What happens when you get a sudden severe attack?

[vixb]

A severe attack in the neck has happened to me about an hour ago. I’d been working at the computer for a good few hours and I knew I should have stopped earlier but wanted to finish up a document. Well the minute I got this attack in my neck I HAD to stop. I’m pretty new to TMS and I’m not sure what to do next. For me it seems believing the symptoms are TMS related is not enough. Any advice as I can barely turn my head? Or should I purposely turn my head in spite of the pain?

 

[Ellen]

You may have experienced a conditioned response where working on the computer becomes related to pain in the neck. I think one of the most effective things to do to overcome conditioning is the technique referred to as "talking to your brain". This is using your rational, logical conscious brain to overcome the unconscious brain's conditioned response. I feel this works best if you talk to your unconscious brain like a wayward, misbehaving child. I usually say something like "stop it brain. There is no logical reason for you to create pain right now. So just knock it off." Saying it out loud works best. Yes, it sounds silly, but in my experience it works quite well, though you may have to do it a few times before it finally works.

 

[vixb]

You may have experienced a conditioned response where working on the computer becomes related to pain in the neck. I think one of the most effective things to do to overcome conditioning is the technique referred to as "talking to your brain". This is using your rational, logical conscious brain to overcome the unconscious brain's conditioned response. I feel this works best if you talk to your unconscious brain like a wayward, misbehaving child. I usually say something like "stop it brain. There is no logical reason for you to create pain right now. So just knock it off." Saying it out loud works best. Yes, it sounds silly, but in my experience it works quite well, though you may have to do it a few times before it finally works.

Yes I have been doing this and also journaling. I think it wants me to stop doing the task in question when I got the attack because of my subconscious belief that I’m going to fail and that I’m not good enough to make a success of it. Could that be happening? Or am I coming at it from the wrong angle? I just read chapt 3 and 4 or healing back pain again. So trying to think psychologically.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

I think it wants me to stop doing the task in question when I got the attack because of my subconscious belief that I’m going to fail and that I’m not good enough to make a success of it. Could that be happening?

That's a great question and a possible answer, and this is what you want to be curious about when you journal.

The idea is to just ask yourself a question like that to get started, and see what you think of the possible answer. Perhaps your answer will lead to another question.* It's really important to just scribble stuff down without stopping to edit what you write, or worry about punctuation or grammar or spelling, and it's even more important to write down EVERY little thing that comes into your head and just go with it. Above all, do NOT let your fearful brain stop you from writing something down, no matter what. If it's embarrassing or uncomfortable or brings up guilt or fear of vulnerability, so much the better. This is what we're going for, because that's where the odd little memories are that our brains decided they need to repress. Remember that you can dispose of it when you're done. There's no reason to look at it again, unless there are things you want to write down on a list to revisit during your next journaling session.

*@Cactusflower has described an effective writing technique which is to keep asking Why? to uncover the many layers of old memories and the responses and coping mechanisms which we start laying down in childhood.

 

[Baseball65]

I had this same exact thing happen around this time last year. It SUCKED.
I remember I was having a bad dream. I awoke to pee or something and told myself "I don't want to dream that dream again"....and when I woke up in the morning I was in terrible OMG-kill-me-now spasm.
I KNEW it was TMS which made it more frustrating. I Imagine the bad dream was working out something in my unconscious and since I told it not to, my brain went "You sure about that? Ok"

It was not too difficult to find out once I started writing. I was having a shame/fear/lonely moment. I was going to work for my son the next day....I had worked for him before, but I had never ASKED for work. This time I had and my ego/unconscious just couldn't deal with it...so I got TMS.

It went away in a few days as I wrote, read the books constantly and tried to unsnarl the Ball that makes us Human.

Very unscientific, but most neck symptoms for me have meant emotional family pain.

I knew I should have stopped earlier

Not necessarily...we do get cues, but a lot of time the TMS is just lurking looking for a trigger.