"Timing" of the subconscious and nervous system

[lowella]

I had a thought that I wanted to inquire of anyone listening, related to a few previous threads.

The subconscious doesn't play by the rules of time (at least not well) - and Sarno says things clear up over weeks/months as you do the thinking/journaling, which it has for me in some part...but is the timing of presence/absence of symptoms different for everyone? For example, when I had pain from chemical smells, it would come *after* 10-20 minutes and last for days even when I was able to ignore it (sometimes I wasn't). This was all subconscious. As I've journaled, I've had bad days directly after having revelations and have had great days 5-6 days later - AND vice versa. It's hard for me to connect it to the journaling, and I think the nervous system/subconscious doesn't work that way, especially when it knows it's "tricks" have been found out about. But I'm curious what the rest of you think and how you'd put this into words. When people say "just think psychologically" or "just read Sarno" whenever they have pain, it drives some of us nuts because it makes it sound like everything is in the present. They must have a more reliable nervous system than some of us, if that truly works. Or...maybe their subconscious knows they're not analyzing the time factor to the extent that I am? Is it really all about playing tricks on us in these ways? Am I just being too analytical? Probably. But then so was Dr. Sarno Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Andy Bayliss]

Hi Lowella,

You're learning about the possible triggers for symptoms, and how they might express themselves in time. You're seeing that it isn't like a clock, that there is a lot of variation. Your insights are valuable.

For example, when I had pain from chemical smells, it would come *after* 10-20 minutes and last for days even when I was able to ignore it (sometimes I wasn't). This was all subconscious. As I've journaled, I've had bad days directly after having revelations and have had great days 5-6 days later - AND vice versa.

I think the reason you want to see a correlation between triggers and symptoms is that this gives you evidence that the symptoms are mind-body, makes them more attributable to mind-body. Although the symptoms don't "behave" the way you'd like, you're seeing through this, and still attributing symptoms to triggers. This is the core of the work right here.

Thinking psychologically can have immediate effects. But this is usually after some practice and familiarity with your inner "material." Practicing it and not getting instant results is, I think the norm. The directions are to practice and let time pass, and don't get too attached to results!

Andy B

 

[lowella]

Great perspective, thanks for your post. I've done a lot of practice but you're right, I didn't see instant results very often (although other things like warrior poses and forcing smiles for long periods did help immediately, which makes me think expressing happy emotions can work as well or better than expressing the anger etc.) Thank you, Andy!!

 

[HattieNC]

Lowella,

I listened to a really great podcast by Katelyn Michals this morning that you might find helpful. In the beginning, they discuss eating disorders but the topic then evolves into somatic tracking. I believe you'll find that part interesting and possibly applicable to what you are experiencing.

https://www.katelynmichals.org/episode-43-recovery-story-with-kate-swedberg/ (Episode 43 – Recovery Story with Kate Swedberg)

 

[NicoleB34]

i too have very delayed pain, so i struggle with knowing what kind of day i'm having, and how i should appproach the rest of the day.

 

[plafield]

I've had to give up trying to figure out the why and when of my pain. I have such a variance in severity and frequency of my very specific tailbone pain. It doesn't move around in location but it does change in quality. It definitely changes in severity, sometimes changing throughout a day, sometimes over the course of days. Sometimes it's mostly gone and other times it's constant for a few days and then I wake up and it's mostly gone for a day, or a week, or for only and hour or two. I've been journaling and tracking triggers and meditating etc and there just doesn't seem to be anything specific I can trace the pain or absence of pain to so I finally decided to stop trying to figure it out. I just do my life no matter what's happening with the pain. I continue to do the SEP program, do self-care and meditation, notice triggers, and then just accept whatever is happening. I try not to be tracking "Am I feeling pain? How much?" etc and just keep reminding myself that the fluctuations are just proof that it is TMS and I don't need to know the whys and whens.

 

[deafheaven]

I've been journaling and tracking triggers and meditating etc and there just doesn't seem to be anything specific I can trace the pain or absence of pain to so I finally decided to stop trying to figure it out.

Exactly. There are no patterns, no rules, no specific timing. We've all been there trying to over-analyze our symptoms and it simply does not work. Actually it perpetuates the pain. Keeping track is like leaving that hypersensitive switch on.

Literally the only way to get rid of TMS symptoms is giving up. Stop keeping track of symptoms, triggers, psychological reasons. Forget all that crap and move on. Learn to tolerate pain, stop noticing it and it will gradually disappear.