| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| painintheneck |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 12:10:42
I am on my second book now regarding TMS (this over 3 days). It honestly sounds like me. My "usual" chronic neck pain has improved to the point it's not really bothering me but my anxiety symptoms have skyrocketed and I have a huge headache with a weird feeling at the base of my skull. Ok so I went ahead and took an ibuprophen for the head and now my upper back is bothering me for no physical reason. Can someone tell me if they have gone through anything like this? It's a bit unnerving especially the anxiety symptoms being so high. |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Singer_Artist |
Posted - 10/09/2006 : 11:02:48
I so understand you..The hardest part for me was realizing FULLY that it was emotionally, not physically based...You're doing great..Keep at it! I am still working myself..Still suffering w/ limited Range of Motion in my neck..THe pins/needles have gone away..but the tightness and pain remain..Dr. S. says our brain can create all sorts of symptoms and my pain and neuro stuff moves around all the time..I even get foot pain...
God bless,
Karen |
| painintheneck |
Posted - 10/08/2006 : 21:46:36
Oh haha,
Well my "normal" pain is still not bothering me but.... Now the burning and pins and needle like pain are all over my shoulders, down the outer parts of my upper arms and down the center of my back to the middle of it. Funny how it's Moving around now. Surely neck discs if it were the problem couldn't move the irritation all over the place. Now if I can just allow it to sink in my head. |
| Singer_Artist |
Posted - 10/08/2006 : 06:50:51
I hear you...I had the MRI's to show physical problems as well..But Sarno's books and videotapes helped me soooo much to realize that that was not what my continued pain was all about...Hope you feel better soon..I am still having neck issues out here...Staten Island roads are horrible..Very bumpy, huge pot holes, etc...THey have been causing a conditioned response of neck issues...This is all so tough to rise above...
Take care,
Karen |
| painintheneck |
Posted - 10/06/2006 : 17:11:52
Singer,
It does help and thank you. Sometimes this all feels so overwhelming. It's backed off some today and I am thankful for the break. It's funny really because I have the anxiety disorder and I KNOW that the mind can produce so much stuff but i never did give it a thought that the pain could be coming from my mind as well because I had the MRI's sone that told me that it was physical. So very TMS though isn't it. |
| Singer_Artist |
Posted - 10/06/2006 : 12:54:13
Hiya,
Boy can I relate to the symptoms you are going through...I was on here dealing w/ all of that plus neuro symptoms for months..One thing I learned is to try my best not to focus as much on the physical and think of what is going on in my life and how I am feeling..Journaling, talking to friends on here helped me alot..I still sometimes take advil but i realize that my neck and base of skull issues are a result of the huge life changes i am going thru..I just moved to Staten Island..not permanently, or officially yet but i am here til January, at least..I am in a new relationship and most of the time it is bliss...but it is not without problems and stress..then the neck acts up as a result..hope this helps! :)) |
| painintheneck |
Posted - 10/06/2006 : 08:40:17
Wavy,
Thank you for the response. I wish I could find a good counselor to help me. I live rurally and the only ones here are county counselors who come by a couple days a week and the one I did try wouldn't stop pushing meds on me so I just stopped going all together. It seems to be the "cure all" trend is putting people on anti-anxieties and anti-depressants. It's frustrating. |
| Wavy Soul |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 23:18:19
Ouch - that sounds awful about your family arguing.
Yet I wanna say, You go Girl! It's not to their benefit or yours for you to be their secretly angry, physically ill slave any more. Can you imagine the way they'll treat people in their future lives and relationships if they don't clear it now?
Sometimes you have to work into this kind of change gradually. Sometimes you need family therapy to get people to really sit down and listen to each other and realize that they can't just keep things the way they are by throwing tantrums and threatening you with their anger and snottiness.
Whether or not you can get them to listen, it's probably life-saving for you to keep asserting. I think one of the secrets of assertion is to be like a broken record. You just keep repeating what you are willing to do and what you are requesting. When the other family members "run interference" to stop you changing the family system, you ignore their strategies (like making you feel awful and guilty and all that) and you basically repeat your message in a pleasant, neutral way.
Good luck. If you don't mind the opinion, I have to say that it sounds as though you could use a good therapist to be on your side and coach you.
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
| Wavy Soul |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 23:11:56
Ouch - that sounds awful about your family arguing.
Yet I wanna say, You go Girl! It's not to their benefit or yours for you to be their secretly angry, physically ill slave any more. Can you imagine the way they'll treat people in their future lives and relationships if they don't clear it now?
Sometimes you have to work into this kind of change gradually. Sometimes you need family therapy to get people to really sit down and listen to each other and realize that they can't just keep things the way they are by throwing tantrums and threatening you with their anger and snottiness.
