Extinction Burst

Al Salmon

Al Salmon

New Member
I think I’m in the thick of an extinction burst.
The pain is under my left shoulder blade which isn’t an area I usually have issues with, it comes and goes but when it comes it’s a very intense spasm which immediately disables me.

My progress before this was amazing and I was starting to feel very upbeat and positive.

I’m quite excited because I realise that at some point in the journey this would happen so I guess I’m further on the progress curve than before.
What’s the general consensus on this?
 
Al Salmon said:
I think I’m in the thick of an extinction burst.
The pain is under my left shoulder blade which isn’t an area I usually have issues with, it comes and goes but when it comes it’s a very intense spasm which immediately disables me.

My progress before this was amazing and I was starting to feel very upbeat and positive.

I’m quite excited because I realise that at some point in the journey this would happen so I guess I’m further on the progress curve than before.
What’s the general consensus on this?
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I’m not sure I buy into the extinction burst theory as it applies to TMS. Where is the line drawn between symptom imperative and en extinction burst? Your nervous system is still heightened so it’s on the look out for issues and/or ways to distract you. All you can really do in these situations is respond calmly to the symptoms and go about your life and continue the work that you’ve seen progress with thus far.

regardless whether it’s an extinction burst or the symptom imperative, it’s a sign of progress.
 
Rabscuttle said:
regardless whether it’s an extinction burst or the symptom imperative, it’s a sign of progress.
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I agree with @Rabscuttle It’s a sign of progress and that’s it. If you set yourself up to think you’re close to getting out of TMS, you will be sad and discouraged if it’s just your symptoms doing their thing. The one thing you can say is you absolutely have your TMS brain’s attention. That means you’re doing the work correctly. In the past year, I’ve had my symptoms go so far up I can’t believe it. And then I’ve had some symptoms go away and come back. I’ve had new symptoms come.

There’s this guy who healed from 75 symptoms. His name is Helmut. He has YouTube talks under, Mindful Gardener, about how to heal. He says don’t even notice what your symptoms are doing. It’s not an indication of how close you are. You don’t heal in a linear way; you don’t go up slowly slowly closer and closer and then you’re healed. Just keep doing the work, And one day you’ll be healed. Most of us have such extremely aggravated nervous systems— all the alarms are on. It takes a while to train your brain to turn them off. But the biggest point is don’t give up! You’re doing great! This is a really good sign.
 
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Rabscuttle said:
Where is the line drawn between symptom imperative and en extinction burst?
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I've never distinguished between these two, and back in my earlier days I probably used them interchangeably without thinking about it. Now I only use Symptom Imperative, because the word "extinction" implies a permanent cessation of symptoms, which we know is unrealistic and not how it actually works.
 
In 99% of the TMS cases, progress cannot be linear. If you expect to walk through it without setbacks, no matter how you call them, you are being unrealistic. Accept it as a norm and keep pushing forward. Spasms in various places were my regular companions during my recovery. This only means that your muscles are aware of your work. Stay the course!
 
Im not a believer in extinction bursts, in my case im purely putting what happens down to my body readjusting and aligning.

So if one muscle wont relax and is tense but another one does then the pain will go somewhere else since another muscle is now having to do extra work etc. As Tamara mentioned i also get random muscle spasms (not painful) all over at random times so i take this as my brain telling my muscles to get back to work by giving them a kick up the backside.

After a full body stiffness im now just left with just muscle contraction in my hands and the bottom of my feet, just patiently waiting without any fear or expectation for the day they decide to release when my brain is ready.
 
Al Salmon said:
Holy hell, it doesn’t like progress, today has been intense, it’s really going for it all over my body.
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Yeah, I think extinction bursts are an over simplified explanation for something that's actually really complex. There are so many reasons for symptoms and flares...

One thing to expect when you do the work is that you're stirring up the hornet's nest. Symptoms will arise for several (and sometimes contradictory) reasons:
- danger perception by the amygdala
- stress and anxiety
- distraction created by the ego in order to avoid the emotional investigation
- nervous system self-regulation, releasing the energy in bursts, since letting it all out in one go is extremelly dangerous (see all the cases of ayahuasca treatment gone wrong)
- trauma release
- the self telling the contiousness there's stored repression in need to be realeased; and so on

But don't worry, you don't need to know where the pain is coming from. Just breath, feel the dance of symptoms, and watch how different parts of your mind react to it without engaging with them.

You're clearly on the right track.
 
Al Salmon said:
If there was a TMS Champioships I’d enter mine in it immediately.
Holy hell, it doesn’t like progress
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Dude! I’m with you! I’m taking a pounding for all the things I’m trying to do lately. There’s this little side of me, now, that’s kind of smiling about it, though. If this is the battle? If this is the place where we’re going to have to go head-to-head with symptoms, then, I guess I’m in! Because I want out of this.
 
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Diana-M said:
Dude! I’m with you! I’m taking a pounding for all the things I’m trying to do lately. There’s this little side of me, now, that’s kind of smiling about it, though. If this is the battle? If this is the place where we’re going to have to go head to head with symptoms, then, I guess I’m in! Because I went out of this.
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Al Salmon said:
Its beginning of the end.
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Only thing to be aware though is that, as @Cactusflower always says, there is no end. TMS is just an interpretation and there's no true measure to it. Even babies will feel exagerated pain if something catches them by surprise.

What is there is a mind that, led by traumas, don't feel safety in the body and tries to escape the present moment.
 
You're not alone Salmon I too have been doing mindbody work for 1.5 years and gotten rid of many symptoms along the way and was feeling in a really great place and then boom crippling pain hits in the shoulderblade and down the arm. I also want to believe its a ext burst because I never had severe pain as any of my symptoms. It is difficult but I think just recommitting to the learned practices knowing it will pass
 
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