armchairlinguist
Peer Supporter
I had the funniest experience today. I'm doing the SEP because I've had trouble getting rid of my foot pain and finally thought I should do something systematic instead of scattershot. So what did I come across today except my own Success Story from RSI as reading material! 
And it says "If you see yourself in this story, write a short forum post about your comparison." So obviously I see myself in this story...since I am myself!
Actually, I re-read it pretty early on, a few months ago when I started over on TMS stuff again, and it did inspire me, so it's still a good story. Sometimes I wish my foot pain was as easy to deal with as my RSI, actually. It's not, probably because it started out of a real injury and so I had/have a lot of fear. I also don't have as much desperation. When it's not bothering me much I'm very functional in a daily type of way, and I'm afraid of overdoing, so it keeps me confined in a narrow band of functionality - just enough, not quite enough.
The SEP seems to be helping, though. I'm walking more and thinking about pain less - the pain that comes on randomly seems to be mostly gone (it would just happen sitting at my desk). And a regular walk usually won't cause a lot of pain, though it starts up with heat at longer distances. Mostly what triggers it now is some perception that I did something "difficult" or "weird" with my foot. So yesterday I walked home from the library (over a mile) but it was feeling weird just before, so I had a lot of trouble and had to do a lot of self talk. Of course it was fine today, so that was reassuring.
Still, I have a ways to go to decondition, de-fear, and stop using some of the metaphorical crutches like keeping a pillow under the covers so my foot doesn't bend in a weird way. But the SEP is helping and I'm glad for that.
And it says "If you see yourself in this story, write a short forum post about your comparison." So obviously I see myself in this story...since I am myself!Actually, I re-read it pretty early on, a few months ago when I started over on TMS stuff again, and it did inspire me, so it's still a good story. Sometimes I wish my foot pain was as easy to deal with as my RSI, actually. It's not, probably because it started out of a real injury and so I had/have a lot of fear. I also don't have as much desperation. When it's not bothering me much I'm very functional in a daily type of way, and I'm afraid of overdoing, so it keeps me confined in a narrow band of functionality - just enough, not quite enough.
The SEP seems to be helping, though. I'm walking more and thinking about pain less - the pain that comes on randomly seems to be mostly gone (it would just happen sitting at my desk). And a regular walk usually won't cause a lot of pain, though it starts up with heat at longer distances. Mostly what triggers it now is some perception that I did something "difficult" or "weird" with my foot. So yesterday I walked home from the library (over a mile) but it was feeling weird just before, so I had a lot of trouble and had to do a lot of self talk. Of course it was fine today, so that was reassuring.
Still, I have a ways to go to decondition, de-fear, and stop using some of the metaphorical crutches like keeping a pillow under the covers so my foot doesn't bend in a weird way. But the SEP is helping and I'm glad for that.
