Day 8 Progress Report - a lot less pain!

[LadyA]

I've been diving deep into my past and my emotions. My pain flared up one day really bad, but eased up by night and has been okay since. The pain that started in my neck since May lessened by a lot, some days I'm completely pain free, but it moved to my right shoulder blade. It feels like a muscle knot, a lot of tightness and some pain, but this pain doesn't worry me or debilitate me because I realize it's TMS since Dr. Sarno legit told me it would move and it did. Weird that he called that if it isn't TMS.

My anxiety and fear has gone way down. I'm not bothered by the pain I do have, instead preferring to just focus on handling my past and relaxing in the present. I've noticed my pain gets worse if I'm stressed out or anxious, and my anxiety comes out as anger.

So when I feel pain, I have a little routine:

1. I stop what I'm doing and I close my eyes.
2. I take three to five deep breaths, filling up the bottom of my stomach with air.
3. I visualize that air as oxygen filling my neck and shoulders, sometimes I visualize a tornado blowing through that area, other times I visualize red blood sweeping through like a wave with my entire awareness on the area where pain is.
4. I actively release the tension in my shoulders until that area is completely relaxed.
5. Then I visualize a light switch in my mind and I flip the switch off and tell my brain gently but firmly to shut off the pain a few times like a mantra.

Usually this works to make the pain go away or at least makes it much less. Sometimes it works right away. It doesn't always work instantly, though. Sometimes it works on a delay, I'll realize after about a half hour to an hour that the pain is gone or doesn't bother me as much.

Hopefully that helps someone else. It helps me.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

@LadyA, I read your Day 1 posts with tears in my eyes and such sadness for you. But I'm smiling now, reading your hope and progress.

Do you listen to podcasts? They have been the one thing that has saved me in this total disaster of a year. Alan Gordon started a podcast in March called Tell Me About Your Pain, which I get on Google, which means it's probably available everywhere. The most recent one is amazing and is helping me through yet another 2020 setback. It's titled "Can Changing My Thoughts Improve My Pain?" and of course the answer is Yes!

@Wheelchair told you that it's okay to feel the negative emotions, and that's because they have to be acknowledged, because your poor brain is using those to try to protect you. Accepting them with self compassion and comfort is the goal. Regularly reminding your fear brain that you're safe (and hopefully you are!) is another goal.

You're an amazingly strong person to still be standing after all you've been through. Standing up for ourselves, TO ourselves, is often the hardest battle of all, so remember that, and keep it up!

 

[LadyA]

@LadyA, I read your Day 1 posts with tears in my eyes and such sadness for you. But I'm smiling now, reading your hope and progress.

Do you listen to podcasts? They have been the one thing that has saved me in this total disaster of a year. Alan Gordon started a podcast in March called Tell Me About Your Pain, which I get on Google, which means it's probably available everywhere. The most recent one is amazing and is helping me through yet another 2020 setback. It's titled "Can Changing My Thoughts Improve My Pain?" and of course the answer is Yes!

@Wheelchair told you that it's okay to feel the negative emotions, and that's because they have to be acknowledged, because your poor brain is using those to try to protect you. Accepting them with self compassion and comfort is the goal. Regularly reminding your fear brain that you're safe (and hopefully you are!) is another goal.

You're an amazingly strong person to still be standing after all you've been through. Standing up for ourselves, TO ourselves, is often the hardest battle of all, so remember that, and keep it up!

Thank you so much for your kind words. I appreciate them so much. I'll have to check out his podcast, it sounds very beneficial. I finally have hope and I've made tremendous progress, my neck often feels completely back to normal now which makes me laugh with glee several times a day. Occasionally, I feel a twinge of pain still, but I just remind myself that it's TMS and that I'm probably just stressed out and that seems to help. This program has been such a life saver, I've learned so much about the mind-body connection, it's incredible.