Just Starting out and Exhausted

Hi. I discovered TMS for the first time last Weds after 4 years of chronic pelvic and upper left hip pain and increasing chronic fatigue since early this summer.

Since discovering TMS, reading Georgie Oldfield's book and then discovering and starting to follow Alan's 21 day program I am starting to feel SO much better and more positive that I can recall feeling in years.

My pain feels more under control (no less painful but somehow I can see it differently) and I have had no pain relief for a week now as I acknowledge that the pain is neural and not physiological.

My question is.....Noting that the idea with TMS is to persuade the brain that you are fine (simplistically!) and that we should therefore resume all normal activities where possible, I have been far more active this week than I have in ages. But I am exhausted!

Do I allow myself to rest and take some pressure off myself or do I keep on pushing through it? I can see reasons for and against both approaches. But I am scared of setting my recovery back!

Help!!

 

It's quite a dilemma, isn't it?!
As you've been doing far more than you usually do of late, it's most likely that the fatigue/exhuastion is purely fatigue/exhaustion that one would expect from doing activity that the body isn't used to and therefore not the TMS manifesting itself in another way because you're now ignoring the pain...I would think that this is especially likely as your pain hasn't lessened at all (as yet).

However, it's difficult to tell for sure what's going on when symptoms do appear (or change, for that matter). In dealing with my own pain pre TMS work, I used to pace myself and rest a lot, but now, with doing TMS work, I still pace myself and rest frequently, but I'm gradually cutting the resting time down - This is in the hope that this will still be enough to be telling my brain that 'I mean business!'...

Don't forget though that the brain can ramp up symptoms in reaction to your taking no notice of it, so if your pain does worsen for you it could be purely down to 'extinction burst' and not because you've done something wrong with your TMS work http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/day-19-extinction-bursts.16651/ (New Program - Day 19: Extinction Bursts). And as you progress with your TMS work your brain is likely to 'try it on' by giving you other symptoms, which also need to be ignored as best you can.

I also think we're probably using a hell of a lot of energy brain-wise to do this TMS work, which I guess may in turn deplete the energy supply to the rest of our body; I thought this article entitled 'New study shows why the brain drains so much of the body's energy' was interesting https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-the-brain-need-s/ (Why Does the Brain Need So Much Power?) Perhaps some mental relaxation regularly throughout the day will help with your fatigue/exhaustion. (I stop everything I'm doing for a short but regular breather and cup my eyes qigong style to give myself a rest and a boost - I just rub my palms together for a few seconds and then cup them over my eyes; for me it brings a lot of relief.)

I hope something I've said might of some help to you. With all good wishes.

 

Wow @BloodMoon thank you so much! There is such an enormous amount of reassurance in your response and I am grateful for it.

I have allowed myself to rest a little and thankfully have found no increase in my pain so far either.

What I am finding fascinating is the fact that as I pay more attention to my inner self, I am starting to see things that I haven't before. I now see that when I am faced with anything that I find emotionally difficult (like anger or frustration or sadness) I feel overwhelmingly like my body wants to shut down. I get very sleepy and my energy vanishes!

Understanding that has led me to journalling about how I feel and this seems to then alleviate the tiredness. It's all making so much more sense now.

Thank you for the links. I am on Day 11 so may keep day 19 as a surprise but I will definitely check out the article you recommend.

 

I agree with Bloodmoon, she has given excellent advice.

I will just add that you try to be mentally relaxed about how much you do, if you push yourself too much it adds to the strain and tension that causes the TMS. I'm so glad you found out about the mind-body, and welcome to the forum!
Lizzy

 

Thank you @Lizzy

This forum is incredible. I never imagined this much support, understanding or hope was even possible!