Severity of Emotion = Severity of Pain?

Do you think there is a link between the severity of one's repressed emotions and the severity of physical pain experienced?

 

Seems like it was for me. My first back attack was in November 2001 following my mother's death in January 2001. That was a real classic back pain episode that hurt so much it basically left me paralyzed in agony laying in bed. But my relapse in 2008, which wasn't anywhere near that bad, followed hard on the heels of a romantic breakup. In both episodes, there was the theme of abandonment, but my back pain attack of November 2001 had pain that was worse than anything I've experienced before or since. I guess that grieving over my mother's death was probably a more profound painful emotion than the one I had due to a romantic rebuff. Not fun, but no where near the same emotional level as the death of a next of kin. So, to answer your question, gydiwon, yes, at least according to my experience. Your question definitely needs more responses.

 

I believe, like BruceMC, that our pain can be greater depending on the repressed emotional cause.
My experience also was related to my mother, feeling guilty about not being able to care for her
after two years. It was just too much because she was so hard to please. I journaled about it and then had a dream in which she forgave me. I work up and forgave her and myself. It worked wonders and soon my back pain went away.

 

Also, caring for my late mother with dementia for five long years that included my father's death too also involved my repressing my emotions on a grand scale while trying to be "perfect" and "good". So it isn't just how strong the emotions are; it's the amount and duration of the process of repressing them and denying your own needs that determines the severity of the subsequent TMS pain explosion. It also seems that once your neural pathways have been programmed to have TMS pain symptoms, it's a lot easier for them to behave that way again if a subsequent situation has the same emotional associations.

 

Bruce, you sure were put through an emotional wringer.
Now you need to be easy on yourself.
Maybe something new triggered remembering all your past maternal stresses.

 

Any situation that reminds me of mommy and abandonment seems to revive old pain symptoms. I'm aware of that. And yes I've been consciously trying to be self-indulgent and lazy lately. Seems to help immensely.

 

Go for it. Be self-indulgent and lazy. You'll probably still be light years away from
how others are self-indulgent and lazy.

 

Well, Walt being self-indulgent and lazy is okay if you're not self-indulgent, lazy and stupid (i.e. have the added bonus of ADHA disorder). When you're lazy and stupid with ADHA, you sit and play video games all day and stare at the walls when you're not preoccupied. Problem gambling and compulsive junk food eating can also be a deadly combo if you're lazy and stupid to begin with. I sure have seen people like that. It's Da Kulture!

 

This is an interesting question, and I'll be interested to see what others have to say. But I think the subconscious mind doesn't follow the same rules of logic that the conscious mind follows. It is irrational by nature, knows no time, and is hard for our rational minds to understand. So I have pretty much thrown out all rationality and logic when considering what it's up to and capable of.

 

I wish you could find a hobby or something to replace the video games, but I have read in some posts that there are some good ones, relaxing ones. I'll see if I can find those posts from about the last week and let you know about them. It may take some hunting.

And at least the video games keep you occupied.

 

Not me! I never play video games. No intellectual content, all filler material.

 

gydiwon, it seems so but I defer to Ellen's thoughts on the quixotic nature of the unconscious.

Bruce, in the spirit of self-indulgent and lazy I must confess to being a true Idler. Here in the UK there are those of us who elevate the practice to an art. I do appreciate that you flag and duly dismiss the stupid element as the raison d'être is that free time (hopefully) encourages free thinking.

Who needs video games when there are books!

Here's to the gloriousness of being thoroughly oneself and time in which to relish it.

 

I don't play video games but if they help others to relax, good for them.
I relax with books, music, and movies. I love DVDS and have many of my favorite movies on DVD
so I can replay them when I want or when there's nothing good on tv, which is most of the time.

I love our Public Television stations (two of them) because they show a lot of British movies and tv series.
After a day's work and looking at TMSWiki forums I enjoy watching them.

Not quite up to DOWNTON ABBEY, but I also like FROM LARK RISE TO CANDLEFORD.