Something I would like to share is the association of Trauma and chronic pain.
Whilst CBT is a tool to help in moving forward with your mood, physical reactions, behaviour, it is worth noting that it is a therapy to help you understand how to deal with future circumstances.
For me CBT was a great tool to discover but, I was still underwhelmed with why I had the opinion of something or someone, this negative thought, as, when looking at the whole picture there was clearly no conscious reason.
That said, So where does a negative feeling come from? Well you ask! it can only come from a previous experience and that is in your subconscious mind.
For me what I discovered was that a deep routed experience, event I had tried to lock away and had managed to build up several coping mechanism to handle this demon was not gone, it was surfacing time and time again, dragging it like a ball through life. Until the big bang Pain! and a diagnosis for fibromyalgia.
I’m totally convinced by that mechanism of cause of pain. You might also like the work of Nicole Sachs in Podcasts who deals with the emotional basis behind chronic pain. Also a great book about the effect on the brain/health is The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk. Both are positive.
Thanks SnazzyD I shall enjoy taking a look at this recommendation.
Do you feel with your knowledge of "somatisation" when physical symptoms are caused by mental (psychological) or emotional factors has helped to uncover a trauma associated with with your condition/recovery, if only from an acceptance view point?
I wouldn’t say it was as clear cut as that because I’ve been on the trail of discovery since I was 25. I’ve had a life it seems collecting traumas of various types since i was little so I’ve tended to approach therapy like servicing a car, especially once I worked in the care of others. It was easy to think I was ‘done’ because talking about trauma and hiding behind the narrative is one thing but facing the upset is another. The old metaphor of being like an onion is so true in that I’ve found other layers to a trauma that seems fairly one dimensional at the outset. So I’ve known about a trauma already but have had to uncover the level at which it has affected me and pain is usually a beacon that there’s another layer, especially if I can identify repeating patterns of behaviour or thought that aren’t helpful. I have had two other life changing health events that have caused damage so it has been even more important to do a deep dive to accept that life is not the one I had before and winkle out the meaning of whatever pain I’ve been left with. It is a shame that chronic pain or pain disorders seem to be viewed as either physical or emotional, not both and probably inextricably linked.
A lot of people dismiss cbt and other talking therapies, because they (often wrongly) assume that talking therapies can only help with mental health not physical issues such as pain
My experience with cbt is that the techniques I have learned might not remove my pain, but they can help how I cope with it
Although, I think you also have to have a good relationship with the therapist to get the most benefits. I had cbt through community mental health team that did nothing for me, but I also ended up with a cbt therapist when I went for counselling with a local charity, and he was excellent and really helped me to move forwards at that time x
I was told my problems were too complex for CBT but I had about 10 years of other kinds of therapy, it didn't really help sadly. Particularly because none of them were interested in dealing with chronic pain in a child or had any experience in the field. I think part of the problem was that I was already a self aware person who didnt have any problem with communication. Saying my problems "out loud" didn't make any difference and I don't see how it ever could. Obviously I could understand if someone was repressing thoughts and events that wouldn't be good for them but that wasn't my problem. I was also told that they "couldn't help my existential problems" even good therapy can only do so much.
My therapist has said to me that I am very able to talk about bad experiences, but it's doing that while actually experiencing the emotions, that's the problem for me. Otherwise you are just repeating a story you tell yourself, which I think may compound the issue.
Oh yes very true, my well worn personal narrative of woe! I don't think I'm capable of reliving the trauma of finding out at age 12 I would never be safe again. But what can you do except keep putting one foot in front of the other?
I can understand your fear of regression therapy and re-living moments of trauma. Not easy to revisit.
Psychotherapy have different approaches to treatment. Not all regression therapy, as I understand it is essential to find a therapist who understands your particular fears, this way they can build the therapy to suit your circumstances.
I've never been offered regression therapy on the nhs!
Also my issues developed over years I presume regression therapy would have to focus on an actual event, rather than years generalized neglect etc.
Very hard to get any therapy on the nhs these days anyway. I was in the tertiary service of mental health care, the Complex Cases Unit, our service was engulfed by an epidemic of horrific self harm, I don't self harm, in too much pain already. Members of my group cut off their eye brows with scissors, broke their own hands with hammers, injected themselves with oven cleaner the list goes on. I was an anomaly, I was the only one in pain that wasn't caused by my own hand. They didn't know what to do with me. I was in their service for 6 years until their funding was cut and the service got shut down, none of us got better, but that was it, no more therapy.
Sorry to hear this account, these complex cases are very moving and for you a difficult time, sharing these experiences. I have knowledge of the benefits and disadvantages of therapy groups yet little experience, thank you for sharing.
regression is a part of psychotherapy, psychotherapy is available on the NHS, I agree this may not be an option in the near future. Other organisations such as Mind provide therapy services. My understanding of talking therapies is they are led by professionals who will first gather information from you before they can assess how to handle your case.
There are now different types of talking therapy and other therapies that may help, the organisations like Mind' have free helplines, to provide support for psychological illness.
Regression therapy was never on offer from any services I had access too. I've paid for hypnosis privately, they said I wasn't suggestable enough for hypnosis to work on me. I have a couple of friends that use Mind. One of them met their husband there, which is a bit dubious, given she was a patient and he was a member of staff. But they are still together now 10 years later.
I moved a lot so I had many many assessments by psychologists, I ended up in complex cases because they couldn't work out what mental category to put me in.
Brought a smile to my face your account here! Nice to hear they are still married.
Quite an eye opener to hear they could not work out your condition, shameful really.
