Need Help! My mind is getting the best of me

I had a baby a week ago and I don't know if it's postpartum hormones or what but my TMSing and anxiety is out of control. I had a UTI this week that really freaked me out and finally started feeling better and got to the bottom of it and all of a sudden a few minutes ago, my back went into spasm and I'm freaking out again and getting jittery. Please send your words of wisdom!!

 

Hi COgirl,
I can say that I see you are suffering. I know from your past postings that you have developed skills to deal with a racing mind, and "relapse" type experiences. I wish you great courage and steadfastness in engaging what you know how to do. When you engage the skills you have, I bet you'll feel better! Good luck in this...
Andy B.

 

Cogirl,
Congrats on your new baby!
Right now hormones, the changes as your body returns to normal, lack of sleep and the stresses of mothering a second child add up to real physical stuff and the perfect opportunity for tms to fake you out. Anything physical will pass with time, tms might try to make you believe otherwise. As Andy said, you have the skills you need. The UTI could be from the mind, or the birth, but you know the freaking out was your mind. We all do that, our minds just grab every opportunity! Your back was the mind, don't listen to your mind when it tries to freak you out about it, it is perfectly normal, you just don't accept it anymore!

I hope you're able to relax into this time, nothing really matters right now except your little family. Relationships are all, everything else is so pale in comparison!

Warm wishes to you,
Lizzy

 

Ok, I have had similar experiences with anxiety and TMS after giving birth. I am not sure what kind of support you have, but try as much as possible to slow things down and trust that you are alright. Even with the TMS, anxiety, UTI, back spasm...you are okay. What can you do to take the edge off just a little? Can you think of anything soothing? If not, get a guided meditation, lay on you bed and listen to it and breathe. Even five minutes a few times a day will help. This is a time of rest. I know that sounds silly with a newborn to take care of but everyone around you will understand if you ask for their help and don't expect anything from yourself for at least 2-3 more weeks beyond resting as much as you can, sleep when the baby sleeps. I remember a shoulder spasm I had after my daughter was born(my second child). I was chasing down doctors and freaking out when I should have just stopped. I know its not easy but the most important thing is to know that all of this is fine and there is nothing wrong. The back spasm will pass.

 

We are on the same boat! Had my little one 2 months ago and I got the worst symtoms ever I thought I was going to kill myself. Sorry for that but it was horrible. With post partum depression to TMS symptoms one after the other. I am still a work in progress always checking out the forum to find support but it is not as bad as it was a month ago. I do think it is my personality reacting to the massive change of motherhood thus causing TMS. But I am still figuring out how to deal with all of this.

But on a good note, I was able to get rid of the back pain that I got after 2 weeks of giving birth. I told myself this is just TMS due to this new event in my life and I am not going to be scared of this pain. It did go away. No more back pains at all now. But still working on my other symptoms.

 

The biggest thing for me is not engaging in the fearful thoughts that TMS throws at me. I feel a twinge or think that maybe I have another type of infection that they missed and then the panic starts. I was doing so well with not letting that happen before I had the baby, but now I feel like the hormonal swings are making it more difficult, but I can do this! I've done it several times before and I have to keep telling myself I can!

 

Yes you can! We can do this!!!

 

Xanamcx That's good news to hear. This is my second baby and I got some symptoms after my first but I didn't know about TMS until about 10 months after he was born. It was not a fun time, but once I found out about TMS, the symptoms started dissipating. I actually got the book cure for several months. Then another stressful time in my life happened last November and the symptoms started again. I talked to a TMS therapist and he helped me a ton and I felt like I was finally getting to the bottom of this. Pregnancy was ok - I had some TMS but was able to combat a lot of it. I did, however, worry about getting symptoms postpartum my whole pregnancy, so I set myself up. This week I got the UTI and the doctors didn't detect it at first and that sent me into a downward spiral and then the back pain also started. I know my back pain is always TMS, so I'm trying to remember that and stay calm, but easier said than done. It always resolves at some point, so I know this will too. I find myself being really short with my husband and 2.5 yo little boy right now.

