Dream Job Causing Pain Spike

G

gray118

New Member
Hello all,
I am new to the forum but thought that some people might have some insight on the predicament I am facing at the moment. Basically, I just started my dream job of being a vet tech two days ago but have been in horrible pain in the last 48 hrs due to the physically demanding aspects of the job. I knew it was going to be physically demanding but I wasn't quite sure how my body would react. So I felt extremely defeated when my pain shot up to like at 9 out of 10 on the pain scale after just one day at the job. I know I was stressed just because it was my first day on the job but I was also doing many activities that typically spike my pain including washing lots of instruments and dishes, lifting and restraining large animals, crouching down on the floor etc. I went ahead and pushed through the pain to finish my second day yesterday and by the end of the day was in tears due to the amount of pain in my neck and head. I took my max amount of meds allowed and was still sobbing while laying in bed last night because of the pain. I can say that this is one of the moments where my pain has been so high that I would typically go to the ER but I don't really feel like that is an option at this point due to covid. I have today off and then will go back to work for two more days before my weekend. However, my schedule has me working four, 10 hour days in a row every other week which sounds very miserable at this point. However, despite the pain, I am really enjoying the job and am learning a lot and am happy that I am pursuing this career that I have wanted to pursue for my entire life. I am just very conflicted and I am not sure what the right move is at this point. Like do I want to push through the pain for a couple of weeks to see if my body starts to adapt? Is it worth putting my self through that pain and traumatizing myself further? I honestly don't think anything is worth being in the amount of pain I was in last night and just want to make a choice that will make me the happiest/stress free person I can. Anyways, any insight would be great so I guess just let me know what you all think.
Thank you!
 
Eek, @gray118, this sounds like a TMS emergency! Your profile intro says that you've been suffering for six years, and it sounds like you've been checked out medically, but you've never received a firm diagnosis and nothing you've tried has worked - is that right?

Can you tell us how you ended up find our forum, how much you know about TMS and Dr. Sarno, and what, if anything, you have done so far to take control of your pain?

I'll say up front: anyone going into a medical field of any kind probably fits the TMS personality perfectly. Veterinary work is incredibly rewarding - but talk about high stress - not just physically, but emotionally as well!
 
The only thing more enraging to the unconscious than not getting what we want, is GETTING what we want. Then we have to 'live up to it' and since the unconscious never ages and is the eternal child, we fear losing what we found because we are not good enough.... or at least the unconscious proper sees ourselves as such.

Once that is acknowledged we can do anything we want painfree
 
gray118 said:
I knew it was going to be physically demanding but I wasn't quite sure how my body would react.
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That alone would lead to anxiety of anticipation and to the subsequent rise in pain levels. If you focus on building up your confidence that you can handle it, day at a time, or even an hour at a time, you will eventually train your brain not to panic.
 
Anxiety drives pain up higher than what you are aware of. Worrying about having pain creates more tension.

Basically don't be hard on yourself, delegate, take mental breaks, have chats with colleagues, bond with the animals, and make your weekends as restorative and refreshing as you can.

If the only issue is the pain, it's just a bit of overwhelm adjusting to a new workplace.
 
I definitely agree that my anxiety about the pain makes it worse and once I started getting a little pain it just kind of spiraled out of control. I have been protecting my neck and shoulder muscles for so long, in fear of pain, that I think they have become super weak and I need to slowly reintroduce movement into that area. Do you all have any advice on how to do this? I decided to go ahead and move into a receptionist position instead, even though I want to be more hands on, so I have the time and energy to focus on getting my body and mind in a healthier state.
 
gray118 said:
I definitely agree that my anxiety about the pain makes it worse and once I started getting a little pain it just kind of spiraled out of control. I have been protecting my neck and shoulder muscles for so long, in fear of pain, that I think they have become super weak and I need to slowly reintroduce movement into that area. Do you all have any advice on how to do this? I decided to go ahead and move into a receptionist position instead, even though I want to be more hands on, so I have the time and energy to focus on getting my body and mind in a healthier state.
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I would start with gentle yoga or Qi gong. Both modalities work your entire body and have a meditational effect on the nervous system. Go slowly and gradually and you will be fine.
 
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