Day 3 Getting back to activity

[MindBodyPT]

I've been liking the structured educational program along with the TMS recovery program, both are such great resources! In addition i'm reading Sarno's more recent book The Divided Mind. All of these things together are inspirational and so helpful in my healing.

I wanted to post my response to the Day 3 question to ponder here, as a physical therapist who is always trying to encourage people to get more active, i'm now encouraging myself to get slowly but surely back to activity as I recover.

-When was the last time you exercised or did another physical activity? Just this morning, in fact!


-What was this activity? I did a 3 mile walk in my neighborhood with my husband and a 30 minute gentle yoga session at home with a video.


-How did it make you feel physically and emotionally? Relaxed, happy, exhilarated not to have much back pain. When a little pain did come up I reminded myself it was conditioning and TMS related and to keep on going.


-If it is has been a while since you last exercised, why? As a physical therapist I tried to push through the back pain before I discovered TMS. I had been working out with a trainer (with a bunch of restrictions to protect my spine that I now realize I no longer need). When the TMS pain got really bad recently I stopped for fear of exacerbating the injury.

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, MindBodyPT. You are doing most of the right things to heal, but you don't mention if you are journaling, to discover repressed emotions, or to learn if you are a perfectionist or goodist person. Discovering the emotional causes of back and other pain can help you to be totally well again. It's great that you are being so active again... the long walk and yoga. That will give you a huge morale boost. You're well on your way to healing. Hooray!

 

[MindBodyPT]

Hi Walt,

Good point, I didn't mention that (it feels personal and a little uncomfortable to post here but important)- but yes I am journaling!

I have been working through multiple causes of my back pain and why it really spiked this past summer. I believe I have the unconscious emotions of fear/rage/anxiety relating to several things... to my husband's reaction to my pain and anxiety (though he was supportive he would sometimes get burned out), moving to a new city and into a new home and having many positive but stressful life changes, and current events/election/politics in the US (I won't get too political on this forum but suffice it to say many of us have been very stressed and anxious over this!)

I also definitely saw myself in the TMS personality...maybe not as much the perfectionism but definitely the goodism/people pleasing. I tend to put my friends and family first (sometimes above myself), volunteer and over schedule myself frequently and sometimes go along with things even if I don't agree if the situation isn't comfortable. The other TMS personality trait I identify with is the anxious one. I have a high degree of conscientiousness/anxiety that has allowed me to be successful in my professional life but that has caused a good amount of anxiety in the last year or two, and really increased with all this back pain! Journaling and talking to my husband and a few close friends has helped me work through all of this too.

Thanks for encouraging me to answer this question and be open here!

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi again. It isn't necessary to post personal things if they make you uncomfortable. We don't have to know the details of what you may be repressing, so long a you recognize them.

Maybe try to let up on "goodism." Don't stop wanting to help others, just slow down a little.