DAY 25 AS BAD AS IT CAN GET

I am in huge turmoil!!! My symptoms keep gatting worse, I now wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep! It is overwhelming, especially having had a 3 years history of generalized anxiety. I know that anxiety is TMS as dr Sarno was writting in his books, but right now I need more support: pills and psychotherapy!!! Yesterday I was bad, but despite this I pushed myself into jourmaling and wrote about a very heavy emotional experience! Only today I realized what I have done!!! I guess some of you were right: we need to take breaks when all becomes too much!!! Eversince I started this program, about a month ago, I kept writting, but without allowing myself time to process and accept everything!!! I have never felt this bad in my life, not even when I spent a month in the hospital 2 years ago! I know this is the right way, but it’s very hard and days like these, I can’t cope, mentally and physically with it! Wish you all well!!!

 

Dear cosmy,

Whew! That's a lot of exclamation points! I get how intense all this is for you. Are you getting the support you need through medication and psychotherapy? Yes, those things can be very helpful when we need them. Sounds like you need to calm down your nervous system, and many of us here can relate to that. Taking a break from journaling can be a good thing. Just don't give up. TMS often gets worse before it gets better.

I think mindfulness is a wonderful complement to TMS therapy. It helps reduce our reactivity by developing that part of our mind that is a witness to our thoughts and emotions. By learning to stand back somewhat in a non-judgmental way, but not repressing our emotions, we can learn to just observe them and know that they will pass. Research says that emotions only last 90 seconds unless our thoughts reactivate them. So mindfulness helps to get us out of that cycle of reactivity that keeps negative emotions and thoughts going. Many therapists teach this as part of their practice.

Wishing you peace and hoping you get the support you need......

 

Hi. Anxiety causes everything to feel way too much....and that you are completely alone and losing it.
I've been there. Many people on this forum probably have, too.
This is very basic, but it helps me when I go there. Put one hand over your heart...on your bare skin. Pat yourself.
Say to yourself: "I understand why you feel awful. I hear you. But, you are safe. This will go away. You already survived everything you've been writing about. You are on your way to wellness. You are safe. You are safe. You are safe."

 

Hi Ellen!!! Yes, indeed, I am dealing with some really strong stuff after getting back in touch with some of the deepest emotions I’ve ever had. Last Saturday it was so bad that I thought I would never be able to make it through this! So I had a 2 day break, went to the pool, mad some friends and our brains have the “forgetting” factor as well, as time moves on, because otherwise we would be stuck in an endless dissappointment trap! I went to my GP and ask him to increase my dose of Amitryptiline and while my hypnotherapeut is on a vacation, I will get help also from a psychoterapeut. I keep on journaling, learning about TMS and reading Sarno’s books. I am planning to get Nicole Sachs’ book as well. In between I try to get on with my life, enjoy the sun and be positive!!! I try as much as I can to think of the pain as a blessing in disguise, like other TMSers said. Somehow, I feel more relieved than ever before. Suppressing had only made me feel guilty, sad, angry...and all the rest! I know I still have a lot to learn and let go of, but time will heal everything!
I wish you the best!!! Big hugs!!!