| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Monte |
Posted - 01/27/2013 : 08:48:41
For many the New Year represents an ideal time for resolution and change.
Reversing TMS and learning to live with TMS but without the chronic pain and symptom cycle interrupting your life requires Change.
Genuine change usually requires inspiration, constant reminders and quality reinforcement. Whether the goal is to lose weight, learn a new skill, quit smoking or reverse a chronic pain syndrome. These are all journeys that require change and constant reinforcement or you will most likely fail. Sad but true.
It is essential to understand that there is not a cure for TMS and there never will be! This is vital to understand if you want to reverse TMS successfully.
TMS is not some unconscious mind disorder caused by our brain and we are the helpless victim that someone has to come fix. Equally important to accept this point if you want to reverse TMS.
TMS is a mindbody syndrome and as long as we have a mind and a body we have the potential to experience mindbody effects! When you digest and accept this truth you are ready to initiate real change with genuine Acceptance.
TMS is a mindbody syndrome caused by our thought/behavior patterns that are doing two things:
1. Generating Inner Tension that automatically gets transmitted to our autonomic nervous system, which we then get the effects.
2. Repressing Emotional Energy (our patterns allow us to avoid or deny our emotions) this is the big, huge repression in TMS that generates more inner tension that gets communicated to our nervous system and we then get the effects or symptoms.
3. What makes TMS unique in the chronic pain disorder world is the Intelligent, Creative and Powerful Distraction Strategy that’s purpose is to Distract you but also Signal you that something is not balanced in your life.
4. As long as you have a mind and a body you will experience all types of mindbody effects and have the potential to experience chronic mindbody (TMS) symptoms at any time in your life.
This is a perfect time for TMS veterans and newbies to review the important Do’s and Don’ts of TMS.
“Not-to-do” lists are often more effective than to-do lists for upgrading performance and creating positive change, so we will start here:
1. Do not get distracted by pain or other TMS symptoms. Dr. Sarno taught us rule #1 – Pain/Symptom in TMS is a Signal to Think Psychological. If you are distracted and focusing on the symptom, what is wrong and who will fix me you are “feeding” the strategy and keeping the pain/symptom cycle going.
2. Do not get stuck thinking/analyzing/investigating that TMS is caused by deeply repressed emotions or some unknown unconscious event. Finish the unfinished business and heal the known wounds and put the majority of your energy in being present in your day-to-day living. Most of the repression in TMS is the day-to-day stuff!
3. Do not keep searching outside yourself for the answers to TMS. This includes help/support groups, internet searching or believing that you must be diagnosed by a TMS doctor before you can accept TMS. This type of searching (distraction) will usually “feed” the strategy or is your “crutch” for not beginning your own genuine “inner work/change”.
4. Do not expect TMS and the Intelligent Pain/Symptom strategy to behave rationally. Your work, if you accept TMS is to “think psychological”, don’t be distracted and pay more genuine attention to how you are being and make some (open, allowing, flexible, balanced) changes in how your thoughts, attitudes & behaviors are playing out in your daily life. Don’t try to analyze and rationalize intellectually with the TMS strategy. This makes you feel like you are taking positive action but usually ends of “feeding” the strategy. We are not going to know and understand everything about the TMS strategy and how/why/when it works as it does. This is perfectly fine, we don’t need to!
5. Do not casually accept TMS and give it a shot to see if “think psychologically” will work for you. It takes 100% acceptance and genuine inner work to reverse TMS. The casual, skeptical acceptance approach is fear based. The TMS strategy knows this and will keep you stuck in the pain/symptom cycle. Belief with confidence and conviction is the communication that reverses the strategy.
6. Do not become consumed with reversing TMS. In most cases this will backfire by “feeding” the strategy and prolonging your chronic symptoms. Yes, you are excited that now you know the real
cause and you want to fix it ASAP. Put more of your energy/attention into genuine inner work. Getting consumed with all the different aspects of TMS is distraction, meaning the strategy has you! There is a balance between struggling and fighting the strategy and in accepting it and understanding the change message for you to begin making in your life!
7. Important: Do not take the attitude or think about your TMS treatment (Thinking psychologically, Thinking clean, Being with Emotions, Journaling, Being Present, Root Lock, Resuming Activity, Stopping Physical Treatment, Etc.) as a treatment that you have to do to fix TMS. Yes, it is, but when you genuinely “get it”, that this is mindbody and your work is the mind and the purpose behind all of this is to Signal you to bring some change into your life, then you understand it is not a treatment to fix TMS, it is a message for you to be more open, allowing, balanced, present moment, and flexible in your life! And when you do that without thinking about TMS, you more effectively and efficiently reverse the pain/symptom cycle!
To provide you with helpful reminders and positive reinforcement I am going to do my best to provide at least 12 updates in 2013 along with some new video discussions and more frequent, relevant twitter messages. Stay tuned.
Since 2003 Monte has been providing updates that provide a unique insight and experiential knowledge into the healing requirements necessary to fully understand the dynamic TMS Mind Body Syndrome, how to reverse it and how to live with it successfully.
