| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Swede |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 19:29:30
Hi
I just recently heard of TMS and right away I got very interested.
Iīve ordered one of Sarnoīs books and will read it the minute I get it.
Anyway this is my story:
About three years ago I was going through a really tough period in my life, actually Iīve never felt as bad as I did at the time. I couldnīt stay home so I went to Thailand for three months and altough that was a great trip it was there it all started. I got a mysterious burning pain in my bladder area and this kept on during the whole trip. I also started urinating more frequently.
Anyway I got home and after a while the symtoms got worse and I started to feel pain from my prostate/rectum area, began to suffer from loss of libido and erection, premature ejaculation and so on. I visited several urologists who couldnīt find anything and all they could do was to give me antibiotics which did nothing.
After they "diagnosed" me with prostatitis and said that there wasnīt anything they could do I refused to give up. I started a crusade of alternative treatments, relaxation, PTīs, acupuncture, herbs, homeopathy, medicines and so on. Some things especially acupuncture did help a little but not very much. About a year ago I also started having back pains while i was out jogging, and guess what!? Three doctors, 100 PTīs and 1000 chiroīs later I still had the exact same pain that just waxed and waned. This also became a chroninc condition. So here I am today investigating the thoughts of John Sarno. Since it probably was the mind that set my condition off I figure that it is the mind that also has the power to take it away. When I feel happy my symtoms always feel better and often when Iīm away on vacations I donīt feel the pain at all but the minute I come back so does the pain. Sometimes when I read about CPPS the pain gets worse and just plain thinking about it also worsens the pain. This is what got me into this theory although I havenīt read the book I read about this guy who cured his CPPS(chronic pelvic pain syndrome) with the help of this book and he wrote a description of what it is about.
Today I see this as one of my last options since it feels like Iīve tried it all. The sexual disorders of this damn syndrome ruined my last relationship and now makes me scared of dating again. Iīm a good looking guy without any difficulties meeting people but the thought of failure once again is too much.
So I turn to you guys here on this forum. Do you think Iīm on the right track here and does anyone recognize themselves in what I have wrote?
ANY HELP will be GREATLY appreciated and to those of you who took time to read this I thank you!
Best wishes
A guy from Sweden |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dave |
Posted - 12/26/2005 : 16:08:19
I have not had an attack of prostatitis since learning about TMS. I didn't do anything in particular, I just accepted that it is part of the syndrome.
The last symptoms to leave are those that distract you the most. Learn to ignore your symptoms and they will steadily decrease. |
| Swede |
Posted - 12/26/2005 : 10:56:20
Dave,
Did you recover from prostatitis using Sarnoīs methods?
How did you do it? |
| Dave |
Posted - 12/25/2005 : 20:56:01
Healing Back Pain is focused primarily on postural muscle/nerve pain. His newer book, The Mindbody Connection goes further into other TMS equivalents.
I have had prostatitis and can say for certain that Dr. Sarno believes it is part of TMS.
You say: "I am not in denial of my emotions..." This is not what TMS is about. I suggest you read the book repeatedly until the concepts truly sink in. TMS symptoms are brought on the "unconscious pool of rage" which is not as simple as supressed emotions.
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| Swede |
Posted - 12/25/2005 : 16:03:32
Halfway through "healing back pain" and I do really recognize myself in many ways. First off I do have a history of suppressed anger and issues with my father. I am also a "worrier" and I worry alot about all sorts of things, especially about my future.
One thing that was pretty cool was about the muscle soreness Sarno wrote about that is almost present in every person with TMS. In my own case I have very sore trapezius and gluteus muscles that really hurt when pressured.
Iīm also a perfectionsist in some ways. Iīm not a workaholic though and my pain didnīt start with neck, back, buttock pain. One thing I really do is obsess over my pain since it ruins much of my life.
After reading AHIP and half of Healing back pain. I do now know that my pain comes from suppressed emotions and a lack of self esteem.
I am not in denial of my emotions either, I mean I know that I have issues and I think I know thatīs why Iīm in pain. I really hope that it is TMS related.
