| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| nsherwood |
Posted - 12/08/2007 : 02:51:12
Now I know that TMS does stem from "Repressed" negative emotions, but surely thinking negatively about a life situation only adds to the pressures of daily life? And these stressful thoughts will continually enrage my inner child who doesn’t want all this extra fear pressure.
When I think of my future, I see pain, fear and depression for the rest of my life. Surely these pessimistic negative thoughts must be dealt with before I can even start to improve?
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| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| armchairlinguist |
Posted - 12/08/2007 : 16:43:21
It is useful to make a distinction between "negative thinking" and "thinking about negative things". If I am upset about a situation I try to devote some time to be acquainted with my thoughts and emotions about the situation. When I do this I try to take an honest inventory. How do I feel? What are my thoughts? They might be negative, and I might feel bad, and I try to be with them without getting too attached to them. They come and go and eventually pass through, having been experienced fully.
Negative thinking is getting attached to particularly those thoughts that your mind creates that are negative. I would guess that most people who do a lot of negative thinking and have TMS have gotten in the habit because of some of the same things that led them to have TMS, unhealthy emotional patterns. In this case it may be useful to talk with a therapist or try a technique that helps you deal with the negative thoughts you get attached to. Some people on this board really like Byron Katie's material for this. I am a bit skeptical on Katie's work as a whole, but one useful thing she works with, which is very much related to a Buddhist perspective as well, is the 'unreality' of thoughts. Thoughts are just thoughts, they are not necessarily true or helpful. The tendency to see everything negatively is the result of thoughts which most likely don't correspond to reality at all.
If you often do negative thinking, it might be a bit harder for you to approach the TMS concepts with an open mind, internalize the necessary beliefs, and handle setbacks. However, I don't think it's something you have to deal with before you can progress. You just need to commit to the course.
ETA: After reading around, I note that you say that you have problems with depression. In my experience depression is a TMS equivalent. Fighting the dead feeling and the intrusive negative thoughts is not unlike fighting pain. It is very challenging though. If you've been having ongoing issues with depression, I recommend therapy if you can arrange it. That's what I eventually decided to do when I realized I just couldn't keep fighting the depression on my own.
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It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
| lidge |
Posted - 12/08/2007 : 12:11:22
I totally agree with Skizzik.
I also think alot has to do with whether you view depression leading to physical symptoms or whether depression is, as Sarno believes, a manifestation of TMS. If you have depression, and the shrink tells you that you have a chemical imbalance that can only be treated with drugs, you internalize that you are broken, damaged goods and that you will have to rely on doctors and meds the rest of your life. If you believe that TMS leads to depression, you see the depression as a symptom of a larger process over which you as an individual has some control.
I think alot depends on what school of thought you buy into. I have found in myself and I see in others, the terrible time we have when we straddle the two schools of thought- is part of it physical, all of it, none of it- My conclusion is that many people choose to become purists on one side or another simply because its easier for the mind
to grasp one theory and stick with it- I think the phrase "divided mind" applies to even more than Sarno thinks! |
| skizzik |
Posted - 12/08/2007 : 10:24:43
can't seem to find the direct quote, but when Sarno is asked "would'nt digging up all that negative emotion make my pains worse?"
Sarno answers "paradoxically no, for it is the failure to realize the sources of rage that perpetuate the pain."
Or something like that.
nsher, you say that your pessimistic thoughts must be dealt w/ b4 you can improve.....I don't think so. I think "pessimistic thoughts" are a symptom.
Fear is actually a greater distraction to your repressed emotions than the pain is Sarno implies. Therefore "fear" is a symptom as well.
And of course Sarno lists depression as a TMS equivalent.
What does all this mean? I would say accept the fear, bad thoughts, and pessimism just as you would the pain, and admit they are symptoms of something bigger, and that is the "blind rage" that you can't see your in and your mind tries desperately to distract you from.
I feel once you can do this over and over, the good feelings, and optimism will "emerge" naturally w/ out going into bull sh-- "rah rah sis boom bah sessions" that go nowhere or will depress you more out of fustration in the long run. |
| koukla |
Posted - 12/08/2007 : 08:19:06
I find that negative thinking about past, present or future brings on pain for me. Many times I know exactly what I am upset about too or I can think of it with only a little effort. Right now I am reading the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn (sp?). It is excellent and it talks a lot about getting caught up in negative thought patterns of all kinds. |
| nsherwood |
Posted - 12/08/2007 : 02:55:14
Dr Sarno says to "believe" there is nothing physically wrong with you. Surely this takes a very positive frame of mind? |
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