Recent Updates: http://www.runningpain.com/important_tms_updates
Stay the course
Monte Hueftle
monte@runningpain.com |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| chickenbone |
Posted - 02/24/2013 : 18:07:46
You know, there is a difference in quality between TMS pain (pain being generated or exacerbated by the brain (mind)) and genuine physical pain. I had a hint of this when I was in the middle of my healing process and I even mentioned it to Ace. I can actually FEEL the difference now. It is very difficult to describe this "difference in the quality of pain" to others. TMS pain has a sharp, irritating, edge to it that physical pain does not have. TMS pain also engages your emotions differently. I can't, unfortunately, explain it very well, but there IS a big difference and you can sense it if you listen for it. |
| alix |
Posted - 02/24/2013 : 13:33:02
Thanks Eric for the kind words.
I was a moderator on a "non-TMS" forum for many years and I have seen people periodically bring up Sarno.
But here is an example of a TMS doctor visit. I mean no offense to Dr.Sopher or johnO of course:
http://tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3083
http://tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3601 |
| gailnyc |
Posted - 02/24/2013 : 11:21:59
quote:
Yes, but that is because he said my hip was NOT TMS and to get a hip replacement. If he had said it was TMS I would be running now, it's called the NOCEBO effect.
Ah, well, that is a concern for me. I'm 95% sure it is TMS and hopefully he will simply confirm this. |
| eric watson |
Posted - 02/24/2013 : 06:00:42
yes i really like alixs style of getting the dirt
thank you alix-you know i believe in you
but can i see who those people are?
i go all the time and see folks that dont get it for a while
but they come around-your abservations are a well looked into science though
if we knew who all those people were maybe we can heal them -see
bless you
ps-tom good to see the knowledge roaring my friend
and alix-long time buddy-doing lots of things guys
i see all of us as founding fathers-it was sarno first but now all of us -we just keep showing the newbies-the white rabbit |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 23:31:26
quote:
Originally posted by alix
Tennis tom,
I really wish I would have not seen any TMS savvy doctor...
...There is no way for a doctor to say after 15 minutes maximum with 100% certainty it is TMS and your brain knows it.
...I have read through old posts things like: I visited Dr.X. He said it is TMS and I was pain free after leaving his practice. It is a miracle!
The same people post a few weeks later complaining about the same pain and looking for the next "thing".
My brain is different then yours, when any doctor tells me there is nothing wrong with me I am happy and believe him, never coming back unless there is something really wrong with me.
There are many names at this site's "MEMBER" list of people who have come here, gotten better and never returned.
|
| tennis tom |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 23:12:39
quote:
Originally posted by gailnyc
Tom, thank you for the encouragement. Weren't you one of the people who said going to see a TMS doctor did you more harm than good, though?
Yes, but that is because he said my hip was NOT TMS and to get a hip replacement. If he had said it was TMS I would be running now, it's called the NOCEBO effect. |
| alix |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 21:17:55
Tennis tom,
I really wish I would have not seen any TMS savvy doctor and instead put my energy to good use doing the in-depth psychological work and following Ace's or Monte's advises. There is no way for a doctor to say after 15 minutes maximum with 100% certainty it is TMS and your brain knows it.
I completely agree with Shawn.
It is simply another distraction. After the doctor there will be a new book. After the book there will be a video. After the video some worksheets... I know I have been there erring for 2 years going absolutely nowhere.
In fact, I have read through old posts things like: I visited Dr.X. He said it is TMS and I was pain free after leaving his practice. It is a miracle!
The same people post a few weeks later complaining about the same pain and looking for the next "thing". |
| susan828 |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 20:08:07
Hi Gail, I tried to message you but there is no contact info. I am also considering going to him and would love to know how your visit goes. Did he not have a sooner appointment than the end of March?
If you could click on my profile and email me, it would be great. I also have a foot issue (and others, unfortunately). If you don't want to use your regular email, maybe you can make a new gmail just for the purpose of things like boards. Thanks and I hope your appointment goes well!
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| gailnyc |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 20:00:09
Alix, my problem is with my foot, and since Dr. Rashbaum is a physiatrist it does seem to be within his specialty.
Tom, thank you for the encouragement. Weren't you one of the people who said going to see a TMS doctor did you more harm than good, though? |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 17:41:37
quote:
Originally posted by gailnyc
Although I hear what you're all saying, I feel like if I don't go to the TMS doctor (Dr. Ira Rashbaum in New York) I will have NO doctor whom I can trust!
GailNYC, I think it's a very good idea to see Dr. Rashbaum, especially since he was picked by Dr. Sarno after his retirement as his successor. Being dx'ed by a TMS savvy physician should be step one to separate the structural from the TMS. If I had the opportunity to be dx'ed by the Good Doctor, I would have taken it in a NY minute. You are VERY fortunate to have that opportunity.
