Tension myositis syndrome aka mind/body syndrome is something that needs addressing early on in treatment.
I had this badly at the beginning of my recovery journey. I would talk about Lyme, think about Lyme, and everything became revolved around Lyme and being ill. I felt so ill, I talked about it all the time and it was constantly in my head.
One night I got into bed and realised that the more I thought about how ill I felt the worse I felt.
Welcome Tension Myositis Syndrome!
TMS happens when we talk ourselves into chronic ill health to the degree then when we DO start recovering, the brain is programmed into feeling ill so it overrides our recovery. It thinks “Hold on, I thought we were ill and never going to recover” etc etc. So recovery doesn’t happen.
The body is one system and brain and body are connected. When the brain perceives danger ie when we constantly feel like we are never going to be well again, or we constantly think about our symptoms (like I did), we end up with persistent symptoms. How we respond to our symptoms programs the brain and can teach it that we are in danger – constantly.
How we respond is important and where we place our attention is vital.
In homeopathy terms we would think of this as anxiety about health.
There are over 90 remedies for anxiety about health in my materia medica (Dr Murphy’s 3rd edition). Here are the most highly indicated remedies and a short description:
Arsenicum album: Extremely nervous and anxious. Fears to be alone. Restless. Anxiety about health. Fear of germs, viruses.
Argentum nitricum: Panic and anxiety attacks. Anticipation, apprehension and fear when ready to go to the doctor, dentist etc. Fears, phobias and anxiety. Fear of having a panic attack.
Calcerea carbonica: Rumination and worry. Worries about all their responsibilities and duties. Anxiety with palpitations. Desire to weep, to go home. Suspicious. Low spirited. Apathetic. Depressed.
Kali arsenicosum: Tendency towards anxiety and skin disorders. Morose and quarrelsome. Jealous. Anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety about health. Fear of getting a life threatening disease.
Phosphorous: Anxious, restless, fidgety. Fear of being alone. Fear about the future. Fear something bad will happen when thinking of disagreeable things.
Note: this blog is for information only and should not be taken as medical advice or to self prescribe. Remedies should always be prescribed on an individual basis to match the presenting symptoms and the person as a whole.