RLS: mental...ne

[Guest guest]

Hey guys...I just typed this huge long letter...thinking off the top of my

head, and then wondering whether to send it. I'm sending it. BUT...here's

the disclaimer. For those that are new to the group, we've had some VERY

heated debates on whether RLS can be controlled by our thoughts or whether

it's caused by our thoughts. They were GREAT debates, and we all learned a

lot. We can certainly debate it all again, if anyone wants to bat it

around. BUT, here's my warning, which comes from what I learned the last

time we did this. Remember that everyone is different. As far as we know,

our RLS has different causes, and our RLS responds to different things.

And we are all in different situations. Some of us are fighting off

several ailments and we're exhausted, hurting, and just tired of trying.

And some of us have RLS that very well may be caused by physical traumas

beyond our mental control. I understand that. And I also understand that

when someone reads what I do in response to my own RLS, and reads my

suggestions for what might work, they can become angry or feel guilty,

because it makes them feel they aren't doing enough or aren't trying hard

enough. That is NOT NOT NOT the case.

For what it's worth, I have one problem I " m dealing with...RLS. Okay, so I

have hemorrhoids, carpul tunnel of the big toe, lichen planus, and suffer

from chronic constipation and high cholesterol....but basically, I " m

healthy and pretty in tune with my body. That, in itself, probably

explains why I'm able to apply so much of the concentration effectively.

Read this letter, and dig out the parts that might help you. Throw the

rest out, or store it for another time. But PLEASE, don't think I'm saying

that everyone should be able to think their way out of their RLS.

Okay, with all that said...here it goes:

Yes, ne, it DOES sound mental. But that doesn't frighten me one bit.

I like to think that my RLS is mental. Because, I figure that if it's

caused by or aggravated by my thoughts, then it can also be calmed by or

controlled by my thoughts. The more I realize what situations and what

thoughts cause it, the more I am able to control it and respond to it with

thoughts that calm it.

In answer to your question...no, my father-in-law doesn't live with me. If

he did, we'd be drawing up a whole new set of " house rules " ...like....no

one talks to Jill until AFTER she's gone to the bathroom (in the morning),

read the paper, had coffee, and said, " Okay...now....who wants to talk? "

*smirk*

And then I'd employ some of Kate's game rules, about how long an

explanation or story can take. I've got this 4-way timer.....and I think

we'd be using it. LOL

On a more serious note, you commented on becoming addicted to concentration

activities or techniques. I've seen that happening, too. When I figured

out that certain computer games, or chatting, or emails could distract me

and calm the RLS, I started doing them pretty full-time during the nights

when I was awake. If I were reallllly honest with myself, I even noted

that sometimes the RLS was calmed and finished, but by then I was awake and

enjoying my game or emails, so I ended up staying up longer and longer.

Needless-to-say, there's a problem, there.

I try to treat any of my " tricks " the same as I'd use a medicine that was

to be taken preventatively, or only when the problem arose. I want to have

the trick to use, but I want to minimize the number of times I need to use

it, and hopefully minimize the amount I need. In the last few months, I've

actually been getting better at finding concentration tricks that take less

time, work more effectively, and don't translate into excuses to stay

awake. It takes a lot of self discipline. But most of all it takes an

attitude of being totally angry that I'm being robbed of my sleep. I find

myself thinking, " Well, here goes...now I'll be up all night, again... " or

" Well, it looks like I won't be sitting still for THIS movie..... " But

then, I hear myself with this attitude of, " NO WAY!!! I just need to change

these thoughts, move around a bit, break it up, and get serious about

getting back to sleep or sitting here. " I've become quite belligerent

about it. The times when I'm not....times when I'm extremely tired or

emotional, it tends to slip into panic mode, and that's the most unbearable

times of all. So, when I'm fighting off an RLS attack these days, I remind

myself that I have two choices. I can concentrate fast, move around, and

stop it in it's tracks, or I can feel sorry for myself, panic, and let it

consume my body. Obviously, I'm best off when I choose the first option.

As for what I concentrate on.....for getting to sleep, lately, I've

concentrated on clogging steps. I had to stop clogging two months ago,

because of a toe injury, but I started learning to hear the beats and music

and go over the steps in my head. When I do that, I go right to sleep,

even during an RLS attack. Someone else wrote in about picturing a

marching band and thinking of the people's legs moving. I think there's

something to that. If we know that movement will stop the RLS and we know

that concentration will stop it...then what could be better than to

concentrate on ourselves and our legs moving!!! It's been working great for

me, for a while, now. I've never gotten all the way through a dance

without falling asleep. Ohhhhh, but part of that is because I get part way

through, get distracted in my thoughts, and then make myself start at the

beginning. Sometimes I have to start over several times. Why it works? I

don't know. But it does. I haven't even turned on my sound pillow in a

few months. This is so much better.

Still...I'd like to find a way to sit and listen to someone, like my

father-in-law, and keep my legs quiet. His words and thoughts just don't

require enough concentration. My mind wonders. I'm still working on it.

WOW....this was going to be a short one. Guess I haven't lost my gift for

gab.

Jill, 46

Payson, AZ

http://www.netzone.com/~gunzel/rls.html

[Guest guest]

Jill,

You are right about the concentration bit and stoping the rls. You see I am

typing this at 4:00am and know that my legs will have stoped twitching long

before I stop with my mail. My problem is knowing when to stop and go back to

bed so I'm not dragging in the morning!!!! I wish my mind was strong enough

to just lay there and do a dance in my head, then I wouldn't have to wake

hubby up with the light and the groping for my glasses to see the computer.

Maybe I should plan for this better...lol

But for what ever the reason I find the complete concentration on something

besides your legs works....I just wish I didn't have to envolve my husband and

the dog in my nocturnal wanderings!!!!!

Lee

[Guest guest]

Jill,

You are right about the concentration bit and stoping the rls. You see I am

typing this at 4:00am and know that my legs will have stoped twitching long

before I stop with my mail. My problem is knowing when to stop and go back to

bed so I'm not dragging in the morning!!!! I wish my mind was strong enough

to just lay there and do a dance in my head, then I wouldn't have to wake

hubby up with the light and the groping for my glasses to see the computer.

Maybe I should plan for this better...lol

But for what ever the reason I find the complete concentration on something

besides your legs works....I just wish I didn't have to envolve my husband and

the dog in my nocturnal wanderings!!!!!

Lee