| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| garyw |
Posted - 07/25/2005 : 20:54:50
Hi everyone.
I am experiencing some major lumbar/sciatic pain that I think is TMS caused, but am not sure what to do. Medical doctors are stumped. I have had three surgeries over the last 22 years. I have tried epidural injections and several kinds of medication as well as acupuncture, but the pain persists and has taken control of my life. I have read Dr. Sarno's book (MindBodyRx) and Dr. Sopher's book and can readily see that my personality type and psychological history predispose me toward TMS.
My problem is that I just don't know what to do about it. Perhaps I am one of the 5% of patients who needs psychotherapy to uncover the emotional causes of my pain, but there are no therapists close to where I live (West Texas)who have any experience dealing with TMS. I have listened to the CD series Dr. Schecter produced including the one regarding psychotherapy and I JUST DON'T GET IT. Is there anyone out there who knows of a therapist anywhere in Texas or is there possibly a therapist who will work with patients via the internet? I am at the end of my rope.
Gary Whitehead |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Fredarm57 |
Posted - 08/01/2005 : 07:27:45
I am another one who was helped by psychotherapy. I saw Dr. Ron Siegel for a couple of years in the early 1990's. My own opinion is that everyone has to find their own way through this and find out what works for them. Start with the self-help approach--the books, tapes and CD's. Many people can get over the pain by themselves. If that doesn't bring relief, try seeing a TMS doctor, if you can (you may have to travel). This can provide needed reassurance that it is indeed TMS, and that there is nothing seriously wrong. In my case, seeing Dr. Sarno wasn't enough. I needed to explore issues from my past as well as what was going on in my present and see how the past affected my reactions to the present before I got better.
Gary--This doctor was listed on the Tarpit Yoga directory of TMS practitioners.
John Sklar, MD
Board Certified in Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine
2500 West Freeway
Suite 400
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 870-1868
I don't know anything about him, except that that directory, despite is name, seems to be the most comprehensive listing of TMS practitioners on the Internet. Perhaps he can provide you with some guidance. As far as finding a therapist, if you can't find one who is specifically familiar with TMS, perhaps you can find someone who is at least receptive to the concept of psychologically-induced pain.
Fred |
| ssjs |
Posted - 07/31/2005 : 19:51:53
sometimes people do not like the idea of psychotherapy because thay are afraid of what they might find within.
sometimes. |
| Allan |
Posted - 07/31/2005 : 19:12:17
To ssjs and miehnesor.
Your postings make a lot of sense.
I think that I had not considered all of the aspects.
And, I must say, I agree that we are all different.
Allan. |
| miehnesor |
Posted - 07/31/2005 : 18:03:21
quote:
Originally posted by Allan
Psychotherapy is apparently successful (and expensive) in determining buried emotions of the past, usually from childhood. I ask, what good does it do to discover the origin of your problem? How does that solve anything?
Allan.
For me psychotherapy is only as good as the feelings I am able to feel wrt those childhood issues from the past. I see it as simply a tool to feeling. It's paradoxical - to heal the pain you have to enter and feel the pain.
Now for many folks they can just follow the Sarno steps and their pain goes away. I take it that that was all you needed to do to cure your TMS. But- Sarno also says that some folks have to experience the feelings to get the relief. He also says that for those folks psychotherapy is necessary. It's like the force of those feelings can not be reasoned away- they are too strong and primary and must be felt for resolution.
I would actually turn your question around and say what good does it do to do all the intellectualizing about TMS, which is very easy to do, when its the repressed and undiscovered emotions that are driving the TMS symptoms in the first place. Perhaps because my case of TMS is more primary I find it hard to believe that TMS can actually go away by NOT feeling. But there you are- we are all different and have different psychological profiles.
Some folks have to feel the feelings for change. For them they need help and psychotherapy can be helpful. |
| ssjs |
Posted - 07/30/2005 : 21:50:32
Allen
I would imagine that I am the one that you see was cured by therapy. It has been almost 20 years now, and for me therapy was indispensible.
I thought I had the most wonderful childhood, and wonderful parents, when in fact so many hurts were accumulating, and I had no idea why my pains were becoming so intense...and without seeing the things in my past that were not so great, I never would have believed Dr. Sarno's ideas. I never would have gotten any benifit from them.
I do not sit around journaling, or going over and over my past.
Just once a week, I have a great in-depth talk with someone that gives me insight and support, and over time my life has become better and better, and I am happy and PAIN-FREE...if not actually problem free.
I NEVER would have recognized that I had any problem other than a slipped disc, or some similar nonsense.
And we do not wallow in the past...just go through it understand it and find current ways to cope.
And maybe most important...the people I know who have no more pain...and were helped by therapy...do not post. Lately I have been a bit into it...but people who find the answer, usually go on to other things.
My opinion...Therapy is the best if you have the right therapist.
Sandy |
| Allan |
Posted - 07/30/2005 : 17:39:11
Gary.
