| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Pamela |
Posted - 03/03/2005 : 16:22:20
Hello everyone. I am so glad I found this website. I never knew how many TMS sufferers there really were!! I have recently read Dr. Sarno's book and unfortunately I am still dealing with TMS sypmtoms. I know it will take a while for these new concepts that I have learned to "sink in", but after three long of years I am eager to be pain-free. I think this group will really help me be on my way. I look foward to speaking with all of you soon. Best wishes for everyone. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Baseball65 |
Posted - 03/04/2005 : 16:22:45
Hi Mike C and Pamela,and bbz as well.
bbz pretty muched summed it up.I was glad to see how quickly you recovered...I was beginning to think myself a freak!I was pain free in 3 weeks...back at heavy labor in 5....after being relegated to the scrapheap by the medical system(chronic pain center...permanently disabled)
and to Mike C.: I coach Baseball....I constantly ask the question to guys I am working with "Are you humble enough to go back to the very beginning and review your knowledge?"
If a pitcher thinks he knows how to throw a curveball,than I can't help him correct a mistake or throw a bettr curveball.If a hitter thinks that last years batting title means he "knows" how to hit,I can't help him improve his swing.
Knowing is always an obstacle to learning.Reviewing and retooling have always enriched my life.I hope I never get presumptuous enough that I feel my opinion is more valid merely for time served.
I had a profound experience with TMS,a rapid recovery from physical symptoms and then a sllllloooooowwwwww expanding upon that experience into where I am now.....and as long as I don't believe my own B.S.,I get to learn and grow.The infusion of other beliefs,right or wrong,only expands my beliefs or challenges and tempers the ones I have .....therefore strengthening them.
This board has only taught me and improved me.....made me more useful to others
But really...I'm just a bunch of arabic symbols connected to another mind,vulnerable to all the pitfalls of walking around on this planet in a body.
That is a big fat fancy way to say....my opinions and observations are of similar and equal importance to anyones.As long as I read their with an open mind...otherwise mine are devalued.
This problem originates in the mind,and that is what we share on this board...our minds.
And than there is our collective mind,which is the "state of the art" in TMS recovery
peace
peace.
Baseball65 |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 03/04/2005 : 11:13:53
MikeC,
Thanks for the credit and respect, I appreciate it. I recall when I first posted here a couple of years ago. I had never been on a board before and in fact learned how to use a computer so I could access this board. I posted with quite a bit of trepidation. Now I just pretty much say whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it.
I think this is analogous to the TMS work you are asking about. The more you do it the easier it gets. IF you have TMS then I think, simply put, what you do is: when you feel physical pain, SHIFT your thinking to the EMOTIONAL. Ask yourself what is bugging you. What pressures are you feeling at work or in relationships for example. If you can't think of any you can go to the Rahe-Holmes list of life's stressors that cause repressed rage, ergo TMS pain. I believe it's on page 26 of MBP. I can usually find about five life situations that I'm grappling with.
Some seem to think you have to go back to the womb and try to figure out some psychic tragedy that ocurred. This may be true for some who need TMS psychotherapy. but at least for me, and according to the Good Doctor, most TMS sufferers need only to read the books and understand the process and not fear resuming activity. When Dr. Sarno initally "discovered" TMS, he had migraines, he found that making the shift from thinking physical to thinking emotional "cured" them. Often he would find that he could not figure out what was bugging him, but just shifting the thoughts away from the physical to the emotional was enough to stop the migraine in it's tracks.
So, I would say the work is reading the books and thoroughly understanding how the process works, sleeping on it, and not making it too complicated. Otherwise, one may suffer an overuse injury of the gray matter.
Good luck,
tt |
| Fredarm57 |
Posted - 03/04/2005 : 10:43:39
Mike:
For me, "the work" involved understanding and accepting the TMS diagnosis, dealing with emotional issues that were causing me unconscious anger as well as conscious anxiety, resuming physical activity, and doing somethin I love, which included (in the early '90's) getting back to community theatre, which I hadn't done in years. I suspect that last issue may be part of my current episode (I like the word "episode", it suggests something transitory), as I had determined that with kids' activities, I really couldn't do a show this spring (I try to do one a year). So I'm probably angry at them deep down for keeping me from doing something I love. There's more, I'm sure (job and financial iisues that I'm aware of, probably more that I'm not). I'm going back to a therapist I saw in 2000 starting next week for a few sessions to see what I can dig up. But I can't stress enough the importance enough of doing something you love, even if you can't do it for a living.
Fred |
| MikeC |
Posted - 03/04/2005 : 10:26:02
Tennis Tom,
Thanks for the welcome. "Impose" was probably the wrong word. Given the respect that I have for guys like you, Dave, Baseball65, et.al., I didn't want to seem like I was "taking over" given that I am the new person on the block.
To everyone,
I know that this question has been asked before so have patience with a "rookie" but what is "the work" that needs to be done. I think I am doing it but I want to be sure I'm not missing anything (self-doubt, perfectionism is just oozing through that last statement)
Thanks,
Mike C |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 03/04/2005 : 09:07:38
Quote from MikeC:
"I do not want to impose on the senior members privileges of this forum (Tennis Tom, Baseball65, Dave) as they are ones who usually ask these questions but could you tell us a little about what your problem is..."
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Dear MikeC,
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IMPOSE. As far as I know no one here has any extra privliges. I'm not especially crazy about all those stars after my name tabulating the number of posts, it's becoming a little inhibiting. I'm sure it's just a part of the site package like the smilies but I wouldn't be bothered in the least if it were disabled.
The only person who can make any rules is Dave as it's his site. He was kind enough to keep it alive after AustinGary, it's founder, retired from it. This board is a wonderful example of free speech.
I have seen a natural progression of people, new to the board, who after a few months make dramatic improvements. They become knowledgeable in TMS and are then able to pass it on to other newbee's. I would say it roughly spans a year from the time someone finds the board and posts seeking help to aliviate their pain to the point they evolve to confidenly helping others to understand TMS theory.
I think that is the way it should be otherwise those of us who have been here a bit longer may get burned out by repeating the same info like a broken record. So please jump in and pick up the cudgels. I don't think anyones goal should be to stick around this board forever. Get well and move on to more fun things! |
| MikeC |
Posted - 03/04/2005 : 07:49:02
Pamela,
Welcome to the group. I do not want to impose on the senior members privileges of this forum (Tennis Tom, Baseball65, Dave) as they are ones who usually ask these questions but could you tell us a little about what your problem is and what you are doing now and in the past to deal with it. We may be able to help you more if we know a little more about it.
Thanks,
Mike C |
| bbz |
Posted - 03/03/2005 : 21:13:48
i am pretty new as well...i read sarno's book about a month ago and i am almost completely pain free...for me it was pretty easy as i was a classic case...i had a mri, no problems, my back felt better after a long mountain bike ride, my pain has been in so many different areas in the last few years etc. anyway, for me it was about timing, if i would have read the book two years ago i would have thought it was crap...my strategies are simple, i laugh (in my head mostly) at any pain and i try to find a few times a day when i can think about my issues and my back...i have had two flare ups when work was stressful and wanted to go to the chiropractor, but didn't and once i got past that things have been great, occasional mild pain, or pain in a new spot (which really make me laugh)...work through your stuff and you will see glimpses of hope and hang on to those and before you know it, you'll be pain free too....good luck to you |
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