Connecting Pain (Day 8)

Are you having success at recognizing the emotions connected to your pain? If you have, how do these emotions make you feel? If not, what do you think is preventing you from doing this?

This is a great question to reflect on. I have a pretty good idea what issues have caused my pain. The trouble is they're such long term and deep seated issues about family, my own direction and social problems that I have no idea how to tackle them. My psychologist and I "broke up" this week and I don't have the strength to make attempt number four of finding someone who can help.

 

Hmmm. That is a problem. Is there a way to repair this relationship with your therapist? Or is this what you wanted? I too "dumped" my therapist when I discovered I had TMS, that it was related to my anxiety big time, and my therapist and I were getting nowhere. She went out and bought "Unlearn Your Pain" by Dr. Schubiner, and also Dr. Sarno's "MindBody Prescription". I was a little blown away because now she has a base to speak from.

But I don't think seeing my therapist is helping as much as I'd like. However, I am getting a lot out of working these programs. I did the SEP here on the wiki, then Dr. Schubiner's "Unlearn Your Pain" program. Both were excellent and I learned quite a bit about myself. If you want to try and go it alone I'd say that these programs are a great start. There are many TMS therapists available through the wiki that might be in your area.

Hang in there and follow the bread-crumbs. You will get better!

BG

 

Hi Justina,

Sorry to hear it didn't work out with your therapist.

Beach Girl posted the link to TMS therapists above--there wasn't one in my area that I could easily get to (I'm car-free) so I'm working with another TMS therapist by phone & skype and she's great! So that might be something to consider too.

Take care,
Veronica

 

It was a mutual "break up" between my therapist and I. She was only interested in one style of therapy (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and I wasn't interested in learning it. Our sessions went something like:

Therapist: When you find youself having a negative thought distance yourself from it by considering the form and strucutre of the thought rather than the thought itself. Do you understand?
Me: No.
Therapist: For example, focus on the colour of the throught or the direction it's travelling in. Do you understand that?
Me: ... Yes. (Me being polite, lol)
Therapist: Well, if you don't want to try that you could watch TV to distract yourself.
Me: I don't find TV very distracting, I usually do something while I'm watching TV.
Therapist: Maybe you should find a TV show you do find distracting and watch that.

It was pretty obvious we were wasting each other's time. :/ Thanks, BG, I'll keep going with the Structured Program and I've ordered Unlearn Your Pain. I've had a few breakthrough moments with the program so far, which have really helped. I think I need to understand that this is going to be a long, slow process and I can't rush it.

Veronica, do you find Skype therapy useful? My closest TMS therapist is 700km away and I've emailed him about Skype sessions but... it just feels a bit odd.

Thank you both for your help.

 

Justina, looks like your in Aus like me. I havent found many people including health proffessionals that understand or even know about tms.Amazingly one of the few who seems to take to the concepts is my neurologist.

I found that reading and doing structured programs is helping me more than my therapist. I had a lot of success and now Im at a point of working on my thinking. Uncovering and dealing with my suppressed emotions, and there were a lot of them around family and childhood issues, helped a lot but I now believe that one of the most criticl parts is seeing and dealing with the thinking ptterns Ive developed.

While Im tempted to go back to a therapist it would only work if they believe in tms, and since I cant find that I think books, forums and journalling is not a bad option. Have you had medical confirmation that there is nothing underlying or seriously wrong?

 

Hi Justina,

Psychodynamic therapy is supposed to be better for treating TMS...I've done cognitive behavioral therapy before for treating anxiety and it did help me a LOT but I felt like I needed to do something else this time around.

We actually haven't skyped yet--just phone--but we'll probably start that soon. She's really good. And I like the phone so I'm fine with it.

~ Veronica

 

Thanks chumba, I'll keep going with the books, program and journaling and see how I go.

Yup. Blood tests, x-rays, physical exams, nerve conduction, physio, the works... My neurologists diagnosed me with Functional Symptoms which, to me, sounds like TMS but leaves the treatment in the hands of medical professionals. I do not want antidepressants and a permanent physiotherapist. I want to understand my symptoms and get rid of them!

Thanks for the advice Veronica, glad to hear your therapist is helping.

 

Well this is essentially where I find myself. I'm at a place where I'm fairly in touch with "me" - but I continue to have pain. I am consistently trying to think "psychological" rather than "physical" at this point. It works for awhile, but then again I'm faced with quite a bit of stress these days. So I find I give myself breaks on how I'm doing.

It'll happen. Of this I have no doubt.

BG