Day 8 pain-emotion connection

This is an answer to "Question to ponder"...
"Recognizing emotions being connected to pain?"
For me, not in a direct way. When I feel pain, I don't feel stressed/sad about something at the same time. I'm telling the pain "I know you're there because of repressed emotion," that's the only connection.
"How do the emotions make you feel?"
The emotions during pain? I don't have any. While freewriting, however, I feel everything! Tears have been flowing! I think that's good.

But did I misunderstand part of that question?

 

Hi, fullclout. I think it's great that you feel so much emotion while freewriting/journaling that you shed some tears.
That means you're really experiencing the repressed emotion causing TMS pain.

I hope you also feel good and that you are healing, which I believe you are.

 

Hi fullclout, and welcome!

I went back to Day 8 to read the question, which is "Are you having success at recognizing the emotions connected to your pain?".

It sounds like you are having success in finding emotions through journaling, and that you accept the concept that it's repressed emotions which are the cause of your symptoms. I think the question is asking if you feel like you've discovered the connection between specific emotions and your symptoms.

I don't recall this being something that I was able to answer - and in fact I'm not sure I could answer it now, 3 years later and with a lot of success behind me (and still in front, too!) For me, the acceptance of the concept of repressed emotions was easy, but discovering what they were, was quite difficult. At the time, all I felt was anxiety - it took me longer to connect my anxiety with the core issues of isolation and mortality (in particular) and relate them back to my childhood when I felt rather lonely and isolated, even though I had a reasonably healthy and secure childhood.

Anyway - it's an interesting question, and I bet there are plenty of people who have no problem immediately connecting specific emotions with their symptoms. But if you aren't one of them, well, join the club!

And keep up the good work - it sounds like you're on the right track.

~Jan

 

Thank you both for your answers and warm welcome! I really appreciate your info and support. I guess I did know pretty quickly which events affected me enough to add to that list because those things have shaped me and made me the way I am today (lacking confidence, second guessing myself).

Do you think it would be helpful to do a freewrite while in flare up? It's been 3 weeks since I read Healing Back Pain, and it's Day 9 on the program. So far, my pain is still always with me like it has been or 2 years, worse at times, but my attitude towards it has defititely changed, the fear of pain is gone (this has been great; I even did a workout I haven't done in ages using moves I was told to avoid like squats and lunges and it was totally fine, I will go back to capoeira next week, I'm so happy that someone has finally said it's ok to do whatever physical activities tou enjoy). However, last night towards the end of work, my leg (sciatica) was real bad. I dont think I was fearful, but I just wanted relief! I got home and just lay on the couch, had my husband applying pressure and massage, helped a bit. Now I'm wondering if, when the pain is screaming, what if I did a freewrite? I'm still hoping for a magic moment like some I've read on here where the pain just goes away... I realize it will be different for everyone though.

 

About freewriting during a pain flare-up, I would try taking my mind off anything that could cause pain.
Writing, journaling, only keeps your find focused on the causes of the pain.
The pain may not go away "by magic," but you are healing. It's great that you are doing some physical exercise.
That helps take your mind off pain and gives you confidence and good feelings about yourself and your progress.

I find that distractions like watching a good movie or nature or animal documentary on tv takes my mind off
any pain or problem.