Power of the mind

[Blossom]

I had an interesting occurrence a few days ago I wanted to share.

Basically I've overcome a few of my painful symptoms by having psychotherapy, I still have a long way to go as I have many symptoms. Amongst these is pretty bad anxiety so much so that I'm very much a hermit. I decided to join a dating website a few weeks ago, I've got a date next week and my body is freaking out about it!

I've had hyperacusis for many years but this is one symptom that has become unbearable, we're meeting in a city centre and I am anxious about it being noisy and busy, so it's like my body has created symptoms to stop me from going. It's like muscle spasms all around my ears there's tender spots all around them on my head and my ears are reacting to all sounds by what sounds like a muscle clamping down in and around my ears. My tinnitus has been raging too. I've basically been in bed for the past 3 days because I'm so fatigued. I'm not sure how to tackle this extreme response to the prospect of going on a date! I can see that my body is reacting in this extreme sound sensitivity to stop me from going.

The interesting thing I also wanted to add is I have bladder issues on and off, last time this was a year ago. I know it's tms as it is stress related. As I was trying to get off to sleep a few nights ago in my head I said why don't you have bladder problems then you won't go on your date... And guess what, I woke up with bladder issues! I feel like my mind scares me because I seem to be able to create all this stuff but not switch it off! Help please!

 

[Renee]

Good for you for joining a dating website! I tend to be more susceptible to panic attacks in large, noisy places. What about going to the city centre sometime before the date? Just be with however you feel good or bad when you are there. Show your unconscious mind that you are not afraid no matter what happens. Perhaps doing this before the date will stop or decrease your anxious symptoms.

 

[Blossom]

Thanks for the reply, I've actually now progressed to zero energy so I'm not sure I could visit before, guess I'll see how things go I'll really try to push myself to go but kinda resigning to the fact I may need to reschedule boo

 

[Ftaghn!]

Hey Blossom! I had looots of hyperacusis (it was one of my first TMS symptoms), but I couldn't live without listening to music, so I listened on speakers with low volume and progressively raised it over time. I couldn't even hold a proper conversation. Now my hyperacusis is sort of gone, but it (and tinnitus) follows my stress cycles extremely closely. My sound tolerance also (rarely) crashes, but I just keep going through, and it disappears.

So yeah, my trick has been sort of rudimentary: to just notice, accept ("It's okay, it'll pass"), then pay attention to something else. And over a moderate-to-long period, it got better.

 

[Blossom]

Hi Ftaghn, thank you for the reply that's really encouraging to hear your progress! Hyperacusis and tinnitus was my first symptom too 7 years ago now. It's really affected my life and meant my twenties were spent not having much fun. I'm sure it runs deep with me, stress from childhood. As a toddler I appeared deaf, it's a defence mechanism of mine to block myself from sounds I think. I will try to shift my attention from it. I noticed if I watch a comedy I enjoy I temporarily forget about it. I've also been reading Steve O's book which is helped me realise the body will actually throw any old symptom at you as a distraction, not just pain!