Relapse troubles

Waterbear

Waterbear

Peer Supporter
Hi Everyone,

I haven't been around in a long while, which was because I was pain free.

I've gone a bit backwards, and I'm having a tough time of it so I was hoping for little guidance. Anyone else come through a relapse?

I recently went freelance and became an independent illustrator in Sept 2016. Things were going way better than I thought they would, only minor troubles.

I'm going to a very important conference (flying alone for the first time) next week plus I just signed my first book deal. My wrist and elbow are all sorts of angry and I can't get them the calm down. I'm doing tons of drawing but I was doing that before too.

So, any tips would be great.

Much love,
Sarah
 
Hello Sarah,

If I may ask, what kind of pain do you suffer from, and how did it first start? I am an independent artist suffering from severe wrist pain as a result of working too hard a couple of years back. Havent been able to cure it yet, and it moves around to my fingers, up into my elbow and even my shoulder sometimes. Very sporadic. I'm wondering if the sort of pain you get is similar to mine. Mine can be anything from a muscular ache to a sort of nerve burning and itching sensation. I'm sick of it and it stops me drawing a lot of the time.
I'm desperate to find other artists that suffer from this in the hopes that they could share some tips on dealing with it. I'm sorry that I couldnt offer any help myself this time round.
Best wishes
-shaz
 
Hi Waterbear,

So glad to hear that you have been pain free for awhile and have so many exciting things happening in your career. Unfortunately, relapses happen to many of us. I've had a few over the years. The first thing is to realize and accept that what you are experiencing is TMS, and it sounds like you have done that. Then it's important to not freak out about it and catastrophize, but rather just calmly remind yourself that this is TMS, I've had it before, I recovered from it in the past, and I will recover again. Then think psychologically about what triggered the relapse. Sounds like you have some exciting, but stressful things happening, in that you may be feeling under pressure about it all. I suggest journaling about it, and returning to those things that helped you recover initially. But limit your time and thinking about TMS to no more than an hour a day. Then just go about your day knowing the pain won't harm you. Trust that it will go away. Be extra kind to yourself.

You might find this post/audio helpful:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/how-to-get-rid-of-your-pain-in-7-minutes.11437/#post-60397 (Alan G. - How to get rid of your pain in 7 minutes)

Wishing you continued success,
 
I'm back on here too because my hand pain is relapsing for the first time after 4 months of bliss. I too am going through an "exciting" time in my life - only good news but it does draw stress. I'm a data analyst - an artist of numbers.

The scariest thing is the flood of PTSD/emotions that my brain stored from 2 years of chronic pain every time I feel a twinge. I've been combating that and speaking positive thoughts to myself often - aloud or in my head. I also sometimes challenge my brain by picking up heavy things or try to aggravate the symptoms and they oftentimes don't aggravate at all then because I am fearless in those moments. It gives me a little bit of confidence.

I've been searching "relapse" in the search box above and found helpful information that way. Don't worry - you are not alone!
 
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