Not sure when you last spoke with mental health professionals. but the guidelines to supporting individuals today are strict, in some much you could be assigned to treatment under a Care programme approach and assigned a care coordinator, that way you are part of the process, a person centred approach, and not just subjected to the thoughts and facilities available to you in your area. In general we are all subjected to what is available in our area regardless of our needs but at least when part of a Care programme approach you have a say and it is fully documented.(important)
The whole part of a Care Programme Approach is to put you at the centre of your needs and for the professionals to support you, and review you position on at least an annual basis. The professionals then have a timeline, a commitment to provide what you need in a give period.
Not sure if you were given this option, on what you have said, you most definitely should have been assessed for a CPA.
The Normal assessment criteria takes into consideration other areas that may be impacting on your life, such as housing, work and crisis, effectively the more help you need the more likely you will receive help under the Care Programme Approach. Each authority can adopt their own criteria so if you have not been offered or not been assessed take a look at your local health authority and their guidelines, then approach your GP. Good Luck Warrior.
Sounds marvellous in theory. I last reached out about a year before covid, they said I had to self refer, which I did. They sent me a letter saying my needs were too complex and they couldn't help me and that was that. A friend of mine who I met at The Complex Cases Unit did the same and she got the same letter I did. I think there's just no funding for people that need more than an 8 week CBT course. Its a shame. They can't help everyone.
I should say though that I lived in Singapore, Belgium, Saudi Arabia and some other places throughout my childhood and regardless of everything the NHS is still the best, most civilized thing in the world and I depend on them immensely for chronic migraine medication!
This is a great insight to how your personal needs are met, how the medical system is functioning, I am pleased to hear the system can provide you some relief.
It is not without a shock to me that despite all the systems, procedures, monitoring, support and safeguards set in place by teams of specialists paid to maintained the health of individuals that it fails so miserably, it is hard to imagine people like yourself are not supported, the statistics for self-harm and suicide are growing at an alarming rate, my mind boggles for the poor individuals that do not carry the strength and independence to live out their lives in a full and meaningful way
The current medical guidelines, the legislation set out in the UK and for sure my medical studies make it a fundamental part of qualification.
The importance is for the medial profession to understand the needs of individuals are cared and supported in a systematic approach, protected by legislation UK law, it is paramount to our democracy and human rights in the UK are upheld and for sure all of us believe this to be true.
The difference with comparing our system with countries that you previously lived, is the legislation, their laws to protect basic needs and rights are not present.
The law of this country provides human rights, protected characteristics, legislation in law to protect each individual, that is why we as a county are better or should be better, its law. The issue is most individuals do not know their rights and so do not know how to exercise them. The NHS has an obligation under law to follow the law of the UK and individuals need to be aware so as the system does not slip even further. The NHS does not have a choice to decide if they will treat you or not, by law they are not meeting their obligations and are violating the law of this country. Speak to your MP.
Please do, use this info in contacting your MP. As nobody in this country should be ignored. Apart from your individual rights as an individual of the UK, you are protected by Acts specific to your conditions the mental health act 1983 and the mental capacity act 2005.
These act of Parliament came about due to the historical neglect individuals received throughout medical history, a truly inhumane medical history, today we are protected, that safeguard individuals against such treatment, yet in 2022, people are still largely unaware of the laws to protect them, thus the medical system through little or no challenge continues to provide us with an ever diminishing service. I hope this will help you. Good luck.
I am very interested in this as I have read small amounts of literature about fibro and traumatic childhoods but have not been able to progress very far. I am assuming that by traumatic they mean abusive relationships which does not apply to me but I had the most dysfunctional and quite frightening upbringing along with my twin brother as my mother had very serious mental health problems for most of her life and was hospitalised and sometimes violent many times. I had shoved this aside quite successfully whilst I was working and bringing up my family but now I have retired I think about it a lot and my fibro is pretty bad. Anyone with similar experiences?
That's interesting. The evidence I have learnt from individuals in our group is that previous life events may attribute to the condition, by resurface in later life, for me too, no previous experience of not being able to handle earlier life events until my later 40's when I started to experience pain.
It was my eventual introduction to pain management and later CBT that led me to understand "triggers" to my symptoms and in recent times (now 56) more understanding of the overall picture of this condition it is a big umbrella of fibro, I say this as fibro is not a single symptom, as we all know, it is a multi-syndrome condition involving mental and physical illness.
The other course of therapy I have paid privately for in May, is regression therapy, and hypnosis, I respond well to this type of therapy. Like you say, you know there were some difficult times in your early life that you think you dealt with but this may be part of your triggers for your symptoms now. Regression is an element of psychotherapy and is available on the NHS. I posted a video yesterday about trauma and chronic pain, with reference to our nervous system.
Hi yes I suppressed much of my traumatic childhood only for it to become symptomatic later in life wich is now bpd and fibromyalgia..it come out in my 30's ..
Hi, I find this association of great interest for individuals to explore in our group, If not for all, there is a trend that some individuals may not have explored, this can be easily monitored if you take an account of your triggers and symptoms as the pattern becomes quite obvious.
I belong to an online support group for chronic pain. Nearly all the people with fibromyalgia have mentioned the death of a parent/grandparent within the year, when they developed Fibromyalgia. Which is also true in my case. It usually is paired with a physical experience, not necessarily an injury. I do t know about their past lives, but it seems like there was a build up of emotional stress. I cared for my mother before her death, and felt like I almost had PTSD because of the suffering I had to witness; particularly as we were very close, and I relied on her for emotional support.
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