 

Thank you for the encouragement. Sometimes I feel like I have so far to go to overcome this, but I really want to do the work. It seems so easy in theory, yet so hard to get your body out of fight or flight.

 

For me it was the opposite. I was so sure that I can do this motherhood thing and that I am somewhat cured of my issues or what but things were just crazy. Had a traumatic birth (emergency cs) and my baby (first) is not an easy baby. He is quite fussy and doesn't sleep well. My husband is not really supportive of me being depressed and stuff because he has a different kind of personality. But he is a hands on father so that's good enough for me.

I want to see a TMS therapist as well to help me figure out the main cause of my symptoms but I live in the UK.

 

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Practitioner Liz DydeLiz Dyde, BACP (Therapist)
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Practitioner Louise LevyLouise Levy (Therapist)
Louise has a Master's degree in Guidance Counseling and diplomas in both Clinical Advanced Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Hypno-Psychotherapy (Hypno-CBT). Louise was one of the first practitioners to go through the SIRPA Practitioner Training Programme with Georgie Oldfield, MCSP, and became an Advanced Specialist of Chronic Pain in 2011. She says, “Working as a therapist means I am consulted on a range of conditions affecting the mind and the body. I am particularly passionate about supporting people with TMS and chronic pain as I myself suffered from severe TMS back pain for 12 years.” Louise offers both face to face and telephone consultations.

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Practitioner Georgie OldfieldGeorgina Oldfield, MCSP (Physiotherapist)
Georgie Oldfield is a physiotherapist based in the UK. She is the founder of SIRPA (The Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners Association), an organization dedicated to educating and training practitioners and other professionals in TMS treatment. Georgie is the organizer of SIRPA's inaugural conference, “Chronic Pain: to suppress, manage, or cure?”.

Georgie is the author of the 2014 TMS book Chronic Pain: Your Key to Recovery, which includes information about TMS as well as worksheets and exercises and stories from people who successfully overcame their TMS. She has also developed an online recovery program as well as a recovery CD, and runs monthly clinics in London.

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“Despite being a Physiotherapist, Dr Sarno's concept and approach was not a surprise to me. For many years prior to coming across this work in 2007 I had been looking for the answer to the many inconsistencies I had been observing with my own patients. I had also already begun to realise that pain often did not appear to be related to the structural problems patients had been diagnosed with. Coming across TMS was an epiphany moment for me and has completely changed my whole understanding and therefore how I work. Having seen the remarkable and often life changing recoveries in my own patients, I am passionate about working with people with TMS/PPD and 100% of my time over the past few years has been developing this work and raising the profile in the UK.
“Since developing SIRPA I continue to work in a clinical role working with people who suffer from TMS/PPD. Although based in Yorkshire I also run regular assessment clinics in London and Bristol. Through SIRPA I also run training courses for other regulated Health Professionals in order to help them integrate this approach into their own work. Our aim is to raise the profile of this work by increasing the awareness of stress illness to the public and Practitioners as well as the Medical world.”
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A physiotherapist is very similar to a doctor, in that they can make diagnoses and order medical tests. A physiotherapist in the UK is very similar to a Physical Therapist in the United States.

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Lettuce Dance said, "I eventually went to see Georgie Oldfield in Huddersfield in Yorkshire. It was a bit of a slog getting there, but it was well worth it. (Even filling out the pre-appointment assessment on my family, background and past illnesses was very revealing.)

I visited her in February, and felt an immediate improvement. For me, the fact that she comes from a physiotherapy background, and thoroughly understands the mechanics of one's body, was very helpful.

I chose to do her programme, which I followed in a fairly informal fashion, as I was bogged down with a big work project at the time. The programme included a series of follow-up appointments, which we did via Skype: these were really good. She went to great lengths to help me. I found her sympathetic and professional."



