Role of medication in tms

What are your thoughts? Should people who are taking them continue ? Should we take them as needed without beating ourselves up about it?

Are there any people who still take them and consider themselves healed?

Any thoughts would be great.

Mala

 

Hi Mala,

Not much I can add to the excellent advice provided by Gigalos in the other thread. Just want to emphasize that 'beating ourselves up about it' is never a good strategy. As Gigalos said, take medication if it allows you some space to work on the underlying cause of the pain, knowing you are only temporarily treating the symptom and not the cause. And once you've made that decision, let it go. It was the best decision for you at the time.

Be well...

 

Ellen thank u. That is good advice. I did take last night and it eased the pain somewhat. I'm up now and the muscles around the shoulder / neck are tensing up again.

I have been working for many years now on underlying problems and feel that there is nothing to be gained by dwelling on something for too long. At the moment I am just trying to live normally & not avoid anything.

Hope all is well with you.

Mala

 

Mala, I think they're okay to take as a temporary measure to relieve your TMS pain while you're working on the underlying emotional and psychological problems the TMS pain is trying to distract you from. For example, a year ago I would take a couple of ibuprofens before I went on a long hike to make sure the pain didn't increase while I was walking. Now though when I take the same hike I don't take anything and the TMS pain in my left leg and glut has subsided so much I hardly notice it except during the last 200 yrd back to the car. Sometimes next to nothing. This reduction is TMS pain was not the result of any exercises or PT, only through mindfulness meditation, journaling, and breathing exercises. Basically, doing the SEP and Howard Schubiner's Unlearn Your Pain exercises. So if you want to take the edge off your pain, go ahead and take a pain killer, but always be aware that the pain isn't due to a physical problem or abnormality.

 

Bruce thank you, that is a very common sense approach and yes that is what I thought, take them when needed but still focus on the emotional.

 

Mala, Bruce's advice is also mine. See how that goes, taking the medication but
knowing the pain is from repressed emotions.