| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Kevbosf |
Posted - 01/03/2007 : 22:28:03
I am new to the board and have just started with Sarno and TMS books in early November.
I have suffered from 6 years of Chronic low back/ buttock pain and it seems that I fall right into the description in his books. I had surgery last year to replace my L5-S1 disc with the new artificial disc - surgery was great - but guess what - the pain is still there.
I do believe that I have TMS - it makes sense in many ways. However my progress seems to be slow. I have tried to stop all my pain killers but I still need them daily to stop going crazy.
I have started my list of issues to review every night and I am considering the journaling that everyone suggested. I have even decided to return to work after a year off from back pain. But I am scared of work because of the stress and pain - not to mention an hour commute.
Sorry to get off topic from my subject line - but I have had one weird thing happen to me that has never happened before. At night after doing my reading etc. when I try to go to sleep I will end up having anxiety attacks and tossing and turning with my mind racing. Has this happened to anyone else? I have never had anxiety attacks in my life. I have had to use Xanax to get to sleep a few times.
I was also wondering how long many of your recoveries have taken. Fred and Sarno's books are so uplifting when you first read them with their "quick" recoveries shown - but after a few months without much progress I do not like to read Fred's book because it makes me angry that I am not healing as fast.
I agree that a success story section would be great - it is the best thing a new member could read to get started on the forum.
Thanks for all of your posts - I do read this every day!!!
-Kevin
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| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Stryder |
Posted - 01/05/2007 : 19:13:26
Stryder said: Tell us, what's going on in your life (other than your symptoms and surgery yada yada yada)?
Keep going. There must be more. -Stryder |
| Kevbosf |
Posted - 01/04/2007 : 16:33:53
Thanks for the replies. What you are saying makes a lot of sense.
I am going to keep moving forward and trying everything I can to stop this pain.
A little more about me:
My pain started 6 years ago after a car accident - that eventually led me to surgery. I had an extruded disc. Coincidentally I met my partner 6 years ago as well. We are very happy but the past 5+ years of work were tough, stressful, and my boss was a fool that drove me insane. I finally could not take the pain anymore so I went out on disability last year after the surgery did not work. I actually believed that the pain would go away after I left work - but it hasn't. To top it off we sold our house last year and moved into a small condo while we are building a new house, we just moved my partner's mother into a new home and helping her with bills etc. I feel like I have a very happy life - just stressful at times. I am guilty of being a people pleaser - always trying to make things right.
-Kevin
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| vrampen78 |
Posted - 01/04/2007 : 09:00:39
Welcome to the board, Kevin!
I'm also new to the board, but not to Sarno. I hope you do decide to try out journaling. The journaling really does make a difference and I'm starting it up again today. I stopped after journaling for a week (I got cocky and felt so much better that I thought a week was enought), but after a week and a half of not journaling I realize I still have some work to do (I had major anxiety yesterday). Don't get me wrong I'm not saying a week might not be enough for you I'm just saying it wasn't for me and that you should give it a try. I'm sure you'll discover some things about yourself you didn't even know about.
-Veronica |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 01/04/2007 : 07:04:06
quoting Kevin :
"Sorry to get off topic from my subject line - but I have had one weird thing happen to me that has never happened before. At night after doing my reading etc. when I try to go to sleep I will end up having anxiety attacks and tossing and turning with my mind racing. Has this happened to anyone else? I have never had anxiety attacks in my life. I have had to use Xanax to get to sleep a few times."
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Hi Kevin,
That IS the topic. The anxiety attack is a form of symptom substituion, the symptom imperative as the Good Doctor puts it. You have the gremlin worried now. You're starting to understand that the pysical smptoms are TMS so now he's changing strategies to TMS affective(emotional) equivalents. Anxiety and fear are TMS. They serve as a distraction just as well as back-pain. Dr. Sarno would ask what is going on in your life that is creating the psychosomatic pain?
Stryder put it very well not much I can add. The time it takes is the time it takes. Don't get frustrated about the time table. I have seen many people post here and cases in the books who have had TMS for decades and overcame it. Each person has a unique psychology and set of life circumsatances that are constantnly in flux.
Take it one step at a time, baby steps. Like Stryder says, if you get frustrated or fearful, open up one of the books. Do you have his latest, THE DIVIDED MIND, it's EXCELLENT? Fear of doing is the big issue, return to normal acitvity in baby steps.
Good Luck,
tt |
| Stryder |
Posted - 01/03/2007 : 23:12:44
Hi Kevin,
The mind racing / obsessing / panic attack thing is pretty common. I bet you are replaying "the movie" over, and over, and over.
Which movie is it this time, Kevin?
(1) When will I be "normal" again?
(2) Why am I broken?
(3) What exactly did I do to get myself in this f.....g situation in the first place? What is wrong with me?
(4) WTF is going on here !?!?!?! !!!!
In a nutshell, your mind is in a loop, stuck in a rut, as a distraction. TMS has re-wired your brain, taken over in a way, to distract your inner rage from coming into your conscious self. That's the purpose of all this crap. To keep you from feeling your inner rage.
(5) How long is this going to take?
As long as it takes.
Sounds stupid and unscientific, but its all up to you, for you to internalize the TMS diagnosis and do the TMS work.
It could take days, weeks, months, whatever. Looks like you have started on your way, keep up the good work with your issue review, journaling. Try yelling with reckless abandone, in the car while you are driving (swear and curse like a sailor). When you finish one of Sarno's books, pick it up again or read another of his books.
Tell us, what's going on in your life (other than your symptoms and surgery yada yada yada)?
Take care, -Stryder |
| wrldtrv |
Posted - 01/03/2007 : 23:07:23
Kevin,
In your case, it may not be a good idea to "stir the pot" before bedtime. Maybe you ought to review your issues, do your journaling in the AM or another time of day. |
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