• Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
  • Welcome to the new TMS Wiki server! Things aren't finished yet: email is not set up, so notification and password-reset emails don't go out, and new registrations are paused until email is installed. Details and updates are in this thread (click here). Locked out? Email tmswikisignups@gmail.com from the address where you receive TMS Wiki notifications.

Day 8 Question to ponder

Thibaut33

New Member
Do you manage to identify the emotions linked to your pain?

This was not an easy question for me to understand. I had to think quite a lot about it.

I live with two main types of pain: lower back pain and body-wide burning sensations.

I have other symptoms, but they are secondary and don’t prevent me from living, unlike the two main ones.

I really had to reflect in order to identify the emotions I feel… I had to think about something for which the answer was actually right in front of me.

I think this shows me how disconnected I am from my emotions.

The emotions I feel when the pain is present are:

First, fear. Even though I understand more and more about TMS every day and I’m convinced of it, this fear is still there, along with tension in my body and a feeling of tightness in my chest.

I can even feel energy and tension circulating through my body.

There is also a certain restlessness, a need to stay active so I don’t think about it, a need to escape. And sometimes a deep fatigue.

I would say fear is the dominant emotion, but I also sometimes feel frustration, like “not again… it’s back…”

When my fear level becomes overwhelming, I either feel deep sadness and cry, or I become angry and irritated with myself, my brain, and my nervous system.

There is also a feeling of discouragement mixed in.

Answering this question took me time, reflection, and analysis.

If I had answered immediately without thinking, I would have said that I feel nothing, or almost nothing.

If I had to explain why I don’t feel them, I would say it’s because I am too focused on the pain, I tend to overanalyze, I don’t know how to recognize my emotions, and I am used to pushing through and overriding them.

This question was difficult for me, but I think I have managed to answer it.
 
This is me 100%.
There is lots of fear. Then there is lots of anger because of the fact that I am suffering every day. And Sadness about the fact that I am not able to enjoy life as much as I did and I envy those who can.

I am also very restless sometimes and when I am active I sometimes rush through my daily activities as if I was running from my pain.

And I am also very fatigued sometimes because it takes so much effort to keep up a happy face and push myself to get up evrry morning and battle through another day.
 
Back
Top