Recurring fear of symptoms (even after doing well for weeks)

[introverted]

Hi all,

One of my biggest struggles with this TMS journey has to do with cycles. I'm sure many of you have been there. I can go a few days (and up to a couple of weeks, sometimes a bit longer) accepting my symptoms and not fighting or resisting them or being afraid of them.

Then, all of a sudden, out of the blue, on any given day I can start to become afraid again. When this happens, I do my best to calm myself down and remind myself of everything I know to be factual about TMS. But sometimes the fear lingers and causes me to spiral downwards into a nasty setback which can usually take 1-2 weeks to work myself out of. Then I'll start accepting and not being afraid of my symptoms anymore, but on any given day the same old fears can pop up and scare me, sending me back into the loop again.

1) Why can you feel so well emotionally for weeks, and then all of a sudden become afraid and start to panic again? I know what my symptoms are, I know the cause, and I know the solution -- and I can do well for a while but for seemingly no reason at all, on any given day I can suddenly feel the symptoms and become afraid again.

2) How does one come to a point where the cycles finally stop, and he/she finally comes to a place where the fear is extinguished for good? Is this just practice and persistence?

Thanks for any help and encouragement!

 

[Andy Bayliss]

Hi introverted,

2) How does one come to a point where the cycles finally stop, and he/she finally comes to a place where the fear is extinguished for good? Is this just practice and persistence?

Yes, this is just practice and persistence, in my experience. You see the patterns, you live the patterns, and eventually they lessen. I don't think there is a short cut. The only suggestion I can make is that whatever technique you are using to regain your center when the pattern sinks you again, use that technique, and refine that technique so that it can be used with more ease, and perhaps as you go along through time, even without symptoms. It may be that you can feel the undertow sooner, and address it? The best stance you can have is to witness the fear, accept set-backs, and perhaps ignore my comment about "doing it better." I think the less you fight it, the more easily it will pass, and remember, this is not a failure on your part, these setbacks.

1) Why can you feel so well emotionally for weeks, and then all of a sudden become afraid and start to panic again? I know what my symptoms are, I know the cause, and I know the solution -- and I can do well for a while but for seemingly no reason at all, on any given day I can suddenly feel the symptoms and become afraid again.

This is another place where simply witnessing and accepting may be your best approach. What I hear is that you don't see it coming and you don't know what triggers it. That's where you are.

I believe this pattern will become less acute over time until it goes away. Each time you go through this, you are learning down deep.

Congratulations with your wonderful progress so far.

Andy B.

 

[Boston Redsox]

It's part of the process the more you go threw this merry go round of hell the stronger you get and your unconscious will slowly get weaker.

 

[introverted]

Hi introverted,



Yes, this is just practice and persistence, in my experience. You see the patterns, you live the patterns, and eventually they lessen. I don't think there is a short cut. The only suggestion I can make is that whatever technique you are using to regain your center when the pattern sinks you again, use that technique, and refine that technique so that it can be used with more ease, and perhaps as you go along through time, even without symptoms. It may be that you can feel the undertow sooner, and address it? The best stance you can have is to witness the fear, accept set-backs, and perhaps ignore my comment about "doing it better." I think the less you fight it, the more easily it will pass, and remember, this is not a failure on your part, these setbacks.



This is another place where simply witnessing and accepting may be your best approach. What I hear is that you don't see it coming and you don't know what triggers it. That's where you are.

I believe this pattern will become less acute over time until it goes away. Each time you go through this, you are learning down deep.

Congratulations with your wonderful progress so far.

Andy B.

Thank you Andy, as always. Your advice and encouragement is always so uplifting.