When do you become in charge of your symptoms

[Forest]

The following is another question that was part of the Recovery from TMS/PPD survey published by Georgie Oldfield. There are some great insights into TMS treatment in this survey and I hope you find it helpful. Having confidence that we are in charge of our symptoms can be very difficult. I know for me I had to overcome all of the doubt that I had a structural problem. I felt like I needed to use all of the support devices that I had bought over the years, especially ones for the computer like my voice recognition software. These things were supposed to help me, why would I just stop using them. Gaining confidence in this approach and in ourselves is a big thing, especially when, like me, you spend so much time avoiding doing certain things.

Why do you think it may have taken you longer than you were initially hoping to feel confident that you were in charge of your symptoms and not the other way round?

1. It took time to overcome the fear of attempting things that would normally cause pain.
2. I found it really difficult to change my thought patterns and I had so many fears and
anxieties in so many areas.
3. Difficulty in identifying deeper issues in reservoir. Managed to deal with immediate ones
but had trouble identifying residual issues. Also journaling made negative emotions float
to surface I then struggled to get rid of them.
4 I'd had them so long and doctors had told me that I would never recover.
5. Too many years of no self esteem and confidence. Slipping too easily into bad habits.
6. It happened quicker than I was expecting.
7. Because I had experienced a quick recovery 2 years earlier. Also because I am in my 60s
and believe it possible that it is harder to change as you get older.
8. A psychological approach is in opposition to the conventional physical approaches and I
think it took a while to be confident or the confidence slipped.
9. because I think I had some things to learn and understand. I was undoing decades of pain
and negative messages about my back. I still am.
10. I think its difficult to accept the positive over the negative ie:- if I have suffered the pain
for long periods then the change process is as quick as your ability to become a positive
over a career negative. Old dog new tricks syndrome.
11. it took time to get my head round the problem after Georgie explained it to me.
12. It didn't
13. In truth I do not know the answer to this question other than suggesting it may possibly be
to do with the fact I am diagnosed with Fibromyalgia & there are those including Sarno,
who suggest these patients can take longer to get better.
14. n/a
15. Gaining confidence in the diagnosis of TMS seems key. Dropping structural explanations
for pain.
16. trying to reverse to fear habits is the hardest, therefore take longer.
17. It didn't take me long. The improvement was so quick, if anything I was astounded by the
result.
18. Having a physical diagnosis of spondylolisthesis and remembering different bleak
conversations over and over again from osteopaths and physios.
19. As above

 

[Eric "Herbie" Watson]

I think these tools tell the whole story of tms healing forest. We come in to get better and then we do but then we learn
that was just the beginning of something a lot bigger and more beautiful.
Thanks for posting this -- Awesome