Bookmark

Hi! I read your post with great interest and I'm not sure they necessarily contradict each other. It's a matter of finding balance...not so much an either/or scenario. I also don't see differences other than the label which is semantics. I'll try to address and unpack your points:

1.) Childhood forms the basis for thought patterns and belief systems and they are usually carried over into adulthood. Once you look at those, you can leave it in the past and just focus on the day to day (that has it's roots in your past). There is no benefit to staying in past traumas or rehashing them endlessly. The important thing is to look at the present moment and the thoughts you are generating habitually ...day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute. So the latter is just an extension of the former. No contradiction imo.

2.) This becomes a vicious circle. Our physical symptoms are a manifestation of stress shunted into the body. The danger signals that are activated are tied up with neuropathways. Our brains use those signals as a distraction strategy and then in turn our brains become conditioned and we find ourselves in constant fight or flight. The preoccupation with symptoms and the horrid sensations then cause further fear and anxiety...which then fuels the TMS. The goal is to interrupt this loop through knowledge, practice and an attitude of indifference.

3.) This technique depends on the person but for me indifference was key. I talked to my brain but not the symptoms. I think you may have a misunderstanding of that point. I relaxed into them in a sense by not giving a crap. This doesn't contradict imo. Just a matter of how you interpret. It's impossible to "ignore" the horrid symptoms just as it's impossible to "ignore" a screaming toddler. The goal is to stay calm in the midst of it with the knowledge that just as the toddler is powerless and scared, so is you're TMS.

4.) This one's a doozy and very important. The wiki is not the same as your typical support group for fellow sufferers where pp wallow and commiserate and members commit suicide, and others wear t shirts with their labels, Those kinds of groups are toxic and just reinforce victimhood and powerlessness. The wiki is a resource for info. and members to ask questions and share experiences for the purpose of GETTING BETTER. Huge difference there. There is one caveat, however, if a person starts TMSing about TMS and spends too much time searching, reassurance seeking or looking for negative posts to fit their internal negative narrative...THEN in that case it is counter productive and defeats the purpose of this community. This something each person has to be aware of and take responsibility for.

5.). This is a combo and usually a cumulative thing. It's not just "I was bullied in middle school and repressed that all my life" OR "I feel homicidal rage every second at work but I keep putting a happy face on with my boss who I hate". It's a combination of deeply repressed stuff as well as cumulative, banal things. Some of us don't even have major childhood traumas but cumulatively even minor stresses can cause the brain to go into tilt in the same way.

6.) This speaks to the WAY you are living your life rather than the "intensity" or goal oriented things. It comes down to living your life on your terms as your authentic self...meaning, doing what brings you joy, purpose and fulfillment and inner peace....without the constant pressure of meeting external goals. This is a balance and will look different for each person. This is at the crux of healing imo and probably THE most important issue one has to figure out. THIS is the real journey.

7.). The physical pain symptoms serve as a distraction from your emotions and life. When you shift focus to those, the pain (the TMS) cease to have a purpose and thus ceases to exist. When we face our emotions and practical issues in our life head on , with the realization that these things are safe (emotions and thoughts are safe), we disable the pain mechanism. Distraction is a defense of the brain to "protect" us but its maladaptive.

8.). This would hinge on how you define "purpose" or goals. This speaks to your value system. If one's purpose to earn a lot of money and become famous for ex, but they have no inner peace or healthy relationships....then they will need to examine that. This goes back to point #6. It's a question of your own personal value system and purpose in your own life.

9.). This needs to be a combo. I had to change my thought patterns as well as deal with emotions I was repressing. Both are vital. Our cognitive and affective worlds are equally important when it comes to healing from a psychological condition like TMS.

10.). With regards to physical exercise the approach should be to do it for overall wellness IRRESPECTIVE of the TMS. The TMS is wholly irrelevant. Gradually by exercising it does build up confidence and proof to the brain that one is not "broken" but that's not WHY you are doing it. You are also not doing it to take your mind off healing from TMS. You are doing it because you feel like it and it's good for you , just like any other human being who doesn't have TMS. It's always good to approach things as someone who is already "healed" because guess what? You ARE already healed LOL! You just don't realize it yet!

I hope this helped a bit and gave some insight based on my personal experience!

MiffyBunny