I have one major question though and that is if anyone knows if Sarno himself ever mentioned CP/CPPS in relation with TMS. In the book he briefly mentions prostatitis as a manifistation of TMS but nothing more. It would be really interesting to know if he ever mentioned anything regarding this issue. Let me tell you this that CPPS sufferers almost always have these issues of anxiety and suppressed emotions. Iīve been in contact with tons of them. According to Sarnoīs book itīs almost as if TMS is just about back, neck and buttocks pain. I first developed CPPS about three years ago, two years later my back started aching soon followed by joint pains.
I do believe I am on the right track here but there are some differances in the personality types Sarno mentions and my own. It seems that the ones he describes doesnīt know that they have these issues.
I will continue my reading now and then move on to The mind body prescription and Fred Amirs book. One thing Iīve noticed though is that my pain is much worse since I started reading and right now when Iīm writing this my pain level is almost at itīs peak.
Just wanted to share my first impressions.
Thanks |
| seanf |
Posted - 12/12/2005 : 15:34:30
This is my first post in quite awhile. I had pretty much abandoned this board back in the Spring because my knee pain and RSI cleared up 100%, all thanks to Sarno. The last six months were great. After nearly 2 years of pain, I felt like I was finally starting to pull my life together. I moved away from a bad family situation up to the city, and was finally establishing my life as an adult (I'm 24 years old).
One of the things I had discovered doing my Sarno work last year was that I had a some very deep insecurities, especially about my body. I'm tall and thin, and I have always felt quite alien in my body. Because of this, I've been very sexually reserved over the years. I held myself back on many occasions, and though I had relationships I didn't actually become sexually active until a few months ago. About one month ago, I became sexually involved with a girl that I really had a great deal of respect for, and I wanted more than anything to make it work out. Unfortunately, I think my fears and inhibitions ruined my ability to perform, and a few weeks later we've broken it off. Throughout all this, I had started doing PC muscle exercises to get myself in better "sexual shape," though my motivations were fear and insecurity.
Then, about a week ago, I started developing a stinging sensation in my urethra and having to urinate more and more frequently. It feels like it's gotten steadily worse over the last few days. I initially got online and started doing a lot of reading about prostatitis, but the second I read about "chronic" prostatitis and the fact that it's poorly understood, I realized this has to be TMS. Obviously, having really just begun my sex life, and having started so late, I have a lot of repressed emotions that I have to deal with. These emotions surfaced in my wrists and knees before, and now they're surfacing in my prostate/urethra. Reading the above posts only reinforces that conclusion for me.
I went in to the hospital yesterday to see a urologist. My urinalysis came back normal, and I suspect my cultures will too. I'm taking the antibiotics they gave me, but only as a precaution.
Like some of the posters above, I have very little pain in the morning and it increases as the day goes on. To me, this also points to TMS. When we sleep, our bodies and minds are relaxed and our unconscious has a chance to "express" itself. As soon as we begin going about our daily lives, the stresses accumulate and multiply, especially when we have distracting physical symptoms like pain. And because of our TMS personality types, we obsess over the problem so that it continues to spiral out of control.
I'm not going to let that happen this time.
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| HilaryN |
Posted - 12/11/2005 : 05:18:52
I really liked 2569trs post, and want to repeat some bits here for emphasis.
quote:
really do believe that TMS is the cause of my problem. Will it be a quick fix? I doubt it. I only started on this about a month ago and in that time I've noticed that the pain has gotten much worse. I think that is a good sign.
quote:
You have to believe 100% that nothing structurally is wrong with you and you have to really make your subconscious understand that you will not be intimidated by this pain. CPPS is an incredible distraction.
quote:
The first thing I did when I decided to try Sarno's approach again was look all over this website to see if anyone else had CPPS and had gotten better.
I can relate to this with my RSI (repetitive strain injury).
Continuing this quote:
quote:
Now I think that is the wrong way to go about it. We all want somebody to say "I had this problem and this worked for me" but it's not always that easy.
