Question about distraction by the brain

[tarala]

I think as a new TMSer (well not entirely new, I've been an Abraham follower for nine years. Has worked brilliantly for everything else, but not pain. Another story ...), I'm having trouble with the idea that my brain is trying to distract me from my emotions. This leaves me feeling somehow flawed, or maybe totally dysfunctional, with a mind and body at war with each other. Anyway, not a good hopeful feeling, but a somewhat depressed one.

It seems to me more that my emotions are desperately trying to tell me I'm not taking care of myself, or a situation isn't good, or whatever. When I don't listen, my mind-body turns up the signal to something I can't ignore, physical pain. Except that I can, and have, until the signals got so loud even I looked deeper. This feels to me like my mind and body are trying to help me, not keep me from helping myself. And the feeling that comes with this is hopeful, and integrated.

Is this just another way of saying the same thing, or am I missing something? It still encourages me to think psychological rather than physical, and makes better sense to me intuitively.

 

[Forest]

Finding a way to explain TMS that makes sense to you is important. Each recovery is different, so do what makes sense to you. One of the biggest factors of recovery is having hope in yourself. If viewing it in this way gives you more hope, than continue to view it in that way.

Whether you want to call it distraction or something else, it is important to understand that our bodies are trying to tell us something by creating the symptoms. When a lot of people first here about TMS they say, but I don't have repressed emotions, or yeah, but I don't have any anger, but their pain and symptoms say otherwise. The clearest sign that a person has repressed emotions is because they have chronic pain. The distraction comes into play because we focus on the symptom instead of our emotions.

One thing that I love about our Peer Network is that lets people know that they are not alone, and that having these conditions is perfectly normal. You are not flawed in any way because you have TMS or you are repressing emotions. This is a condition that affects everyone at some level (Just look at how many people complain of back pain every year).

The idea that we are flawed in some way is actually one of the reasons we have TMS symptoms. We develop TMS because we deem these emotions that we have as being unacceptable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having powerful emotions such as anger or rage. Recovering from TMS simply involves reaching a point where you are more accepting of both yourself and your emotions.