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Day 8 Recognising the emotions connected to sensations

J

Jala

New Member
Hi all,

I've been reading about TMS for the last six months and working on exercises and journalling through Curable but I think I found the lack of structure a little difficult in terms of keeping the momentum going. Doubts and fears are what have stopped me from keeping on with this work consistently. I was very happy to discover this programme as a way to have guidance through these daily exercises.

I had a really interesting experience a couple of weeks ago - I began experiencing shortness of breath again and started to feel panicked. I have had this on and off since having covid two years ago. I've been to the emergency department and my doctor about it and there is no cause found for it. Anyway, I was driving when this symptom started up again and I had this sudden realisation that it was connected to the fear about bushfires. There had been smoke the day before and a fire put out near our house. After bushfires threatened our home a few years back I think it's made me very fearful. As soon as I thought about this connection the sensation diminished and over the next day it disappeared. This was really helpful for my evidence list that my symptoms are being created by my brain, not an actual physical cause.

The other really interesting one has been whenever there's been even the slightest feeling of conflict with another person that my dizzy/vertigo/lightheaded sensations get way worse. They may have been there in the background but they come on strongly as soon as I get anxious about potentially having to confront someone or have a difficult conversation. (These are things I have tended to avoid).

Lastly, my symptoms seem to improve when I go for my daily walk and listen to podcasts about anxiety and/or TMS. But then standing still doing dishes or cooking or other stationary activities make my symptoms worse. I haven't yet made a connection with emotions on this one, except possibly that it is simply the fear and worry that the symptoms might appear making them appear. Any comments or insights welcome, thanks!!
 
Keep up your work with the SEP @Jala, it sounds like you're on the right path. In the meantime, you can achieve short-term relief from symptoms like yours by simply stopping very briefly, taking a few mindful deep breaths and clearing your mind of whatever negative chatter is going on inside your head by reminding yourself that you're safe.

Breathing is a great way to stop the anxiety cycle, plus extra oxygen is good for you! If you can, drink some water as well. Visualize the oxygen and the water doing good things for your body.

I myself have suffered from vague dizziness and imbalance for, gosh, well over 20 years. As I take my deep breaths, I keep doing whatever - shopping for example - and I'll only realize much later (if I recall at all) that the symptoms must have quickly dissipated.

I recently posted a link to a roundup of a bunch of articles about breathing techniques. Today I posted a link to a really good interview with the author of a 2021 book about the neuroscience behind our inner Chatter, and what we can do about it.
 
Thanks for your reply. I have been doing the deep breaths, accepting symptoms and focusing on releasing tension in my muscles whenever I get the dizzy feelings, which are my most frequent symptoms. It does take the edge off, but it seems to just keep returning, even just a minute later, over and over again. Is this a common thing to deal with when first facing the symptoms properly?

I'll check out your links, thanks!!
 
Jala said:
Is this a common thing to deal with when first facing the symptoms properly?
Click to expand...
Speaking very generally about all kinds of symptoms, there is a phenomenon that Dr. Sarno called "the symptom imperative", also sometimes referred to as an "extinction burst". Both of these terms refer to an experience which is very common among people who are making progress on their deeper emotional journey, which is that the TMS brain mechanism will start to fight back. People often describe increased symptoms, old symptoms returning, or new symptoms appearing - along with, quite often, increased or new anxiety, and sometimes even depression.

This is all good news, because it's proof of the TMS brain mechanism at work. This could easily be what you are experiencing, because your brain desperately NEEDS you to be anxious and fearful - the reason is that it literally believes that what it senses as your constant stress in today's modern world might be a sabre-tooth tiger hiding behind the next tree waiting to eat you. That's how primitive our TMS mechanism is. The poor thing is doing its best to keep you safe, not understanding that it isn't healthy to be keeping you in constant fight-or-flight 24/7 in today's world, which for most of us, very thankfully, is actually physically quite safe. So that's what you're dealing with. The key to managing your TMS brain is to talk back to it, literally using the third person, and assure it that you're perfectly safe and you aren't in any danger of being hurt at all. My personal favorite "talk-back" phrase is "Hey, this (whatever symptom) isn't necessary!"

Give it a try!

I always say that Hope & Help For Your Nerves by Claire Weekes was the second book that saved my life, after The Divided Mind (Dr Sarno's last book). Awesome little book.
 
@Jala, I really enjoyed reading your posts because you describe what's going on with you so well. I can really relate.

As for the symptoms hanging around when you're doing certain activities (the stationary activities you describe; or when you're in a difficult conversation, especially when conflict could show up), I think if you keep consistent with those practices (the program, daily walks, podcasts, etc.), you'll leave the symptoms behind more and more. It's like you're training your brain that things are safe.
And, I like that idea @JanAtheCPA describes about talking to yourself. I just did that again yesterday. And, I need to be doing it more.

Here is Dan Buglio discussing "the symptom imperative." It takes him a bit to think through/examine the ideas as he presents:

His videos can be super helpful. It depends on style and what you connect with...
 
Thank you Jan and Bonnard for your replies and ideas.

I've enjoyed Dan Buglio's videos, will definitely go and watch this one now :)
 
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