Very good point, 2569tr. I think Im lucky in that people with RSI had recovered before me, so that gave me inspiration. But someone has to be first
even if no other CPPS sufferers had recovered (which they have, according to posts here) it doesnt mean you cant recover. Ditto with other conditions.
quote:
One thing I did notice is that some of people who said they were getting their pelvic pain under control would say that now their back is acting up or their IBS is acting up.
I believe people who get their back pain under control have the reverse problem.
Quote from Swede:
quote:
So here I am today investigating the thoughts of John Sarno. Since it probably was the mind that set my condition off I figure that it is the mind that also has the power to take it away. When I feel happy my symtoms always feel better and often when Iīm away on vacations I donīt feel the pain at all but the minute I come back so does the pain. Sometimes when I read about CPPS the pain gets worse and just plain thinking about it also worsens the pain.
Swede, I think that is a big pointer to TMS. (Not that TMS is always that obviously related to perceived emotions, but here it seems to be.)
Also Swede:
quote:
Today I see this as one of my last options since it feels like I've tried it all.
That should help you along the way in terms of motivation. That was the stage I was at when I started tackling my RSI.
Id like to add to all of you: dont give up, even when you feel like youre not progressing. The TMS is not going to give up without a fight youve just got to be determined (and/or desperate). Im sending you all my best wishes. Id say Good luck, but thats not quite right. More appropriate is the French expression,
BON COURAGE.
Hilary N |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 17:17:32
I don't really care to discuss symptoms. I only like to discuss emotions and what possibly led to the state I am now in. Yes, I feel much better as a result of Dr. Sarno, but I have not fully recovered. I was on my back and could not walk before. Suffice it to say that I have more than CPPS as symptoms and they all came on at gradually over a period of a few months starting about 2 years ago. Many tests were done on me and nothing was ever found. I had a lot of stress in my life at that time, so this is what most likely set it off.
Dr. Marc Sopher had two patients with this condition, and using Dr. Sarno's teachings they fully recovered. In addition, Dr. Sarno mentions prostatitus of the non bacterial kind - of which you have even though there is nothing wrong with the prostate- with accompanying pelvic pain and frequent urination as a common TMS equivelant. Dr. Wise has half of the answer- it is indeed stress induced - but doing the mental work is a little tough, especially in such a senstive area of your body which demands so much attention even when we are felling well. |
| alix |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 14:19:59
Peter,
How long have you been on Sarno? Do you feel better?
I asked Wise about Sarno. My sense is that he believes in it but he says that it is just too difficult to attack CPPS with Sarno's method alone.
Wise says that if he stops the daily relaxation/meditation, his symptoms come back which seems to be a proof that relaxation is a band aid but it is an effective one.
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| n/a |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 13:53:02
I have what is diagnosed as CPPS, and I too spoke with Dr. Wise and have read his book Headache In The Pelvis. This is 100% TMS. Dr. Wise conentrates too much on the physical source of the pain and, for the most part, his trigger point therapy, which does not even work for many people, is merely a placebo. |
| 2569tr |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 12:26:04
I'm also new here but have been dealing with CPPS for over three years. I've talked to Dr. Wise but haven't been able to go to Stanford due to the cost. Also I haven't had any trigger point therapy because there is no one in my area that specializes in this. My symptoms are typical-pelvic pain, frequent urination, urtheral pain. They follow a typical pattern, no pain while I sleep and then the pain progresses as the day goes on. Some days I feel fine until in the evening and then the pain starts. Some days the pain appears right after I get out of bed. I can lay in bed for an hour with no pain after I wake up but once I get out of bed the pain shows up.
When this first started I read Dr. Sarno's book, the Mind-body Prescription, and although I understood it on a logical level I just couldn't accept that repressed emotions could cause this pain. After dealing with this for three years I have come back to Sarno and really do believe that TMS is the cause of my problem. Will it be a quick fix? I doubt it. I only started on this about a month ago and in that time I've noticed that the pain has gotten much worse. I think that is a good sign. It seems to be fighting back and that tells me that it's TMS. I will say that since I started this my urinary stream has gotten much stronger. Before it was weak. Now I feel like I'm emptying my bladder. The only thing is that the general level of pain has gotten worse.
