| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| hairfarm |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 09:58:16
Greetings,
There is nothing more frightening than committing to a belief system that may not be helpful.
I am in the very early stage of TMS acceptance. I've been at this now for only a week. But I still find myself wondering in the back of my mind if there isn't some "other" physical problem that I've overlooked. Another blood test, mri, EMG etc.
It would be helpful to know how others on this forum have arrived to a point of absolute faith in the TMS theory. I am struggling to believe that it will help help me. I am willing to take a "leap of understanding", to truly invest myself whole heartedly in TMS, but I keep having these maddening "what-ifs" in the back of my head.
I truly want, (and need) to believe.
Thanks for all of the helpful suggestions.
Hairfarm
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1) My mother newly diagnosed with terminal breast cancer metastisized into the spine. She was (is!) truly my only link to sanity.
2) My Grandfather's newly diagnosed spine cancer spread from his prostate. We're close as well.
3) A recognition that I had to sacrifice "close" friendships when I became new manager at our company recently. I was spending too much time to trying to endear myself to make them like me.
4) Father in law has late stage Parkinsons disease
5) Childhood trauma of a severe nature
6) Marriage difficulties
7) Chronic worrier, control freak, hypochondriac, critical of others, always trying to be liked, impossible for me to say "NO" to anyone when called upon, etc
8) health issues too numerous to list, but I will nonetheless:
Arm, shoulder, hand pain, tingling, nausea, GERD, IBS, Tinnitus, depression, stress, major anxiety, panic attacks, terrible insomnia, fatigue, stopped heavy drinking after 20 years three weeks ago, left occasional eye pain/headache with a twitching lower eye lid. I've had roughly 10 blood tests; RF, Lyme, Antibody etc, three MRI's of ENTIRE spine, one CT scan of cervical spine, physical therapy for two weeks, epidural injection of neck...many trips to the doctors, specialists. I still have no "official" diagnosis, but it has been suggested that it could be fibro-like in nature. I have Googled myself into a horrific frenzy which has NOT been helpful.
All my tests have turned up negative. I was in my backyard the other day, and I mentioned the word fibromyalgia, and a visiting friend immediately got up and went to retrieve a book from his car that he had just purchased that day. It was titled: A Divided Mind. J Sarno. He had only read the introduction, but remembered reading the word Fibromyalgia, so he gave me the book without having read it himself. It was a complete coincidence! I'm now on the last chapter, and I think it may help me.
|
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| pandamonium |
Posted - 07/10/2008 : 03:20:25
First of all, be kind to yourself. It's natural to have doubts and a week is a very short time to get your head round this stuff.
For me it took the first few chapters of Healing Back Pain, so just a day or two to completely buy into the TMS theory. But 6 months earlier a therapist had suggested my pain was "psychosomatic" and I had dismissed it out of hand. She made me feel like I was doing this to myself.
I agree with Chris, keep working at it and gradually you will notice small changes, don't be frightened you have nothing to loose and a lot to gain, there are many people who have turned their life around thanks to TMS theory. I am only 6 months into it but the quality of my life has improved a lot, my outlook has also improved and for the first time in 10 years I have hope for a full recovery.
Panda |
| Baseball65 |
Posted - 07/09/2008 : 06:35:34
Read and absorb the information about TMS. Once you have a level of understanding about it, go inside yourself and pay attention.
Contrast and compare it with the information that the Medical world has given you. Which one seems to account for a more detailed explanation of your problems in their entirety? Which one seems to explain things that were previously mysteries?
You will find this truth alone, not by majority. Don't look too much to others to confirm it for you because the continuing faith of most people lies in the medical industry despite it's obvious shortcomings into finding a comprehensive answer to the long list of maladies that still run rampant.
..and time. Over time you will have 'ah hah' moments where the truth will become too obvious to be ignored.
But pay close attention and listen and look and ponder.
-bb65 |
| sandhya |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:18:26
Hi!
I am so sorry to hear of the difficulties you've had and the suffering of family members and others.
As for committing to this belief system, the lectures and blog etc. at Dr. Schubiner's website (yourpainisreal.com) may be interesting to you.