Practitioner Jane ParkinsonJane Parkinson, UKCP (Therapist)
Jane Parkinson is a registered psychoanalytic psychotherapist in the United Kingdom. She trained at the Bowlby Centre and has over twenty years of clinical experience, 7 of those years has involved patients with TMS. In October of 2012, she attended the PPDA Conference: When Stress Causes Pain, where she developed relationships with other TMS practitioners. Parkinson uses an Attachment-based form of psychotherapy that has at its core an understanding of the importance of relationships to human growth and development throughout life. In addition, she works with TMS physician Nick Straiton, and does conduct therapy sessions using Skype.(Source)

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Nicholas Straiton, MBBS (Physician)
Dr. Straiton is an English doctor based in Brighton. He writes: “I am a medical practitioner and registered osteopath who works in the NHS but also has a private practice where I treat patients suffering from musculo-skeletal disorders. For the last ten years I have been working in the NHS for the Back Pain Service at the local hospital. I have always been interested in psychosomatic medicine and a few years ago a psychotherapist colleague introduced me to Dr Sarno's books. His description of the frustration of working in a hospital environment where high tech investigations and treatment strategies fail to alleviate many people suffering from back pain mirrored exactly my own experience . I became fascinated by his approach and eventually went out to New York to sit in at his clinics at the Rusk institute in order to learn first hand the process that he uses to diagnose and treat patients with TMS. This experience was truly valuable and enriching to the degree that I would say that my practice has changed significantly since that time. I believe that many, but not all, of patients suffering with chronic back pain are manifesting emotional distress through a physical symptom and for any long lasting relief to be achieved the factors relevant to this distress need to be recognised and addressed.” (Source)

Dr. Straiton also works at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine. This is an NHS hospital, which means that patients can be referred him for TMS treatment at the hospital without having to pay.

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Honora Totman

 

Also, keep in mind that the hormone progesterone (the happy hormone) drops significantly for the first couple weeks, even months, after giving birth. So, just remind your brain that your hormones really do need "recovery" time and that you are going to be kind to yourself right now and not have any expectations of what you "should" be feeling or what you did successfully in the past. Having a baby is a BIG deal. Give your system some space to regulate back to balance.

 

That's pretty interesting, what would be the evolutionary reason for that?

 

I'm still having the back spasms and I'm trying to stay positive Ghst they arefoi g to go away but I can feel my system feeling tense and panicky about it. I have the tendency to TMS, feel defeated and go into that whAt if thinking. I want to get to the point where I can believe thus is TMS 100% and not give a shit about the pain!

 

Hi, COgirl. Tennis Tom and the kind ladies have given you great replies, more than I can give as a bachelor.

I like your latest reply, about believing 100 percent i n TMS and not giving a xxxx about the pain. That's our girl!

 

It's probably the "evolutionary" way for women to not get pregnant again too soon following birth. Progesterone is needed for the egg to take hold.

Progesterone, aka the “pro-gestation,” hormone, prepares the uterus for implantation, makes it healthy for a successful pregnancy, and is essential for the growth and development of your baby.

During pregnancy, progesterone relaxes your joints and muscles and allows the pelvis to open up. It slows down the intestinal tract so acid reflux and constipation are common complaints. The hormone also increases your temperature to keep your baby warm, which explains why you’re always warm or have night sweats. After delivery, progesterone levels drop and don’t return to normal until you start ovulating and your normal menstrual cycle returns.

 

Hi Cogirl05,
This is a wonderful aim. Also, reading your words, have a lot of tenderness and compassion for your situation. I know my own fear, my own sense of defeat. Just allowing the way things are right now, with all the fear and anxiety, in yourself, may help support your own self-love...
Andy B.

 

↑
MW: "Also, keep in mind that the hormone progesterone (the happy hormone) drops significantly for the first couple weeks, even months, after giving birth."

TT: "That's pretty interesting, what would be the evolutionary reason for that?"

Thanks for the explanation, what I was getting at was from TMS/emotional perspective, why would mother nature not want a mother to be "happy" after childbirth?