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What do YOU Say to your Brain??

Jennifer_K

Jennifer_K

Peer Supporter
Hi, I'm new to this forum and recently discovered I have TMS. I have been doing a lot of reading and started Dr. Shubiner's Educational Program.

One thing that has stumped me is talking to my brain. I don't know what to say or how to say it. Do I get mad and yell? Do I show compassion? Am I more like a parent disciplining a naughty child?

I have done all of the above, but without much success so far. I will say, "Brain, stop this pain immediately. I know this is TMS, a way to divert attention away from my emotions. Send O2 to ______ region immediately."

I have also cussed and yelled!

Before a trigger, like driving or sitting, I will take a deep breath and say, "Brain: Sitting does NOT cause pain - this is a conditioned response, like Pavlov's dog."

Guess I'm just curious what yall are saying to your brains, in the hopes that maybe I can borrow some of your self talk!

Thanks!
 
How long have you been doing this? That matters a lot

Early on in my recovery I used to rage a lot ...in particular at OTHER people, not my brain e.g. lecturing an invisible person I had a resentment against about the depths of their selfishness.

When I 'talk to my brain' it's about the same sort of disdain I would use to an over helpful, nosey family member. " Thanks... I do NOT need your help right now. I am perfectly capable of dealing with the stuff in my life. Thank you for pointing out my need to look at it....goodbye!"

I have aborted attempted acute attacks with that... and writing down all my stressors, and usually talking with a TMS Bro to speculate ... a lot of times another person who knows you can see things in 5 minutes it would take you months to find.

cheers
 
"When I 'talk to my brain' it's about the same sort of disdain I would use to an over helpful, nosey family member. " Thanks... I do NOT need your help right now. I am perfectly capable of dealing with the stuff in my life. Thank you for pointing out my need to look at it....goodbye!"

This is great! Thanks!!
 
All of the above. I find telling my brain to stop the pain doesn't work at all. I often repeat in my head "that shooting pain my feelings that my brain decided to feel physically in the present, that isn't necessary but it is ok for awhile" or the thing that works the best is trying with all my might to mentally increase the pain...usually causes it to melt away. So weird.
 
Talking to it helps but you need to use the subconscios approach, which involves your emotions.

What I did to recover rapidly was to counter tension with a massive amount of energy, enthusiasm, hope, and confidence. The more excited and enthusiastic you are about your recovery, the faster your brain accepts the messages you give it. It works the same way advertisers communicate with our brain to their message across to our subconsconsiousor Olypmpic athletes to achieve peak performance.

There are other factors why simply talking to it or even yelling it out may not work, ranging from internal sources of tension, to personality traits, and extrenal sources of tension, but what I have found from my readers and clients, is that if you are excited enough about your recovery, you will see huge imporvements.
 
I am usually kind to my brain. "I know... you're scared. Angry. Stressed... feel the feelings, ok? Feel them instead of hurting, ok?"

These days my stress levels are through the roof. Accepting things as they are is so difficult for me. Allowing so much anger and even rage to surface is so unattractive!
Yet I always get symptom relief when I assert Sarno's words "There's no magic trick here. The pain is a distraction or substitution from feelings. There is no rabbit in the hat!"

I seem to need a rabbit. I want to punch a hole in the wall every time the news goes on in our living room. I just cannot listen much these days. I have nightmares. I know I am traumatized by the selling of conflict, drama and bad news.

It's not an easy time to stay current with my emotions. I wish it were.
 
I basically say "Ok, you're overreacting to something that should not cause any danger. Let's figure how what's making you send my body signals." Then, I scan my emotions and stress level, feel my feelings for 90 seconds, (how long it takes to process an emotion) and then I move on. It works! Pain level down to a 2 maybe 3 some days.
 
Great replies! I am learning a lot from the different strategies! :)

Jules - interesting that it takes 90 sec to process an emotion! Good stuff! :)
 
It can actually take less than 90 seconds!

Most of us have the experience of feeling really sad and perhaps about to cry, even notice an increase in moisture in our eyes leading to tears, but can stop it. How long does it take? Only a few seconds.

What happens is that an emotion (i.e. sadness) causes a physiological change (i.e. tears) but we make a conscious decision to stop it. Since we are confident we can do it based on our past success in doing it, we command it to stop and it does in most cases.

TMS is the result of an emotion (i.e. anger) causing a physiological change (i.e. reduction of blood flow) and we can make a conscious decision to stop it and it will once you are confident you can do it through repeated practice of stopping it. It's that simple.

I remember many years ago we were moving to a new house and it was quite hectic and stressful. I bent down to pick up a box and my back froze. I knew it was TMS and just told my subconscious to stop it and it did immediately.

So it's possible. Thousands of people do it every day and so can you Jennifer!
 
[QUOTE="Bodhigirl, post: 84178, member: 3060"I am usually kind to my brain. "I know... you're scared. Angry. Stressed... feel the feelings, ok? Feel them instead of hurting, ok?"

I like this one the best. I'm not a fan of cursing at my pain (although I'm sure it works fine for some people) because that creates an enemy of it, whereas I want to welcome my pain into my experience and ask it what its purpose it and what it wants from me, and most importantly THANK it for helping you to manage for so long without being overwhelmed by painful emotions.
 
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