Amber M. Symptom replacement or justified anxiety?

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Question

hi there, ive noticed anxiety and low mood increasing alot since pain has been decreasing, i know this can sometimes happen but how does one know if it is symptom replacement and not some other 'real' reason ?

for example it got quite bad and my husband wanted me to see my gp, however as they probably dont understand fully tms and recovery from it they want to try anti anxiety meds - but i worry that its like using a crutch for tms leg pain - ie. giving strength to the idea that it is not tms symptom


many thanks!

 

Answer

Hi Clairem. I am so glad you asked this question, it is a question that comes up A LOT. But first, congratulations on reducing your pain! It sounds like you have your symptoms on the run. Well done!

Just as you described, it is common for other symptoms to start popping up as your pain decreases. Your previous symptom no longer holds the same power over you and is not able to scare, distract or preoccupy you. Your brain is now working desperately to find something that might actually scare you and it sounds like it is working. Anxiety and depression are TMS equivalents. We typically think of anxiety and depression as a mask working to cover and distract you from the uncomfortable emotions going on underneath.

The great news is, you can beat your anxiety and depression in the same manner that you defeated your physical pain. The first step is not allowing these symptoms to frighten you. As you feel the anxiety rising, identify it as TMS and engage in the same strategies and nurturing self-talk that helped you reduce your pain. Self-care exercises such as deep breathing and mindfulness meditation can help you regulate your body and take you out of the fight or flight state.

Continue on your journey to TMS recovery with confidence and courage, knowing fully that these new symptoms are merely TMS hoping to frighten and distract you. Just like you defeated your pain…you can and will defeat the anxiety and depression!

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Thanks !

 

Hi Clairm:

Welcome to the forum. Did you have anxiety before you had pain? Maybe you are just going back to the source of the problem.

I had anxiety for years before I got a sore back. In 2014, I used TMS knowledge to make my back well. Since then the anxiety has resurfaced. It's hard for me to have a lot of anxiety laying around in bed all day. Maybe anxiety around having a sore back, but I certainly avoided social anxiety. Now it's coming out. I am learning to talk to it the way I talked to my back, as Amber mentions. I have found this last week quite interesting on the forum, there seems to be so much talk about anxiety and anxiety after the pain goes away. It has been very helpful to me. I find winter can be a good time for reflecting, not quite so busy.

. . . or maybe the whole thing is just in my imagination, maybe people have been having the anxiety talk the whole time and I just didn't notice . . .

funny what the mind will do.

 

hello peggy , i had anxiety when i was younger around 8/9 yrs old around math lessons at school and some social anxiety - i used to end up vomiting with pure anxiety before i went out partying with friends when i was around 18yrs old!

im starting to treat it as you said like i do pain x

 

Anxiety and low mood are part of living, of course, and even those without pain experience them.
Whether they are caused by TMS or not, I feel both at times (bills in the mail generate my anxiety
and too many cloudy days can give me the blues.)

I treat both by deep breathing, living in the present, and laughing. I think happy and it makes me feel happy.

No. this is not Mary Poppins, it's walt, that great old sage from Chicago.

I'm thinking of writing to the U.S. Postmaster General and saying I'm in favor of a 5-day delivery
(none on Saturday). One less day to get bills or junk mail. People who really love me either phone or e-mail me.

 

Thought I'd add this in. Anxiety/mood disorder is associated with Amygdala activity/size.

Study from Stanford
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...nd-connectivity-the-amygdala-predicts-anxiety

Meta-analysis- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2739676/

graphical representation.


interesting how we can consciously be aware of being overly anxious yet be completely powerless in stopping it in its tracks.
Again the subconscious-ANS dictatorship is king and so the focus must remain here.

My two cents is the power of suggestion in the case of TMS. we tell the our mind there is no problem and never has been. the body responds in kind.
really fascinating stuff.

p.s. Ashok Gupta who features in ''All the Rage'' focusses almost exclusively on the Amygdala and 'retraining' it in order to overcome symtoms of CFS.

 

Clairem, I'm so glad that you asked this question! I have had my share of anxiety in the past to the point of almost being afraid to leave the house. I've noticed it since I was a teenager and am now is my early 30s. I've been on the TMS recovery journey now since June of last year. I had debilitating back pain come out of now where and it
was 9 months of hell. Fast forward to December '14 I was lucky enough to see Dr. S, a TMS practitioner while in CA on vacation. He confirmed the TMS diagnosis and I've been on my merry way and the pain has decreased substantially to where I've been at the gym, 2 mile walks on the beach, etc.

Guess what has been roaring it's ugly head with a vengeance? Yep, anxiety. Good old dependable anxiety.
I would suspect many people with TMS have an anxiety disorder. I see the strong connection between the 2.
Now that the anxiety has calmed, I've got pain in my glutes along with sciatic pain that came from nowhere! A new symptom of neck and shoulder pain. It's pretty crazy what our bodies can do. Back to journaling for me and I get through this patch!