relapse

[jwiles]

I've been pain free from hand/wrist/elbow/forearm pain for three months. It was incredible but during my pain free time my panic disorder seemed to get worse.(I've had it for years so I'm not too sure on the correlation). Well things have gone very well all around the last few weeks. Afew days ago after a long work out I got a muscle pain in my forearm Right below the wrist and I think that trigger the tms to return. I think my fear of it returning triggered it. Now for the last few days it's been slowly shifting around again and working its way back into my life. It isn't as bad as it's been in the past so I hope to work through it soon.

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi,jwiles. You probably felt some pain in your forearm from maybe the long workout. That is bound to happen. I think the fear of pain returning made it return. Try to exercise without fearing you will hurt yourself. Steve Ozanich is a great example of how being active helps heal our TNS pain. Hav ey ou discovered the emotions that cause your TMS pain? You must have, because you say you have been free of pain for three months until this new incident. Maybe just go over those emotions again to convince your subconscious you recognize them.

Or just keep positive and see if the recurring pain goes away. I bet it does since you have been so successful so far.

 

[Andy Bayliss]

Hi Jwiles,

As you and Walt say, it is probably the fear that is contributing to the TMS relapse. It may be helpful to say to yourself: "Of course I have pain; I know I am prone to TMS. So what?" Sometimes just "leaning into it" like this is very helpful.

Combine this with reminding yourself that you worked through this TMS thing effectively once before.

Good Luck,

Andy B.

 

[jwiles]

Yeah I'm just going to try to relax today and go with it. Tomorrow might try to go over some of the things that may be contributing to the relapse and maybe some light exercise just to keep the blood pumping. I had severe and moderate pain for over two years I was able to get rid of it for three months I can do it again.

 

[jwiles]

So today I've tried to move on and do my exercises anyway which I did. It hurt no less no more afterwards. I guess the only thing I can think of that triggered it was my fear of the pain returning. I have been under stress here and there so I'll try to cover all that too. The thing that convinces me its most likely my tms returning is the way the pain moves from place to place. It started in one are and it just moves around at its own will. Any structural injury wouldn't do this. Maybe I did cause some soreness my arm from exercise but all this returning pain moving around makes no sense without tms

 

[Andy Bayliss]

Try to remember too that nothing really needs to be done about any of this. Your awareness, tracking of symptoms moving, connecting symptoms with stress --you are doing what needs to be done, simply with this. You see that you suffer from TMS, and that it isn't physical.

 

[jwiles]

I believe it's not structural but a part of my mind still wants to believe it. I have that with this pain for over two years I've been to plenty of doctors had several x-rays and a MRI they couldn't find any structural reason for the pain so there can't be a structural reason. One thing that really troubles me is most suffers of TMS seem to have a pain that appearS somewhere else. Mine just started back where it began. I'm still doing everything the same as I did before regardless of the pain. It really hurts but I'm doing it anyway.

 

[Andy Bayliss]

One thing that really troubles me is most suffers of TMS seem to have a pain that appearS somewhere else.

I personally would not worry about this. Lots of TMS sufferers have the pain return to the same place, including me. I think of it as the "nerve pathways are activated, and they can activate again."

To really believe it is not structural, in my experience is not that easy. I have had such reduction in pain for almost 3 years now, but when it arises, the thought always creeps back in "Maybe you should have gotten nerve surgery." The fear of pain, and the fear it may be caused by physical stuff --it is all par for the course.

You can treat these thoughts as TMS symptoms. Try to see them for what they really are. Another level of distraction, similar tot he pain itself, and deal with them the way you do the pain. Ignore, be curious about the root cause, have compassion, etc! Don't beat yourself up for these feelings around the pain. You are doing great.

Andy B.