relapse stories for encouragement?

When I first found out about TMS and began to believe my coccydynia is TMS I had very quick 50% improvement in pain. Then, when I really began to believe it and started "Unlearn Your Pain" and the SEP program here I've had days where the pain was 95% better. I had a few small relapses that actually helped to confirm my belief that it is TMS but there was a general improvement over time and it seemed like I was well on my way to being pain free. But over the last few days (I'm on day 15 in the SEP and about 6 months into having tailbone pain) it seems the pain is consistently worse and I'm noticing some thought drift back to thinking maybe it's not TMS and I'm having a harder time just being firm with the pain and shifting my thoughts away from it. I'm starting to feel scared about it again, which I know doesn't help. When I try to think emotional, the truth is I've done a lot of past emotional release (both in the past and recently) and my life is very stress free right now and pretty happy except for this ongoing pain in my coccyx. I'm trying not to stress about it but it really is the most stressful thing in my life right now!

I'd love to hear some stories of this kind of relapse that turned around and eventually ended in success with being pain free. What helps you not slide back into fear about your pain and continue to just not give it energy?

 

I can't claim 'success', but I do often have relapses. The best thing I can think of to do in these situations is to not pay it as much attention as I used to prior to starting the TMS program. Prior to starting the program, I often found myself going down the path of FAT - Fear, Anxiety and emotional Tiredness - any time I had any flare-up.

I'm not awesome at avoiding that path now, but at-least I detect when I'm doing it and try to stay away from it. There are plenty of distractions available to the mind, if you think about it (pun intended ).

Healing wishes.

 

This is what I always said to myself (now in my user profile): Mind-body symptoms are a natural bodily response to emotions - every single individual who has been on this planet experiences some variation of them. The body is designed to respond to our emotions - it’s the mind-body connection: this is why wounds have been scientifically documented to heal slower when one is stressed, this is the placebo effect, this is how spontaneous recoveries/remissions from serious issues occur (fun fact: the recoveries/remissions aren’t so spontaneous after all!), this is fight-or-flight mode turning on during a threat, this is the release of happy neurotransmitters when you smile, this is the release of adrenaline while upset, this is why cancer patients die quicker when they’re depressed and believe they’re going to die, etc. From a simple eye twitch when you’re angry to full blown CRPS or PTSD after a traumatic event, we’re all affected. Don’t view this as anything other than a fact of nature. Your mind and your body are powerful, and you can overcome this. Your symptoms will decrease as you truly get back to living.

You have to accept this and keep the faith, even when you go through periods of heightened symptoms. Your belief has to stay consistent, and you cannot give into fear or obsession. JanAtheCPA said it best recently: the healing process is not always linear, and that's OK! Most of my symptoms didn't go away immediately - time and patience were required. The mind-body connection is part of life for everyone, forever. Even people who have posted success stories and recovered continue to be affected by this nature.

I've posted a success story and overcome dozens of symptoms. That said, I'm going through a personal medical situation right now - a recent non-TMS diagnosis that's going to need some careful management from my doctor and me for a while (100% unrelated to any symptoms I've posted about on this forum and recovered from in the past). In an ironic twist of fate, this diagnosis is something I feared as a teenager after seeing someone else deal with it, and a lot of powerful emotions came flooding back to me. This weekend I was anxious about an upcoming procedure and noticed a bit of bladder, lower back, and joint pain in response to those feelings. I knew the sudden pain was the result of stress (the classic sympathetic nervous system response), I accepted that the uncertainties in my life right now have had me on edge, and I made a decision to continue managing my emotions and living life fully during this time. I had to get back on the horse because life is always going to be filled with difficult situations and setbacks. And sometimes we get symptoms when the difficulties present themselves. We just learn how to be rocks for ourselves. Personally, I know I'm going to be OK no matter what - with the mind-body/TMS symptoms and the separate structural diagnosis.

Truthfully, going through my mind-body/TMS journey has made me so much stronger than I used to be, and one positive is knowing I can handle tough situations and be OK. That was certainly not the case before. I'm not Googling horror stories, interacting with negative people on forums, thinking irrationally and putting myself in bad situations, breaking down 24/7, etc. Today, I'm incredibly comfortable relying on myself, and it's the most wonderful feeling ever. There are positives to going through your journey, I promise! Remember to keep that faith.