Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Is depression/anxiety a symptom of AS?

One of the things I learned playing tournament golf at the pro level (unfortunately never on the "big show"--the PGA Tour) was how completely "Zen" the game can be.

Playing at that level I absolutely had to empty my mind of all thought once I was ready to contact the ball. At very best, I could visualize the shot I wanted to make, but no more. Nothing in my life off the course. Nothing in my business. Not even anyone's best "swing tips". Nothing. Let my body take the swing-- it knows how. The best round I ever played, a 4 under 67, ended on the 36th and final hole of a qualifying tournament on a 100 F day. I eagled a 445 yd. par 4 because I was dehydrated, heat exhausted verging on heatstroke, and just let my body play because I had no brain to control it.

My tee shot went far to the left of the fairway, almost out of bounds. I was left a shot of 205 yds. off hard-packed prairie which needed to turn left around some trees to have any hope of making the vicinity of the green so I could scramble for par. My oldest boy was caddying and tried to give me a 3 wood; I asked for a 2 iron, one of my favorite clubs.

The shot hooked around the trees, bounced over the bunker protecting the front right of the green, and rolled fifty or so feet into the hole. I collapsed-- but the best shot of my life happened because I didn't think.

I trained myself years ago as part of the martial arts I've learned to close my eyes and take three slow, deep breaths, allowing all unnecessary tension to simply flow out of my body. It works wonderfully to get unwanted stress out of my body whenever I need to. I know it sounds a little "wierd spooky hocus pocus" (can't help it; I live in the People's Republic of Boulder County, Colorado) but it does work. It just takes a little practice. It puts you in a light trance so you can get out of your own way.

It helps me manage pain, now, to some degree.

John

well, like, of course, it goes both ways, it's a cycle, a loop, a mobius strip, they are literally connected, whatever you want to call it, one absolutely affects the other

I surely don't think there is anyone who would have trouble with the notion that the body affects the brain!

what's new here to me is the idea that our thoughts and emotions can actually PHYSICALLY change our neural pathways, make them more efficient and and good at transmitting pain messages from frequent use

(undesirable result)

Here's the exact same concept, but now we are carefully, deliberately seeking a:

(desirable result)

(excerpt from my forthcoming book: "Dow's Meandering Thoughts While Swimming Underwater In Circles This Summer" )

Chapter 8: "Learning to Play The Piano"

Many people over the years claim that the best time in life to learn to play is when you are young, that it is much harder to learn when you are an adult. I think there are some real reasons for that, and it may have to do with establishing neural paths between the fingers and the brain, while the brain and pathways are relatively undeveloped

The basic technique for learning a Bach Invention or another complex piece, is simple repetition, but by doing it slowly, but correctly. In fact, ironically, a good way to get real speed at the piano, is to practice very slow, as long as the fingers "learn" the sequence correctly, it doesn't matter how slowly they play, what matters here is the precision.

After many repetitions, what happens is that the neural paths between the fingers and the brain get PHYSICALLY developed, and before long, it is like magic, the fingers seem to play the music by themselves!

(but note you can learn bad habits just as easily as good, if your teacher doesn't correct you if keep using your strong finger in your left hand instead of the pinkie, you will have even more trouble trying to break this habit later!)

Now if you try to do this as an adult, take up the piano at like age 25 like I did, you will likely find it a lot harder. Your mind is already full all kinds of other things, memories, habits, stored thoughts and associations. It may not easily find a place to write to memory those new songs, there are already way too many addresses, siticom characters, faces, permanently stored there, where are we going to find some space to write this new song?

I hear you, Ms. Migster!

I think you would not be an ideal candidate for extensive research on this subject

because we know that you have very considerable AS, and that would put your base pain level at an already very high number, so we would not want to start testing you by adding more stress variables

(as much fun as it might be to throw in some spiders into the lab with you and watch the reaction!! )

Skydiving was awesome, don't count it out just yet!!!

Dow - that would not be fun!

... and AS.

Well to me it has been considerable, but I use past tense. With my treatments, my base nowadays is only about 1-2 when everything is going well but I don't push my luck often. It's kept under control for the most part but those nerve cells have 'memory'. I prefer to avoid the scary variables where possible!

neural superhiways...hendrix crosstown trafic...loudly

You know I would NEVER do that!

I don't get it!

Cripes but I was brave...!! Phew!

You would never eh, Dow???!!!! LOL

(Erica, Our Mig is known to be, slightly, well somewhat, okay maybe quite a bit arachnophobic, so I try never to miss an opportunity! )