin release is the way to get rid of TMS.

 

So glad the answer was helpful for you, Ryan.

Also, thanks for the assist Alan! There is no "I" in TMS. In the acronym, I mean