Day 10 Update

I was getting better, but for the last five days or so I have been feeling awful! I know I'm not sleeping well at night and that is part of it. I have bad dreams.

The other thing is I've been exercising everyday and I wonder if I'm going overboard. I know I NEED to meditate everyday but I've been exercising instead. It's annoying because I want to get in shape, but when I exercise, I pay for it the next day in head pain. It makes me so mad.

I've been journaling everyday, though I am not reading the TMS material regularly. Could that be the problem?

I just ordered the book, "Mind Power" which is similar to the TMS teachings. It's more about changing the subconscious through affirmations and visualizations. Has anyone had success trying this too? I know the best way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a new one. My line of thinking is replace bad or obsessive thoughts with more positive and realistic way of thinking, then I'll feel better....hopefully.

Also, I'm considering hiring a TMS counselor, but I am so WARY of counselors. To make a long story short, I hired a pain counselor earlier this year and he started hitting on me. I told him I didn't want to see him anymore, and he started harassing me. He even sent me an e-mail a month ago "just wanted to see how you've been. Haven't heard from you in a while!" I literally did not return any of his numerous calls, e-mails and pleads for me to continue seeing him after I let him go, and he's still e-mailing me!

Right now I'm feeling very frustrated. To have a glimpse of normality then go crashing back down into daily migraine hell is disheartening, to say the least.

 

Things that come to mind.

Daily exercise after not exercising for a while could cause more muscle stiffness, aches & pains & u could see an increase in yr original pain. You may have to be fearless & work thru it. That however doesn't mean u can't take anything afterwards to help reduce the pain & the fear especially when u r starting out. Maybe paracetamol or an anti inflammatory?

Obsession with exercise takes the focus away from other tasks that perhaps u don't really want to engage in like meditating. This may be a form of procrastination. Meditating is not the easiest of tasks, it doesn't come easily & it does require a certain discipline but the long term benefits are amazing & well worth the practice.

I don't know what yr goals r with regards to how u want to look & yr body image but there may be some pressure there. Maybe pace yrself a bit & do what u really enjoy.

Journalling & reading abt TMS shld go hand in hand & shld continue until u r familiar with the literature & believe in it.

I think the thing that helped me most was talking to a psychologist. The first 2 I had were awful but my present one who was recommended to me by a pain specialist is wonderful. When u have the right person its like having someone help to switch on a light bulb in yr brain & have u look at things in a very different perspective which is v enlightening.

As for healing, its never linear. Bad days follow gd ones & vice versa but then the gd days start to increase & there r fewer bad ones & even the bad ones u learn to cope with. Its then u know u r on the right path.



Mala

 

Hi, LizzyBennet. How awful that your counselor hit on you and has been harassing you. How unprofessional! Don't let the bad experience turn you off from seeing another one. It does look like you have a firm belief in TMS. I suggest you refer daily to Dr. Sarno's 12 Daily Reminders in his book Healing Back Pain. It the bedrock of his TMS philosophy and keeps the focus on pain being caused by repressed emotions.