G'luck!
tt
==================================================
DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dKBFwGR0g
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
==================================================
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." Author Unknown
"Happy People Are Happy Putters." Frank Nobilo, Golf Analyst
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Mark Twain and Balto
"The hot-dog is the noblest of dogs; it feeds the hand that bites it." Dr. Laurence Johnston Peter
"...the human emotional system was not designed to endure the mental rigors of a tennis match." Dr. Allen Fox
======================================================
"If it ends with "itis" or "algia" or "syndrome" and doctors can't figure out what causes it, then it might be TMS." Dave the Mod =================================================
TMS PRACTITIONERS:
John Sarno, MD
400 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-6035
Here's the TMS practitioners list from the TMS Help Forum:
http://www.tmshelp.com/links.htm
Here's a list of TMS practitioners from the TMS Wiki:
http://tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist
Here's a map of TMS practitioners from the old Tarpit Yoga site, (click on the map by state for listings).:
http://www.tarpityoga.com/2007_08_01_archive.html |
| alix |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 16:37:36
What do you expect from Dr.Rashbaum? You will get probably a "It is TMS" with a forceful voice. Is that enough for you?
What is Dr.Rashbaum's specialty?
If it fits well with your symptoms, go for it. But if your symptoms are more obscure and usually treated by a doctor in another field, Dr.Rashbaum will not be able to make a very convincing determination and that can set you back.
I can see the benefit when Dr.Sarno had a tutorial, phone access, monthly panels etc... But a single office visit? |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 16:31:37
gailnyc,
A great many of us, including myself, have never seen any TMS doctor, and I don't intend to see one in the future. I generally don't trust doctors. Mine is a pill pusher. |
| gailnyc |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 16:13:46
Although I hear what you're all saying, I feel like if I don't go to the TMS doctor (Dr. Ira Rashbaum in New York) I will have NO doctor whom I can trust! |
| alix |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 12:42:53
quote:
TMS diagnosis would seem to me to be stronger...when you are given a TMS diagnosis alongside a structural diagnosis which the vast majority of the medical community would agree with then things are indeed trickier.
In general we all have many things diagnosed. In our quest for health we have been reading a lot about those issues in "peer reviewed" scientific papers.
But then when you are facing that TMS practitioner that is only vaguely aware of those pathologies and cannot really tell you why they don't apply to you, it will act as a nocebo. |
| pan |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 12:36:06
Very true that shawn...often makes me wonder about the idea some hold that The treatment for TMS is in itself placebo...I know many argue strongly against this but even if it isn't a placebo the implementation of thinking clean and getting in touch with and experiencing our emotions is an extremely healthy habit to have.
Alix...totally agree with everything you have said. Really once you have understood the concept an an intellectual level everything that is required from this point onwards cannot possibly be found in books or forums by I suppose our rational minds still want validation and answers and probably our unconscious minds don't want us starting on the work that will actually render the imperative pointless.
I hadn't posted on here for a food couple of years until very recently having recovered form health anxiety but having 'popped back' for an opinion I find myself sucked back in and analysing and looking for answers. I've always been of the option that behaviours change thoughts and not the only way round so maybe that is what I knew to look at and implement.
Wake me up with your amphetamine blast
Take me by the collar and throw me out into the world
Rock me gently & send me dreaming of something tender
I was brought here to pay homage to the beat surrender
|
| alix |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 12:23:49
At the time, I was well aware of that but I thought that the "act" of seeking a TMS doctor or the "act" of having psychotherapy was a strong signal for my brain that I meant business. In fact and years later, I realized that it was simply a distraction.
The reality is more simple (it is all within) but much more demanding (it takes much more dedication than to read books and visit practitioners).
It is also why I did not post on this forum when I was healing. I did not want to have the distraction of debating or arguing. I read it though and I am grateful for that. |
| shawnsmith |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 12:16:58
Here is something to consider, and there are numerous books on this topic. Many, many people who did not have TMS, but I real physical problem, have, through the use of the healing powers of their mind, totally recovered from their condition. I am talking cancer, rheumitoid arthritis and tumors,etc. This is well documented. |
| pan |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 12:12:53
Hmm, that is sort of my problem with the TMS diagnosis, many times it isn't a diagnosis of exclusion is it simply a diagnosis counter to the structural one you may have been given. If you had medical testing for a symptom and no issue could be found that a TMS diagnosis would seem to me to be stronger...when you are given a TMS diagnosis alongside a structural diagnosis which the vast majority of the medical community would agree with then things are indeed trickier.
Wake me up with your amphetamine blast
Take me by the collar and throw me out into the world
Rock me gently & send me dreaming of something tender
I was brought here to pay homage to the beat surrender
|
| alix |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 10:49:38
The problem pan is that TMS is a diagnostic of exclusion. A Doctor cannot exclude everything. He can only do it based on his area of expertise and take a guess at the rest based on his general training.
Maybe if you had a panel of doctors examining you (like at the Mayo clinic) it would be very powerful.
But Dr.Schechter looking simply at my spine MRI to determine TMS is not believable as a predictor and my mind is acutely aware of it. |
| Bugbear |
Posted - 02/23/2013 : 03:04:00
Pan, am sending you a private message. |
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