Hi Ellen
I'm having a stumbling block and was hoping your experience would help. Since I know fibromyalgia isn't structural like some other TMS manifestations I know I can't physically harm my body but I'm terrified of almost all activity since I associate Activity (even simple things like mptying the dishwasher or doing laudry) with increased pain. For me the increased pain is usually not immediate but creeps up hours later or the next day. I want to know how to increase my physical activity without reinforcing the pain cycle. Do I just keep exercising every day as a #**# you to the pain? As you can probably appreciate the idea of increasing pain is really scary and causes much anxiety. Any advice you have for me would be appreciated.
Hi Ellen
I'm having a stumbling block and was hoping your experience would help. Since I know fibromyalgia isn't structural like some other TMS manifestations I know I can't physically harm my body but I'm terrified of almost all activity since I associate Activity (even simple things like mptying the dishwasher or doing laudry) with increased pain. For me the increased pain is usually not immediate but creeps up hours later or the next day. I want to know how to increase my physical activity without reinforcing the pain cycle. Do I just keep exercising every day as a #**# you to the pain? As you can probably appreciate the idea of increasing pain is really scary and causes much anxiety. Any advice you have for me would be appreciated.
Hi Ange,
I just wanted to let you know that I seem to be in the exact same boat as you. I have pain on some level all, or most, of the time, but pain brings an increase in pain (everywhere, but especially burning in my legs and feet) some time
after activity. My fear is focused on walking - just everyday walking from here to there. I can do very little without a huge increase in pain, which of course means I'm scared of walking. I've had some success by increasing walking and other activity very slightly bit by bit by very tiny amounts - this increases confidence and does increase range of activity, but it's not a 'cure', as the fear is still there, and my functionality is still very low.
I have been able to challenge some of the specific fears - for example, I feared, like you, that emptying the dishwasher would be followed by pain, and to some extent it was true, but I tried doing some of it, then a little more, and now I just do it as a matter of course without fear. The same has been true of playing the piano, climbing stairs, and doing some other simple household tasks. Sometimes I do still feel fear - and sometimes I do get more pain - but because it's become part of my routine, I take it more in my stride.
The point, I think, is to learn to handle the
fear of more pain. There are different approaches to this. Personally, I think it's counter-productive to 'fight', or 'try to eliminate' fear. That way you just increase pressure on yourself. Like other emotions, I think fear needs to be accepted. I'm learning to treat fear of pain as I treat other emotions. I try to feel it when I'm aware of it, accept it, and then I try to become aware of a different (an adult or parental or wise or observing part of self) that is able to tolerate the fear. This hasn't resulted in my suddenly being able to do tons of stuff I haven't been able to do, but it's gradually teaching me that I don't need to fear the fear of pain, which is a step in the right direction.
I'm finding that working with a somatic psychotherapist is helping me to handle emotions I'm scared of. I can't help but be aware of the metaphors involved in my particular brand of chronic pain/fibromyalgia/TMS: it seems my mindbody has tried (clumsily, like a child) to solve my issues surrounding boundaries and self-efficacy in this way, but in allowing more and more of my adult/wise self to have a voice while feeling and expressing my feelings (especially the feelings of the very young part of myself), I can gradually reduce the unconscious need for pain. At least I hope so! A long time has passed and there hasn't been much change in my pain levels or even my fear of further pain, but I think that at the very least, I can be happier in myself by continuing on this path.
