Brain - friend or foe

Last week, when I left Dr. Schubiner's office and had gotten a diagnosis of TMS, I had an increase in symptoms. The 3-hour drive home was tough. Emotionally I felt good, but physically it was awful. I figured this was an extinction burst and Dr. Schubiner indicated that my brain is just fighting hard to stay in control. Thinking about this, and reading more about the extinction burst, I feel like my brain is this enemy that I have to fight because it is trying to take over my body. I feel angry at my brain and want to scream at it.

But when I read about cognitive soothing, I feel like my brain is this scared little organ that I need to take care of. I feel sorry for my brain and want to comfort it for feeling scared.

I am not sure how to reconcile this??

 

Steve Ovanich discusses at length in his book "The Great Pain Deception" the psychological theory of ID, EGO and SuperEGO. Rather than disparage your brain (that actually was able to give you pause to contact Dr. Schubiner and join this TMS site, it may be better to think of the parts of your consciousness that are within you, vying for different things and using your brain as the main computer to send their particular messages to you. Your brain is an instrument of you psyche and maybe, visa versa, but you can learn to control the part of your brain (psyche) that is creating the pain. Your conscious messages can get through. Practicing the techniques set forth in Alan Gordons training can and will help.

So, I'd probably fall on the side of feeling sorry for my brain and wanting to comfort it for being scared."

 

KKcarlton
The message above was meant as a response to your post.
Lainey

 

Hi Lainey,

Thank you for your response.

Kristina

 

the divided mind

 

Are you saying that's what it is or suggesting to read the book?

 

that's what it is. and the book is great too

 

What you put into it is what you get out of it.

I think constant negative thoughts will turn it into Foe and cause symptoms.

Happy, clean and compassionate thoughts and it will be you friend.

 

A TMS diagnosis can be scary too. Back when i still thought my pain was "nerve damage" i was doing all sorts of things to try and heal it. Supplements, rest, etc. I had it in my mind that the nerve would calm down eventually. Having a diagnosis that is more pshychological in some ways, scares me more. I feel like rewiring my whole personality (how do become a less worrisome human when i've been like this for over 30 years) felt like more of a daunting task than something i could just take a pill for. However, when you read about cases of chronic pain, you see that there are rarely any success stories in the current medical world (when treated with surgeries, injections, chiro, etc.). This the only mode of healing that i've ever seen many success stories for supposedly incurable pain syndromes. This gives me hope.