How to deal with triggers?

[mokshamoksha]

I posted earlier about what I've been going through, suspecting I have TMS. I've since decided I 100% have TMS. My symptoms are sporadic internal cystitis, that can/has lead to full-blown UTIs. Things have settled down a little since my first post, because I think I'm getting my head around the fact that this is TMS. My main situation now is "triggers" - bedtime is when this gremlin rears its head, and suddenly I'm peeing 18 times and anxious that I may get a UTI, can't sleep etc. I'm taking some sleep meds to calm me down, but of course I'd rather just go to sleep calmly and naturally. Insomnia has always been an issue for me, so the fusing of TMS/bladder and insomnia is a beast.

Any tips on how to beat this pattern?

Thank you!

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Greetings and welcome, moksha.

I have actually used nighttime visualization/meditation/self-talk for decades, long before I discovered Dr. Sarno and my own TMS. Visualization, which is really just a form of meditation, is very effective and very powerful when done before going to sleep. You are basically talking to your brain, calming yourself, and visualizing a positive sleep experience without symptoms.

It's not as easy as I make it sound, because just like in traditional meditation, your brain will side-track you with distractions and negative thoughts, so you need to stay focused. It might help to do a little bit of writing before lying down - telling yourself that you are capable of sleeping through the night without having to get up (or maybe just once).

Actually, bedtime is a great time to practice your free-writing in order to clear your mind of the day's irritations, stresses, and distractions, and to remind yourself of the good things that happened during the day. Then the last thing you write down is your "plan" to sleep well without getting up for totally unnecessary urination. You can use those words - tell your brain that this is not acceptable, because it's not necessary, and that you deserve to get a good night's sleep.

And also, if you haven't done so, start doing the SEP - our free Structured Educational Program. It will teach you how to free-write in order to free your mind.

Good luck!