Derek S. Weather and TMS

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Question

Why does weather still such a strong trigger for me anytime its going to rain my tms ramps up to another level.

I still can't wrap my mind around this one.

 

Answer

This is a fascinating one. I have treated a few patients for whom weather was a primary trigger. There was one in particular who stated that he could be in a windowless basement and his symptoms would trigger when the weather shifted.

I believe that we can sense things, being the animals that we are. Kind of like other animals sense things but it happens on a subconscious level. Things like a change in barometric pressure can absolutely become a part of a conditioned response.

In other words, our brains can sense a shift in weather without us even being conscious of it and this can become the stimulus that triggers a physiological response.

-Derek

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Thx

 

My TMS symptoms flair up when the weather is unaccommodating, such as extreme heat or cold or rain, because it triggers feelings of helplessness and being out of control. We cannot control the weather, so no matter what we do, it's going to do what it wants. This causes rage because many TMS patients try to control as much as they can. If I leave the house without an umbrella or wearing inappropriate clothing, it awakens feelings of incompetence in me, which fuel pain. "Look what you've done now, Eric. You can't even prepare for the weather," is what goes on in my head. Self-recrimination, self-blame, lack of self-compassion, feeling out of control. They all scream TMS.