| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| andrews65 |
Posted - 03/22/2008 : 10:05:06
Hi all ... I've had shoulder and neck pain on and off for almost 16 years, seen the usual army of specialists to no avail; my original post with more of the story is here ... http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4187
I've been working with TMS ideas since December; have read HBP and MBP at least 3 times, also Amir's Rapid Recovery from Neck and Back pain. Have journaled, identified a host of things past and present that have likely contributed to rage and anxiety, and had some success with 'feeling' past anger that I did not engage with at the time.
I understand the TMS theory and practise; today I listed out the evidence (and there is lots) that my condition cannot be structure or posture related, so must be psychological. I am sure I believe that psychological factors contribute in some way to my condition. I will admit that I don't think I've yet got to grips with the conditioning/programming side of things (which after 16 years are likely to be considerable), and that I do sometimes veer back to a 'it must be a physical problem' way of thinking. It is worth saying I've not yet seen a TMS doc to confirm I have TMS, but every specialist I've seen confirms there is no serious problem with my back.
My shoulders and upper back feel more tense than ever, and the pain in my left shoulder and neck is arguably worse than its ever been. So I'm pretty demoralised. Am I being too impatient expecting lasting improvements after 3 months?
thanks, Andrew. |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| andrews65 |
Posted - 03/25/2008 : 08:22:11
Hi, thanks to all for the replies. Just a few more thoughts of my own off the back of them:
I'm more sure than ever that I am conditioned to expect shoulder/neck pain. It used to be just the prospect of working at my IT job, but now I think I expect pain in general, work or no work, since its what I've 'learned' usually happens over the last 16 years.
At the back of my mind I do have a worry that I am one of the minority who just do not respond to TMS treatment (as discussed by Dr Sarno in his books). But I guess I have to counter that worry with the fact that I'm certain that there is a psychological element to my problem; so a psychological approach can only help. And I also should remember that the years of taking a physical approach to the problem have led to no improvement.
I got stuck when I first looked at Amir's book in January, when trying to picture myself pain-free. I found this very difficult, even picturing myself pain-free in the 3rd person let alone the 1st. I did attempt the 'deal making' with the subconscious, promising treats/punishment if pain free/or not for a period, etc, but did not see great success. I think I then decided to leave it (so as not to get disillusioned) and re-read Sarno to get the ideas more straight before re-trying the deconditioning; currently re-reading the Amir book and will restart the deconditioning work in a couple of days.
On reflection I think I'm gradually finding it easier to notice and accept evidence its a psychological problem. e.g. in the 20 mins since I started typing this my pain has noticeably decreased.... during the activity that is meant to make it worse. And in the last 10 minutes a colleague came to my desk to discuss work and my pain is worse again (after no keyboarding work). But is it still at the stage where its 'intellectual' knowledge, that has not 'sunk in' yet? Its tempting to try to apply a cognitive approach with my new found knowledge that there is definitely a psychological factor, but that approach is counter to what Dr Sarno recommends.
So I'll take the advice and continue on my current course. I think I'm gradually realizing that I may need to address fundamental things in my life, but I'm not yet sure what those things are and how I address them! Its a bit daunting, and does not reflect the message you take away from Sarno's books after initial reading (which is 'read the books, work on yourself for a week or two, and see improvements'). But I do think its likely that whatever is in me that allows this problem to persist, has been there in some form or another since my childhood. So an overnight fix is unlikely to happen.
Anyway thanks again for responding ... Andrew. |
| armchairlinguist |
Posted - 03/24/2008 : 16:19:13
I think you are correct that after 16 years you may have some serious need for deconditioning.
Did you follow the guidelines in Fred Amir's book as far as setting moderate, gradual goals, reward and punishment, etc? The book is very inspiring but just reading it will not give you all its benefits.
Dave is as always correct -- try to take the long-term view. If there is nothing known to be wrong with you physically, then there really is no benefit in giving up on this option.
--
It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
| Dave |
Posted - 03/22/2008 : 13:44:08
quote:
Originally posted by andrews65
Am I being too impatient expecting lasting improvements after 3 months?
Recovery is different for everyone. However, trying to put a schedule on it, or tracking your progress can just lead to frustration, which ultimately undermines the treatment by sowing seeds of doubt.
Think of it like losing weight. Say you want to lose 30 pounds. Will you go on a "diet" and then be upset if after 3 months it doesn't happen? And, what do you expect to do once you lose the weight? Go back to eating the way you used to?
The only way to lose weight permanently is to forever change the way you think about food. It's a fundamental change in lifestyle. If you change your eating habits and take a long-term view, the weight will come off. Who cares if it takes 3 months or a year. The important thing is that you've made the change and you know that ultimately, the results will come.
With a diet, you take a short-term approach, and the weight will just come back. But if you take a long-term approach, you'll keep it off. TMS recovery is a similar process. Consider it a fundamental change in your life and take a long-term view of recovery. Don't put a timetable on it or get frustrated with lack of results. Just do the work and relief will come on its own. |
| mizlorinj |
Posted - 03/22/2008 : 10:14:26
Andrew: In a nutshell, it takes as long as it takes. Everyone is different. Happy to hear you've been able to uncover some things from the past that could be causing pain. Carry on and see what else you can come up with. Regarding current stressors in there too: Dr. Sarno dissected things for me into 3 categories and two were current issues that are ongoing. I have adjusted my thinking toward them though and things are going very well in all aspects. Not that I don't get ticked off here and there.
If you've already got a lot of evidence that your pain is not structural, allow that to sink in. Feel the relief knowing that it's psychological which can be healed!
For me, once I read Dr. Sarno's books and realized the herniated disc was not the cause of my pain as confirmed by Dr. Sarno personally, I wrote and wrote for days on end because I was home flat on my back. I was back to work in TWO WEEKS!! However, other things have taken longer to heal. I finally can touch the floor again bending over with knees straight. That took about a year.
Be patient and loving with yourself. Years of conditioning takes time to be undone.
Best wishes for healing,
Lori |
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