Whether or not you can get them to listen, it's probably life-saving for you to keep asserting. I think one of the secrets of assertion is to be like a broken record. You just keep repeating what you are willing to do and what you are requesting. When the other family members "run interference" to stop you changing the family system, you ignore their strategies (like making you feel awful and guilty and all that) and you basically repeat your message in a pleasant, neutral way.
Good luck. If you don't mind the opinion, I have to say that it sounds as though you could use a good therapist to be on your side and coach you.
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
| painintheneck |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 19:36:01
Thanks so much for the responses. I found out something tonight, after having a horrible day with the head and heart and dizziness. Definitely an anger rage thing going on here. I was feeling better this afternoon. Then I started dinner, hubby and I had potatoes, eggs and turkey bacon and the kids were having hot dogs and ravioli's tonight so I decided the kids could "cook" their own dinner tonight because I always have to do it all and today I just was tired and wanted a break. So it was a huge arguement, they didn't want to. I RARELY make them do anything and I am so sick and tired of getting anguements every single time I ask. They have never done a dish, hardly ever have to prepare anything to eat, never do a bit of laundry, hardly ever even pick up after themselves. These kids are now the youngest almost 14 and the oldest is 17 and will be 18 in May. It was horrible, my oldest got a huge attitude with me and was being so snotty and the symptoms just came back as bad as today. Everyone was argueing, my hubby and the kids and I just felt horrible and so angry. I still feel angry but I don't know how to deal with it. I have a book coming and I hope it can help me out.  |
| turtle23 |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 18:50:02
It is great to hear this from others. I too have just started on the road to "recovery" from TMS back pain. Now that I have been managing the back pain better though by trying to feel, other stress-related symptoms have come my way. Mostly, GI stuff, not anxiety but different symptoms none the less. I keep trying to tell my head that it is okay to have uncomfortable feelings and emotions, but it is only partially listening I think  .
Anxiety can be really scary, but even an old therapist of mine said it was from emotions people don't want to deal with. I had a stint with depression and anxiety too about 5 years ago, which is how this came up.
Keep trying!
Turtle
|
| sonora sky |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 17:28:38
re: heart palpitations. I've gotten these sporadically for years and they've always freaked me out. It's scary for your heart to race for 'no reason' (I put that in quotes because there obviously IS a reason, but that's what it seemed like all those years..). Mine would last up to an hour or more and I'd be close to passing out near the end. I would try to do everything I could to stop them, with varying results. Most involved lying down or getting in an inverted position (head lower than feet) or holding my breath.
I hadn't gotten them since learning about TMS (a few months ago), but had two episodes recently. I was able to stop them in a matter of seconds through what I guess would be TMS 'mind talk.' I layed down and tried to get really still: I breathed steadily (a medium-deep breath) and tried to induce a feeling of calm and relaxation. (Gosh, I guess it's sort of hard to explain this!) And then I simply said to myself, sternly but calmly, "Stop it...RIGHT NOW." And I said this in a "knowing" tone, as in "it's you, mind, that I'm talking to." It was so surprising to feel it stop *immediately* after I said (thought) those words. It was awesome, and I felt so powerful rather than out-of-control, which is usually the case with the palpitations.
Anyway, I thought I'd share, as there really is something to this "mind talk." I haven't been as successful with it for my other TMS symptoms, but this success has given me motivation that I can make it work all around. Yea!
good luck,
ss |
| Kristin |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 14:56:32
It's kind of a mixed blessing knowing that you've both proven you have TMS and then dealing with the fear that the symptoms cause. I've learned to kind of chuckle and say "Gotcha" to little symptoms as they crop up. THe scary ones like palpitations are not so easy to laugh at. I would seriously focus on what the anxiety might be trying to protect you from. |
| painintheneck |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 13:27:21
I'm going to start journaling again too, I used to do it with the anxiety but stopped. I guess I'm wondering if the new idea of the pain not being what I thought it was for the last 10 years and the idea of stopping babying my neck is causing more turmoil in my mind for a lack of that distraction and that's why this other stuff is getting so bad today. I'm getting the heart palps and the dizziness too today along with the bad anxiety. |
| Kristin |
Posted - 10/05/2006 : 13:08:44
I used to be programed to get a stiff neck for 2-4 weeks every year. When I was able to curb that after reading HBP and MOBP my symptoms were replaced with various things, such as dizziness, increased PMS symptoms and heart palpitations. It sounds like typical symptom imperative (the moving around of symptoms and replacement of new pains). I was on my way to wearing out those books. Now, I've started journaling as I read, jotting down ideas that the book triggers. It has been very useful and productive.
I hope you can find some peace and that your anxiety eases when you realize it's due to TMS. |
