Nervous people are often troubled by normal body sensations.
A tingling here, an ache there—little annoyances most people would quickly
dismiss we have a tendency to analyze, fret over, and work up.
Recently I noticed my ears popping when I was involved in
deep concentration on school or work projects. I was not worried about a
medical condition, but I found the sensations distressing. I’m far enough in my
Recovery training to recognize that they were not dangerous, but I started to
work myself up over them. I had thoughts such as, Why are my ears popping? This is making it difficult to concentrate.
This is so annoying. Why won’t this go away? I was being distracted by
these thoughts, and my temper began to build: When my ears would pop my heart
would race and my breathing would become shallow.
Thankfully, I soon remembered Dr. Low’s comments on handling
such situations. We can control thoughts and impulses but not feelings and
sensations. The latter will quickly pass if we do not work them up. Dr. Low
warns us against labeling symptoms as “intolerable” or “unbearable,” as such
language distorts the reality that these are minor annoyances that will quickly
pass—if we allow them to do so.
Every now and again my ears will pop, but I try not to pay
too much attention. As Dr. Low predicts, the sensations subside when I don’t
give them any importance. In former days, I would have come to dread ear
popping. In fact, just the thought of it would have thrown me into a panic.
Thankfully, with my Recovery training I recognize that symptoms are distressing
but not dangerous, and I can nip potential threats to my Recovery in the bud
long before they become serious problems.
