Shawn,
I think some kind words to yourself and try to give yourself some tender loving care. What can you do to be kind and loving
to yourself? It can be something very simple like watch a funny movie or take a walk alone.
I always try to challenge the voice that tells me if I do this it might hurt your back. I then say, "Oh, no these symptoms
are not due to a physical cause but it is because then I list all the stress related reasons and things from my childhood
that were negative and things in my personality like being a perfectionist, being critical with myself... Before I say
the list I say the reason I have these symptoms is not because of physical pain but because I don't want to think about
and I go through the list of things that are troublesome to me. I do this at least once an hour.
And when I have a flare up I just keep repeating it. This keeps my mind
not on the pain but what I am saying and often the pain subsides. I not sure this will work for you but it has been
very helpful and empowering to me. I think what you do the important thing is to be consistent whatever you choose to do.
In the beginning, I would entertain negative thoughts and the pain would increase. It took me a long time to
accept the TMS diagnosis without a shadow of a doubt. Now, when some negative thought comes in my mind
to try to take me off guard I start saying, " I have perfect soundness in my body or I start saying what I said
in the second paragraph of this post."
It is like training yourself to understand the pain is from underlying issues and not from anything structurally wrong.
It sure is not easy though when the pain rages and wants to have a voice in your life.
I am the kind that when I can I like to challenge the pain. For instance, I may have a little pain while I am driving
to the gym. Months ago this would stop me from going. Now I go (unless the pain is severe) and do my workout
and talk to my brain or ignore the pain. I am so thankful when the pain leaves. It seems I can get the pain to
leave when I am exercising or sleeping or sitting and am now working on getting the pain to go when I stand and
walk. I do not exercise though if the pain is severe.
I highly recommend taking a look at Steve O's book, Pain Deception, or Fred Amir's book Rapid Recovery
from Back and Neck Pain. These books really encouraged me but there are many great books out there.
You are surely going to get to the other side of this. Keep posting because you will get all the encouragement
you need from this wonderful site.
G.R.