Can the mind play tricks??

[devonowl]

Hi guys, just thought I'd post on here. Today has been a bad day, I swear im suffering from a loss of coordination in my fingers. Especially the little fingers. I also seem to be having uncomfortable sensations in my elbows. As stated before im worried like you wouldn't believe thinking its either motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis. I honestly think im holding the pen wrong at work and in a different way and that my fingers seem almost out of place. Has anybody else suffered from these symptoms. Does the mind also play tricks, this all seems so real and of course has left me really worried. I could forget about it all and be thinking of something else and then all of a sudden its like "oh thats not right" and then its analysing everything in detail again which im sure isn't good. It's strange but I've been told its all in the head but it really doesn't feel that way. Can you really imagine symptoms like mine?

[AngelHeart]

Yes u can and your not alone! Lots of people including myself have symptoms like your describing and they are more prominant the more you think about them. I do this all the time, if am very busy I dont think about problems so dont feel thembut as soon as I start worrying and focusing on them they get worse and so its like a vicious circle. It seems reall to us at the time but in fact it is your mind, as you say, playing tricks. My husband always says that the mind is very powerful and can control how u feel , think, see everything. Try to relax, although I know its hard. If your need more reassurance go see your Dr, but am sure your fine, hugs xxx

[cheesy pete]

I haven't experienced your particular symptoms but i can tell you that the mind can play tricks on you as i know it happens to me. The fact that symptoms come and go when your are busy and then suddenly spring up again when you aren't would suggest this is the case.

The difficult part is stopping it from happening and i have to be honest, i'm nowhere near working that out.

[devonowl]

But it all seems real and I think my symptoms are unique hence why I'm worried. The pain in the elbow seems strange but the loss of coordination as well is making me panic. If it all in my head it seems so realistic and happens at times when Im busy and not thinking about it:weep:

[cheesy pete]

Have you been to see a doctor about your symptoms to discuss your worries? In the past that has really helped me and set my mind at ease.

[kah]

The mind is a very powerful tool and yes it can play tricks on us.
In my case I worry about cancer all the time and in the last 9 months or so I've had a CAT scan for brain tumour, ultrasound for breast cancer, ultrasound for ovarian cancer, 2 x-rays for lung cancer - each time the symptoms have been so severe that I think I might die at any time but as soon as the tests come back clear the pain suddenly disappears!!!

I'm winning my battle with HA (with a few hiccups along the way!) by reminding myself of the above and also by looking at my current symptoms as if my friend had come to me with the same problem and thinking of the advice I would give. I guarantee 99% of the time you wouldn't advice them to run down to A&E or go straight to the docs as if you look at it rationally it really isn't a serious problem. (I don't mean yours isn't a serious problem by the way, I just mean in my case!)

I hope that helps
K xx

[itoldyouiwasill]

I think your main issue is with the concept of something being “all in the mind” and how something that is all in the mind can appear so real to you. I suppose we could get into a deep philosophical discussion about everything actually being all in the mind BUT on a far more practical and pragmatic level here is the thing…

When we talk about all in the mind we are not dismissing it as unreal or somehow being an illusion, what is being highlighted is the issue of causality. Illness and disease can have an organic (physical) causality i.e a cold can be caused by a virus attacking our immune system and it can also have a mental (mind if you like) causality i.e a set of symptoms can be generated by our worry, the effect i.e the symptoms are totally real and as genuine as those symptoms caused by an organic ailment but CRUCIALLY, they are caused by a mental process rather than a physical first starting point. It is not the symptoms that are in your head but rather it is what is the first cause that has led to the symptoms becoming physical.

I think a good example of this is something like blushing. It was decide to talk to a pretty girl/boy and get knocked back we may find ourselves going red and feeling hot. What has caused this to happen is not a physical first cause…we have interpreted a situation mentally and our mental cognition and understanding has led to a physical response in the body, namely the physical act of blushing. This is exactly how mental anxiety becomes physical. We panic about the physical sensations/symptoms of anxiety and assume that there must be a ‘real’ physical reason for them but totally fail to accept or even understand that a mental causality can cause each and every physical symptom we have.

Hope this helps somewhat.

[Em.ma]

I can relate. I've been dropping things and feelig like i can't grasp onto anything. Hope it gets better for you :)

[pb]

I managed to convince myself at times that my leg is weak although i can walk perfectly.
It is possible to convince yourself of all sorts of things !

[itoldyouiwasill]

As an aside to this I think the experience of the UK TV personality Carol Vorderman is quite interesting. She woke one morning and was totally paralysed down one side of her body...an ambulance was called and she was rushed to hospital. Once in hospital she was told by GP's that in all probability she had had stroke.

As she improved over the next few days and various test results came back they realised that she had not had a stroke and she was physically fine....basically the paralysis had been caused by the ongoing stress over the loss of her job role (Countdown) and death of her friend and colleague Richard Whitely, she admitted to being stressed and worried and feeling some strange physical symptoms but had felt she just had to carry on. Basically in the end her overworked and fatigued mind expressed itself through the body.

Obviously she made a full recovery.