Trauma Therapy And Pain

[shell]

I really like some ideas please. I recently began trauma therapy and after working through some abuse was suggested that I try to cry if possible when going home. I found that when I got home after having to listen to my husband bitch about work, that my stress level went through the roof and even though I felt like crying was unable to. It was only the next day while having a bath and I start to think about the question "Do I remember what I felt about it?" that I suddenly had a flash of my brother pleading to with me to say to my mother "I did it", that I felt an overwhelming feeling of guilt, that I was responsible for my brother coping a beating, even though I know I wasn't. I accepted responsibility for some thing I didn't do to prevent my mother from continuing to beat each of us, and copped a beating for making her hit my brother.

I am still feeling extremely guilty about this and have noticed that despite me crying about this, I am unable to get rid of the back and leg pain that started when I was talking about this. Does anyone have any suggestions how I get rid of the physical pain, I do have disk problems but this feels very different and I had recently stopped pain medication for my back and really don't want to go back to the doctors to get more, when it's obviously linked to my head. I don't see my T for another 10 days, so I can't ask her.
I have tried hot baths, meditation etc, so far no relief? Any suggestions please?

 

[Ted Moen]

Internal stress can generate muscle knots and spasms that can twist and pull things in unusual and painfull ways. I was in a therapudic massage program for people with ptsd for years and it helped a lot. I still get a therapudic massage every 2 weeks, plus I have learned a number of stretches and exercises that I have incorporated into my exercise routine to work out the specific muscles that tend to knot up for me.

Ted

 

[Emilie]

I agree with ted, massages really help. Advil sometimes does too.

I have scoliosis and sometimes my back locks up or just aches horribly; which raises my anxiety, which raises my pain, which raises my anxiety, and so fourth. I had a therapist who told me, just because the pain is from your head doesn't mean the pain doesn't exist. I've found that exercises to lower my anxiety help to lower my pain. She told me to shower or splash my face in the heat of anxiety to help "wash" away the stress. Sometimes that helps too.

She told me to work on how I am coping now rather than how I'm coping with my past. As a complex ptsd sufferer, we're always trying to cope with our pasts; but it's important not to put too much significance on the past because it's really about what is going on now.

It's really hard to handle myself when my husband starts complaining, I feel you there.

Best Wishes,
Emilie