My opinion, for what it is worth.
The Mind Body Prescription was not the best of his three books. He overemphasizes psychotherapy and the Freudian concept. The last half of the book is on this.
His first book, Mind Over Back Pain, was the best for simplicity. It also had illustrations, including a pinched artery (caused by stress) restricting the blood supply and causing oxygen deprivation. It was in error, in his opinion, because he recommended physical therapy.
His second book, Mind Over Back Pain, was an extension of his first one. The chapter on treatment, page 70, was excellent. Spend some time on this.
I suggest, and I admit that I may be wrong, that psychotherapy is overestimated. From my review of the forum postings, success rates are few and far between. I have only seen one. Most seem to go on forever.
Psychotherapy is apparently successful (and expensive) in determining buried emotions of the past, usually from childhood. I ask, what good does it do to discover the origin of your problem? How does that solve anything?
What is needed, again in my opinion, is determining what action one should take to solve the problem in the present.
Allan.
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| garyw |
Posted - 07/28/2005 : 16:40:40
Thanks for the advice. I have ordered the DVD Peter recommended and also ordered the book recommended by Baseball65. Meantime, I am relistening to the CDs from Dr. Schechter and rereading Mindbody RX.
Gary Whitehead |
| Baseball65 |
Posted - 07/26/2005 : 11:16:58
Hi Gary
Welcome!
I actually read Healing Back Pain first.I used the daily reminders and employed them 24/7 for about a month solid.I still have to use them when I get the very seldom mild relapse(like last week).HBP was a really easy read and seemed like an instruction manual,whereas MinbodyRX seemed like a broader stroke and less definitive as far as 'plan of action'.....just my personal take.Lots of people have gotten better with MindbodyRX.
I even once perused 'mind over backpain',Sarno's first book and realized that I might have never recovered if that was the first book I'd read of Sarno's....too many charts and graphs that looked like other structural based backpain books.
anyways,the 3 ideas and the 12 Daily reminders are:
1.repudiate the diagnosis
2.Return to normal activity
3.Think psychologically
12 daily reminders (15 minutes a day,whenever you can have a quiet moment)
1.The pain is due to TMS,not to a structural abnormality
2.The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation
3.TMS is a harmless condition caused by my repressed emotions
4.The principal emotion is my repressed ANGER
5.TMS exists only to distract my attentions from the emotions
6.Since my back is basically normal there is nothing to fear
7.Therefore,physical activity is not dangerous
8.And I MUST resume all normal physical activity
9.I will not be concerned or intimidated by the pain
10.I will shift my attention from pain to the emotional issues
11.I intend to be in control-NOT my subconscious mind
12.I must think Psychological at all times,NOT physical.
I did end up going to therapy AFTER my pain went away.We're all a teeny bit different.I got well,but than was ANGRY all the time...like going-to-punch-someone-at-work angry.The therapist was really recptive to Sarno(I think he himself thought most pain psychogenic)
We went through the basic Childhood/parents/development/status quo stuff,and when I was done(out of visits) I was a lot more dialed into the way I was constructed....very helpful for relapses and such.
Anyways,if you check around,you'll probably find that most Psychologists are very hip to the mind/body relationship and will be as useful as most TMS specialty therapists.
peace
Baseball65 |
| n/a |
Posted - 07/26/2005 : 10:05:49
Dr. David Schechter has a DVD out where he interviews a number of recovered patients including one with symptoms similar to yours. This man did everything - and I mean everything to get relief to no avail. He became such an expert on his condition to the point he was training experts himself. He even ended up giving a lecture at Johns Hopkins University. His was the most extreme case of TMS I ever read or heard about. The DVD is called the "The MindBody Patient Panel DVD" and can be ordered at: http://www.mindbodymedicine.com/7tms.html |
| Dave |
Posted - 07/26/2005 : 07:35:09
quote:
Originally posted by garyw
My problem is that I just don't know what to do about it.
What have you tried?
Have you read Dr. Sarno's book and applied the techniques suggested in the treatment chapter?
If not, that's where you need to start. Therapy is not a magic bullet. It is only helpful once you fully understand the TMS concept, truly believe it applies to you, and have given your absolute best effort to do the work yourself. |
| ssjs |
Posted - 07/26/2005 : 07:05:15
Over the years Dr. Sarno has re thought the 5% idea. The last time I saw him, he said that it was actually many more who needed therapy. I happen to be a big believer in it! It has changed my life.
I will just say, that even though the fact is that just truly knowing that there is nothing structually wrong should bring about relief, until I realized that my childhood was far from what i believed it was, I did not get better.
When I finally saw that the past wasn't so rosey, I became pain free. It is not better to keep it hidden from yourself, and not bring bad things to light, because they eventually eat away at you.
Once you make the realizations, though, you do not have to go over and over the past...again, you just have to know that nothing is structually wrong.
The right therapist will change your life!
Sandy |
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