The symptom imperative
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When a patient makes a major TMS symptom subside by doing "the work", the brain is no longer effectively achieving its goal of distracting attention away from emotions. To counteract this, the brain will attempt to find a new area of focus, with the result that the patient often gets a new symptom - which can become chronic if it is not recognized for what it is.
The patient can have TMS knowledge and even a strong conviction about their main symptom being TMS, but will continue to experience new symptoms if deeper emotional issues are not eventually addressed.
The emergence of new symptoms as old ones subside is called the symptom imperative.
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