work related stress?? how to manage it

Hi Guys. I have a veryyy stressful job, i am a physician, also work in the ER. Today is my day #16 SEP..And i would like to ask you about stress management and how to avoid TMS symptoms...I Had a very difficult day, have been managing my TMS really good, very positive thoughts, mindfulness, symptom tracking, breathing exercices, etc...but i cant manage the symptoms while doing the job...once i finish my job, i Do okey....but during....is very difficult...any recommendations???

 

I wish I had an answer for you but I seem to be the reverse. When I'm working I get hyper focused on what I'm doing and forget about the symptoms. When I'm not working and/or have down time is when my mind and body go to bad places.

I'd say that when you finish your job and feel better that is the time to explore what's going on both on the surface and tucked down deeper. Seems like your subconscious TMS brain is trying to stop you from doing your job. Why?
You need to ask yourself why. Maybe there is some deep down stuff in there.
Maybe a fear of failure instilled by a parent or someone of authority?
Maybe a childhood marked with "you better succeed in life" mandate?

Sarno's concept of TMS is that you've got some big, bad, anger and rage (that you don't know you have) that needs to be acknowledged, flushed out, and released.
Keep working the program.
Or take a side trip and grab a pen and paper and write at the top -- What is going on? Why am I so mad about work? (Or if you are me you'd write it as "What the fuck is going on? Why am I so fucking mad about work? I love my job so what the fuck is going on?") I write it out that way to get myself in the groove to allow my subconscious free reign to vent, vent, vent........go deep.....write and write and consider childhood issues. We're all the same kids we were years ago. Let it all out whatever it might be.
If you can do that, I betcha you'll feel a lot better. And then continue on with the SEP...

 

the thing is: i really love my work, maybe the PLACE where i work, but i will start to write on my journal, i will take your advice, maybe something will come out… thank you

 

I really love my work too. I don't think it's the work itself that creates the hidden anger that creates the physical symptoms. I think it's the back story around it. Things that you don't really even know you have feelings about. Like the childhood stuff I mentioned as examples. Or about a colleague that did something or didn't do something and it didn't really bother you that much, but it secretly really did bother you. Or a mistake you made in your job years ago that you feel guilty about that harkens back to feelings of inadequacy and parental disapproval. Who knows what but if you let your thinking self get out of the way you can reach your inner self who has all sorts of feelings that you don't know about on the surface.

Good luck. Enjoy the inner journey....

 

What are your symptoms? Do they cause you to feel any fear or emotions such as anger? Do you feel unsafe when experiencing the symptoms?

Working in the ER is understandably stressful. Your body is in fight-or-flight mode, and sympathetic nervous system overdrive can cause symptoms. Sometimes believing you’re safe is enough to quell the symptoms. I’m wondering if this may help you.

 

Well.

well , i dont feel anxious… i feel pressured , pressure to be fast, do the work fast, get home early, and avoid other people who are problematic…

 

That sounds anger and rage inducing!

what practices do you use to separate yourself from the internal stress this causes and to just “be”?

 

"Pressured."
That's a really perfect word.
I feel that too.
From a TMS standpoint, that means digging in to find out where that feeling of pressure comes from and allowing feelings of anger, despite that rationally you may not have a legitimate reason to be angry about whatever.

 

well. I do self soothing, talk to myself a lot, breathing deeply...

 

I am the one pressuring myself...i just need to find out why

 

Ahh, you know the answer to that. It's tucked away but you know.

 

You don't need to know "WHY" - you just need to recognize what you are doing, and decide that you are going to take a new path, and figure out HOW you can make the change.

 

Yeah, that's not decompressing from life. What do you do to relax and have fun in life. When do you get the chance to get away from yourself? Not talking to yourself about pain, about work about "stuff" and just "be". that's important!

 

Dr. Sarno wrote quite a bit about people having stressful lives that are not reasonably going to change. As examples, he used parenting stress, work stress, living situation stresses, etc.--situations that people can't step away from or would choose not to step away from. Sarno said that we don't have to eliminate the stress. We have to acknowledge and feel it...not repress it.
I latched hard onto this because I had what felt like unbearable (to me personally during one stretch) stress at the same time I learned that my back pain was connected to TMS. I remember reading online lists of the top 5 or top 10 stressors that someone can face in life. And, I had 5 of 5 going on, and like 6 or 7 of 10. And, one of the relationship stressors hit so close that it was heart-wrenchingly difficult.
However, I was very successful in using Sarno's suggested techniques and being able to let go of the TMS symptoms even when the stress increased. I remember the back pain going away during that time.

That's just my experience...everyone has their own experiences and journey.

 

This is really good stuff. I think what worked for me when I was in that crazy stressful time was that I stopped going to repression. I still sometimes had the judgment, but it was lessening.

I had a therapist who helped quite a bit as well. I could not have been able to step back enough to implement some of Sarno's techniques if I did not have a therapist who I fully trusted and could be completely honest with. It made such a difference for me. I remember reading that in Sarno's book that some people need to go deeper and pursue therapy. It was so clear that I was one of those people. I had those judgments that began in childhood that Jan mentions.