| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| LuvtoSew |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 16:52:35
Does anyone think fear is their biggest problem. I'm 53 and have had many injuries in my life, hurt my back at a young age, hurt my neck, etc.I have several bulges in my back and neck and DDD (arthritis) throughtout.
Been having a lot of pain lately but I think it was due to a chiro I was seeing, the last two treatments came home with more pain.
Do any of you think fear of reinjuring keeps us so tied up in knots that our condition just gets worst. I also have ms but thats not bothering me now.
Remembering the fear of the pain returning. I am thinking of takeing a feldendrais class, to get me pass the fear of moving.
Thought please. Thank you. |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 07:15:16
The following quote is from Chapter 7 pages 251-252 of Dr. Sarno's "The Divided Mind," and was written by Rheumatologist Andrea Leronard-Segal, M.D. I have capitalized the last sentence as it is so important in highlighting the role of obesssion with physical symptoms and the role it plays in distracting one from unconscious emotions:
"Even though there is no life-threatening problem or objective measure of illness, people think of themselves as fragile or unwell. They are obsessed with their symptoms, often aware of their pain or their body at some level 100 percent of the day. They are terribly ferarful. They are very very fearful of "injury" and that they will be permanently disabled. They are afraid to engage in many normal physical activities, even during periods when the pain may have abated. They often think that they are easily injured. Fear drives the way they do or do not engage in physical activities. Some patients are so afraid that they essentially stop doing everything physical and are consciously aware of virtually every physical motion they make and how their body parts are aligned with respect to one another. They feel out of control because they expect the pain to occur as a consequence of what they do or do not do. BY CONTRAST, THIS DEGREE OF FEAR AND OBSESSION WITH PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS IS NOT TYPICAL, IN MY EXPERIENCE, EVEN AMONG PATIENTS WITH SERIOUS, DEFORMING ARTHRITIC CONDITIONS LIKE GOUT OR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS."
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Sarno-ize it!
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| shawnsmith |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 06:19:46
quote:
Originally posted by LuvtoSew
I really do no expect to be pain free
You will get what you expect. Why not say " I am confident that as I get older that I will be pain free and be able to live an active life."
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Sarno-ize it!
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| LuvtoSew |
Posted - 05/15/2007 : 04:44:34
shawnsmith- I understand, glad you are feeling so much better.
I sure agree- fear can freeze people.
I really do no expect to be pain free, when one gets older there are bound to be a pain here and there. But to live daily in chronic pain is not normal. I've read so many stories of failed back sx. I just figure whats the use of having surgery.
I remeber in the past when my back went out, I'd be ok in a week or two, but I am a worrier, what if I have to live the rest of my life like this ya know. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 05/14/2007 : 19:57:59
quote:
Originally posted by LuvtoSew
shawnsmith,
I would love to hear your story. Have you relief from your pain, how long have you been using this technique and what was your main pain problems.
Thanks.
I no longer discuss or write about pain as it is counter-productive to my recovery. I don't want to give it any attention whatsoever. I am, however, 75% better than what I was before my onset of TMS.
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Sarno-ize it!
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| mizlorinj |
Posted - 05/14/2007 : 19:48:27
I remember after my visit with the orthopedist and her telling me the "proper" way to bend over. HA! Dr. Sarno laughed when i told him that. Many gave me the advice "don't do any reaching" (herniated disc could slip out more), "no swinging activity" (ping-pong, vacuuming, bending over). Just listening to all this well-intended (but truly mythical) advice was scary in itself! Really, anything I would possibly do appeared to be a risk!
Dr. Sarno says we are stronger and our bodies are stronger than we think.
I understand the fear. And I do think fear of reinjury is a big factor in TMS. I remember when I was recovering from debilitating back pain (yet it was TMS) I closed my bedroom window by bending over and felt a twinge of pain. Uh-oh! But I said "Lori, don't be ridiculous--that could not possibly damage you" and with that I walked away and forgot about the pain. It did not return.
What's my point? Our bodies are strong and do not get injured easily. Normal routine things do not normally hurt us.
The fear is real though and your brain will use it to make you think you've got something structurally wrong with you. IF you let it!
PS I'd skip the chiropractor. Their treatment is purely physical. My pain kept returning a few hours after I left so I knew it was not the answer.
-Lori  |
| LuvtoSew |
Posted - 05/14/2007 : 07:53:11
shawnsmith,
I would love to hear your story. Have you relief from your pain, how long have you been using this technique and what was your main pain problems.
Thanks. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 05/14/2007 : 06:11:57
Dr Marc Sopher writes in his TMS book:
"On the flip side, it is important not to be discouraged if symptoms
arise during the course of an activity. It simply means that more
mental work must be done. It is easy for fear and its compatriot,
doubt, to creep in. “Maybe it isn’t TMS, maybe I do have a physical
problem” are common thoughts. The best advice is to simply
acknowledge this fear as part of the old conditioning, of the brain’s
strategy to have you believe there is a physical problem."
He also writes
"Fear is powerful and it is part of the conditioning that has
occurred over time. It takes courage to put aside the fear. Even when someone tells me they have gone ahead and done their
activity with minimal or no pain, they may admit that they remain
nervous or fearful about the next time. In many cases this may be a
reflection of personality, as well as previous conditioning that needs
to be undone. Remember, many with TMS are prone to worrying –
they may be perfectionists, placing much pressure on themselves to
do well, succeed or be well thought of, or they may be concerned
about their ability to care for, or do for others. They may also have a
more simple fear that their symptoms represent a physical decline or
deterioration that heralds future morbidity or mortality.
So, when someone confronts their fear, does the activity and feels
fine, I tell them to celebrate. CELEBRATE! I tell them to talk to
their brain – tell themselves that they are fine! There cannot be a
physical problem if they were able to do the activity without
difficulty. Celebrating is an important way to re-program the mind.
It is conditioning yourself to think differently about your body and
will help you immeasurably to undo the old conditioning. It will help
you to forget all that came before."
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Sarno-ize it!
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| LuvtoSew |
Posted - 05/14/2007 : 05:36:50
Of course the fear of moving comes from the fear of moving wrong and feeling pain. I wish I could just erase my memory for the last 8 months when the pain started!!! Hypnosis????
I have his first book and just ordered the other two.
My last chiro told me your back is so bad be careful when you vacumn, ya know how things stick in your mind, stuff like that.
On the other toss of the coin, we have all apparently had our injuries and I feel the tms will go to a previous injured area which at one time has been weakened. I don't know if its a mind thing or a physical thing.
Also if we do have a structual problem, our muscles tighten up to protect the area.
But I really believe the mind is the main thing.
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| Sky |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 19:38:12
Im a big believer in introspection. i guess whenever i had that fear of moving, id ask myself why that fear exists, what the nature of the fear is, when do i have these fears, etc. and as i kept asking these questions, i feel like before i know it id be up and moving. try it out a bunch of times and let me know if that works? i just feel like the core message of sarno, at least for me, is to engage in an introspective process of continual questioning of how one truly feels, and in facing feelings, one faces fears, and the fears eventually resolve themselves and you experience personal growth. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 17:50:04
The only way one get beyond the fear of moving is start moving.
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Sarno-ize it!
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| LuvtoSew |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 17:28:02
Its like a movement class for people who are too scared to move or don't know how to easily move their bodies from what I understand. My muscles are so weak from ms that I really need to do some sort of exercise. |
| skizzik |
Posted - 05/13/2007 : 17:06:37
yup, the fear ties ya down for sure.
Whats a feldendrais class? |
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