TMS treatment with OCD and anxiety

Hey everyone,

Just wondering if the same type of techniques and outlooks, that are used to combat the physical pains associated with TMS, can also be used in combating some mental ailments too such as OCD and anxiety? Thanks.

 

https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/what-to-read-for-ocd.20923/ (what to read for OCD)

 

The answer is YES. Your OCD and anxiety have the same root cause as your physical pain. As a matter of fact, a lot of people see the rise in anxiety when they start their TMS work, because physical and emotional pains are connected.

 

WOW! Thank you! anywhere i can learn more about THIS specifically? anything i can read?

-T

 

Hi TG,

I highly recommend The Upside of Stress by Stanford Health Psychologist Kelly McGonigal. She says that anxiety is an indication that the body is preparing itself for the upcoming challenges. So do not fear it. Welcome it and it goes away. Just like not fearing TMS will lead to recovery.

Here's her TED talk.
Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend | TED Talk

 

I will look for references to OCD and TMS connection specifically to share with you. But if you want a brief explanation in lay terms, based on my understanding of TMS and OCD, here it is:

OCD is the reaction of a hypersensitive nervous system to the situation when a person can no longer control the stress and chaos of life. That's why OCD people turn to simple routines to organize their life and return it to a perceived "normal state". I don't have a clinically diagnosed OCD, but I know I have OCD tendencies. When I am stressed and anxious, I turn to Excel spreadsheets to find comfort and peace. Other people find their own outlets. But when our coping mechanism is not enough, brain finds another outlet to relieve the pressure: physical pain. When you learn that your pain is the product of your brain, where would your brain go now? Exactly, back to anxiety and OCD.

Now, what can you do with your anxiety and OCD? You need to learn how to process it through your system. There are two ways, either one is good, using both of them is a winner:
1. Bring down hypersensitivity
2. Learn how to manage anxiety and OCD.

You can achieve #1 through meditation.
You can achieve #2 through mindfulness and practice. People also use medications, but those only reduce symptoms, they are not a cure to the way your brain is wired by genetics and your life experience.

Dr. Claire Weekes saved many people on this forum and even more outside this forum from the life of misery and maybe even premature death. I recommend to start with her audios, because her voice is nothing short of magic:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B001HOT92I (Claire Weekes)

 

Jus to add to what @TG957 wrote, Many TMS sufferers fall into the trap of reassurance seeking which is an OCD type of behavior. Some examples of this are: endless internet searching, repetitive checking behaviors (in the mirror, taking temperature etc.), asking for reassurance from family members to the point of exasperating them, constant internal debates between "what if" and "but this is logic"). Reassurance seeking and OCD in general stems from a profound intolerance to uncertainty. This can lead to paralysis in decision making, insecurity and doubt. To get out of this trap, one need to learn to tolerate fear and doubt...be ok with uncertainty. The brain makes uncertainty look dangerous and essentially we get hijacked by our own imagination. The key is to view your thoughts as harmless and temporary.

Dr. Schubiner also mentions OCD on pg. 28 of is book "Unlearn Your Pain".... having PTSD and OCD traits puts a person at higher risk for brain and nervous system activation ( fight or flight). It's easy to see how this is all connected.