Lots of good info there, and I believe he will respond personally to emails.
wishing you peace and health,
s. |
| tpunk |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 12:05:16
I would also like to add it may be helpful for you (as it was for me) to read many posts on this forum and also use the search engine at the top of the page. The first day I found this forum I read the stories of others for about 8-9 hours and it was comforting to know there are many people suffering from the same symptoms/ailments as me!
|
| tpunk |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 11:28:16
I think your friend gave you the gift of a lifetime! Like you, I am only weeks into MY diagnosis of TMS. I have to say, I was skeptical at first. In fact, I read Sarno's book about six months ago but it wasn't until Amazon.com recently sent me an email of books I may be interested in and there it was right in front of me so I decided to reread Mind Over Back Pain. I was never given an official diagnosis (except for the fact that I have herniated discs, etc. in my back) as all of my bloodwork and tests (MRI, EKG, hearing tests, etc. you name it I've had it)came back negative. I got to the point when the phone calls came in I would be so disappointed to hear "everything is fine."
Anyway, after embracing TMS and realizing this is IT, each day I feel better and better. I'm not saying I am 100% yet, but I feel so much better than I did a month ago. I do a lot of talking to myself (sometimes out loud) and I say things such as "I know what you are doing and it isn't gonna work" and I really try to think and confront any emotional or stressful issues if a symptom does arise. As Sarno suggests (once and if you do accept TMS as being the culprit) is to slowly incorporate new activities/movements into your routine. I try to do at least one new activity/movement per day. I have been doing this and it really does help. Simple tasks such as bending over without getting dizzy, or lifting a gallon of milk without feeling a pain in my back were nearly impossible for me weeks ago and now I can do it! Sounds simple, well it is once you embrace TMS as being the culprit!
That's all of the advice I have for you, now it's up to you to decide.
Good luck!
Floss |
| ChrisSC |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 11:10:00
Between your list of personality traits, life stresses, and symptoms I would say there's a *very* strong chance TMS applies to you. I had many of the same symptoms as you (pain, IBS, depression, insomnia, fatigue) and went to many doctors and had many tests done as well. Taking the TMS approach has vastly improved my symptoms over about a 3 month period.
It is hard at first to stop thinking physical... it does take a little bit of time. You are definitely on the right track, as you have identified many reasons why you would "need a distraction". It helps a lot if you can relate the arrival of a new symptom to a specific event or stress... for example: my back pain started just a few days after being forced to quit Track and Field due to shin and hip pain (also TMS I now realize) which was extremely upsetting. Eventually if you make enough connections like this you will know that it can't just all be a coincidence and that something psychological is occuring.
Whenever you feel pain or one of your other symptoms, try to think about what it is that might be bothering you. As you make more connections to a psychological cause, a time should come when you feel a slight improvement in symptoms (for me it happened while reading Mindbody Prescription). It doesn't matter how slight--this is the clue that your mind has control of your symptoms. Work with that slight improvement and keep thinking psychologically and you should notice a gradual overall improvement.
Reading TMS success stories is helpful also. I think you will find that many people similar to you have recovered using the TMS approach. You wouldn't have wasted your time on this forum if you didn't already know on some level that TMS applies to you! The "what-ifs" will die down eventually as you gather up your evidence against them.
Just keep working on it, you are on the right track. |
| mizlorinj |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 10:20:48
Since all your tests have come up negative, or at least given you no official diagnosis, what do you have to lose by immersing yourself in the mind/body angle? The docs have found nothing wrong with you. Yes, we have been conditioned to think purely physical, but those of us who have healed conditions using emotional work only know this stuff works! I believed it would work and I absolutely did not want my back operated on. I read proof that it worked for others so why wouldn't it work for me?
Finish the book and then read it again. And again if you need to.
AND Just because others in your family have cancer (or other conditions) DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL! Unfortunately the seed has been planted in your mind (since you mentioned it), but you can reverse it. It's a matter of rewiring our brain, which is getting a lot of press lately.
In the end, only you yourself can accept the TMS diagnosis. No one can convince you of it.
Best wishes for healing,
Lori |
|
|
