Conditioned Habitual Pain Responses

Hello All!

I continue to struggle within the pain cycle and I believe my greatest hurdle is getting over conditioned or habitual pain responses.

My body/mind is so use to being in pain while sitting, I've been unsuccessful breaking that connection. Doesn't matter if I'm sitting at work, in a car, at a restaurant, or watching TV - my deep right buttock and/or right groin begin to hurt almost immediately upon sitting.

Does anyone have any specific techniques or success stories on how to break these conditioned habitual pain responses? Breaking my conditioned pain responses will eliminate any potential doubt my conscious still has in my TMS diagnosis.

Thanks for your support!

J

 

This has also been my greatest hurdle. I would read The Great Pain Deception by Steve O. He had this also and describes how he overcame it in great detail. I decided to just sit period, do some project sitting. I keep reading Sarno's books sitting on the floor. I keep telling myself I HAVE TMS. With increasing pain I think psychological as much as I can. Any conditioned response I stopped. Example- at 3:00 pm my pain is at it's worst- I would initially lay down to get out of pain. I stopped that and decided to get out of the house and do something, anything instead of laying down. Then I made an evidence sheet and wrote down how long I sat, or did other things. It appears to be working. Sitting is the conditioned response, not where you are.....Also, make sure you've been diagnosed with TMS by a doctor.

 

Change your relationship with sitting by changing your emotions about it. Sitting for most people is comfortable and relaxing. There is no association with pain. It is a completely benign activity for them. It is only when we are told it is dangerous or we have experienced a significant pain with sitting that our fear latches on. The fear creates tension. The tension causes the pain while sitting, not the sitting itself. Fully understanding and accepting this will guide you to authentically relax and breath deeply while sitting and with time change the dynamic.

 

I am sitting right now. Is there pain? Yes. Do I care? No. After all, it is just TMS.

 

The conditioned response can appear to be the more problematic aspect in healing, if you perceive it to be. It does stem from the habitual brain that can be stubborn in its resistance to change, but change occurs on a regular basis. It can be altered through hypnosis and through repetitive action(s). I did both by accident when I was healing. But the picture is always deeper than you think it is, at first glance. There are always subtle nuances that make a great painting. Fear will always be the brain's weapon of resistance. One subtle aspect is in fearing to be healed.

 

Steve...I totally get it about conditioned responses. At 3 pm everyday my pain level goes thru the roof ? I really don't understand why . Can you give me some suggestions.