When I look at a timeline of my symptoms I feel that it supports TMS.
A few months before this started I a got a vasectomy. Everything went smoothly but I do remember being nervous before the vasectomy because I had been told that a small percentage of men have chronic pain as a result. I believe this planted a seed in my brain. A month or two before my symptoms started I got a chemical burn on the tip of my penis from a spermicde my wife was using. It only bothered me for about two days. The pain was minor but it would burn a little when I would urinate and this would cause me to tense up as would empty my bladder. The first symptom was a minor feeling that I had to urinate all the time. I went to my doctor, she said it was prostatitis, which freaked me out. I thought I had cancer. She gave me antibiotics. Of course I went on the internet and found out that prostatitis is difficult to treat. This lead me to the IC websites which freaked me out even more because it talked about the terrible pain and how it wasn't curable. With in days the pain showed up. Over the next few months I went through all of the typical tests and everything looked fine. I also tried every treatment out there with no success. For me I think my subconscious found something that worked really well to keep me distracted.
I doubt you will find many people that have used Sarno's methods to treat CPPS because it's like jumping off a cliff. You have to believe 100% that nothing structurally is wrong with you and you have to really make your subconscious understand that you will not be intimidated by this pain. CPPS is an incredible distraction.
The first thing I did when I decided to try Sarno's approach again was look all over this website to see if anyone else had CPPS and had gotten better. Now I think that is the wrong way to go about it. We all want somebody to say "I had this problem and this worked for me" but it's not always that easy. It also could take a long time. I feel I've become conditioned to this pain and I'm not going to put a time frame on getting better. I've read the other CPPS forum for years and do think the Stanford Protocol can be effective but not without the relaxation part. Even Dr. Wise said that physical therapy alone didn't help. One thing I did notice is that some of people who said they were getting their pelvic pain under control would say that now their back is acting up or their IBS is acting up.
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| alix |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 10:18:10
Swede,
I think I know whom you are referring to. I believe that he did not suffer from CPPS for very long and he is pretty young. The SP is slow but it seems more bullet proof. The relaxation part is in my mind much more important than physical therapy. I am sure that you can find in Sweden PTs that are familiar with pelvic pain. You should check PTs specialized in women's health and treat women for vulvodynia.
I would also love to hear on this board if people have been cured from CPPS.
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| Swede |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 09:54:36
Thanks,
The guy that I read about was absolotely cured by Sarnos methods so if it can help people with CPPS I guess itīs worth trying. I should add that he did it on his own without any professional work done after reading both of Sarnos books.
Alix, did you feel more relief from the Stanford protocol than Sarnos techniques? Iīve tried doing it on my own with the help of PTīs although they did not do internal work. Iīve been trying really hard to find someone that does but Iīve only found one and heīs in Scotland.
It would be really great if more people with experience on TMS and CPPS/CP could write and tell me their story. Has anyone on this board been cured?
Thanks everyone and be well! |
| alix |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 09:42:06
I am also new here. I have exactly the same experience as you Swede, I have suffered for 3 years of CPPS.
I did the Sarno protocol for 8 weeks very seriously (with professional help) but it seems that for CPPS it is extremely difficult to make it work even according to the experts I have seen. I don't know if the fact that it has to do with maybe more complex issues like sexuality is a factor.
I mostly experienced an increase in pain during that period and pain moving around but no resolution.
I also did the so called Stanford Protocol for CPPS and many of the participants were familiar or had tried Sarno (Including Dr.Wise himself) but did not achieve pain relief with Sarno.
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| redskater |
Posted - 12/10/2005 : 08:24:47
ditto!
Gaye |
| electraglideman |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 20:26:48
Hi swede,
Sounds like you are a good candidate for TMS. I'll tell you when you will know. When you read Dr. Sarno's book. If you have TMS you will be thinking Dr. Sarno had me in mind when he wrote this book. |
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