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Answer

In order for you to be ready to go back to work, you need to focus specifically on the anxiety and fear that is triggered when you sit down at the computer (or when you just think about the computer).

You might have read about this on the wiki already, but this is a process we call ‘outcome independence.’ What does that even mean? Outcome Independence means that we separate your fear and anxiety from the physical symptoms. For you, that means sitting down at the computer, and not caring even the slightest bit whether or not you get hand or shoulder pain. I know that sounds really difficult, but it is absolutely possible, and it is the key to being out of pain.

I recently worked with a client who could not go out in the sun for fear of migraines. In the past, every time he went out into the sun, he started getting the aura, which would turn into a migraine. He was very anxious about being outside in the sun for extended periods of time.

One time, I had him do our session outside in the sun (we met over Skype) and we worked on keeping his nervous system calm (breathing techniques, distraction techniques, etc.), and it turns out he was able to sit for the entire 50 minutes without even the slightest bit of an aura. This proved to him (after years of being convinced otherwise) that it’s possible for him to be in the sun and feel just fine!

The same process is going to be important for you. Here’s what I’d suggest:

1. Ease yourself into using the computer. Start off by using it for 5 minutes, and that’s it. Use it for just 5 minutes a few days in a row. Remember, it doesn’t matter if you have pain or not, it’s all about remaining calm and not caring about whether or not pain is there.

2. Step it up a bit. After a few days (or a week), try and be at the computer for 20-30 minutes. And make sure to do something on the computer that you enjoy. Play a game! Don’t just make it about work.

3. If you can successfully be at the computer for 20-30 minutes and not care whether or not you have pain, you’ll be ready for step 3, which is to treat your day like it’s a work day. Prove to yourself that you can handle anything that comes your way for the length of an average day at work.

Seems overly simplistic, I know, but it’s quite difficult to remain outcome independent in the face of pain. So be patient with yourself. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s similar to building a new muscle at the gym. It takes time, repetition, and an anxiety-free mind.

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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.

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