| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| winnieboo |
Posted - 07/16/2010 : 08:30:36
I injured my neck and in retrospect it was the best thing that has happened to me. I had nerve pain in my elbow, nothing too major, but after an MRI revealed that I had arthritis, a bulging disc and "degenerative disc disease," my life stopped. I was paralyzed with fear and horrendous pain started when the doctor said "you have degenerative disc disease." That pain stayed with me for about two years.
A few months into the ordeal I found "Healing Back Pain". Sarno's TMS theory gave me insight that my pain was more than what the doctor saw on the MRI. It was the beginning of hope as well as the birth of a journey.
I don't have chronic physical pain anymore, but I just repeated an MRI and while some of my disc issues are better, some are worse!
Recovery boiled down to this: reduce your anxiety and you will feel better. How you get there is personal. For me, it was complicated and Sarno confused me. His theory that the pain was repressed rage took me on a detour that while not completely unproductive, was more discouraging than I would recommend. I saw an expensive Sarno psychotherapist who drudged up my past and depressed me even more.
What I think Sarno is absolutely right about is that chronic pain syndromes are often somatization. This means that one expresses emotions through physical sensations. This was true in my case to the nth degree. I had so much anxiety and tension that I got stuck there, in hyperarousal mode. Stuck for a couple of years. When I get keyed up now, I can still go there. My shoulders will feel as though someone poured cement into them. But now I have a "toolbox" for releasing the tension: I meditate, exercise, talk to my husband, go out and relax with friends--take a nap! The important thing is that I know the "cement" is anxiety, stress, over-excitement, or a combo of all.
Healing was gradual and frustruating for me, but my aha was at that anxiety was the root of everything. I treated that with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy learned from professionals and books. There was also a lot of self-discipline. I started to get myself out of bed every day, got myself out of the house, got to work every day, went to exercise, rejoined the groups I'd belonged to, invited people over for dinner.
So, if I could pass along one easily digestable suggestion, consider your level of anxiety and get help. If you're stuck in worries about health, I'd recommend that you take off your psychosomatic label and try on "hypochrondriac." There's a great course of treatment for hypochondria and you can get better. But, if you're like me (hopefully you're not for your sake--ha!) there's a host of other worries to work on, in my case they're seated in the hypersensitive personality I was born with. I suspect working through these issues will be an ongoing process for me, throughout my life. Anxiety is a HORRIBLE by-product of a hypersensitive personality. It's a big OMG when the pain finally dissipates and the anxiety swells up...OMG, THIS is what's in there!!! I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the feeling of anxiety can be 50 times worse than the physical pain, hence the physical pain!...but with anxiety controlled, try to see that this deeply emotional personality we're in possession of has an enormous capacity for generosity, love, creativity and thoughtfulness, both in intellectual and human encounters. Good gifts! Appreciate how much you have to offer, and as the Eastern religions know, living in the moment is the way to happiness.
All the best! My favorite book btw and the most helpful I thought was "Full Catastrophe Living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Feel good. I'll keep the TMS bloggers in my prayers. xoxo
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| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rockeste |
Posted - 03/08/2011 : 07:23:52
I am new to this site having only recently learned about Dr Sarno and TMS. A brief history first:
For just over 2 years now I have been suffering from a constant headache. When I say constant I mean from the moment I wake to the moment I fall asleep at night. The severity can range from mild to quite severe. I have taken 2 MRI tests’ that showed clear. I have been to several different neurologists and doctors who could not identify the exact cause and prescribed medication. None of which worked. I had an accident 11 years ago (jet-ski in the back of the head) that fractured my neck. I recovered well and after treatment was fine. I had several issues of muscle spasm in my neck over the years that took a few days for the pain to go away. Naturally the doctors jumped all over this and blamed it for the headaches. Nine years later at that stage. I wasn't convinced. While I had always suffered from anxiety at some level the headaches increased it a huge amount. The level of pain mixed with tension and anxiety ( I constantly thought I was about to die any second of a brain haemorrhage) was overwhelming at times. It came to a point were day to day life was very difficult to get through such was the level of pain and discomfort. Explaining this to my Doctor, he suggested Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to help with the anxiety. He suggested a CBT Therapist and I made an appointment. The therapy was great. There were issues and emotions there that I hadn't recognised before.
After about 12 CBT sessions my anxiety had reduced by about 90%. And when it did return I had the knowledge to recognise it for what it was and not to be afraid of it. Adrenaline was the culprit and I recognised what it was doing in my body during an anxiety or panic attack. My therapist also recommended reading Jon Kabat-Zinn, which I did and found helpful. However, the headaches although reduced in severity were still there. My therapist had suggested a connection between the headaches and my anxiety but I dismissed her suggestion.
I thought " this is definitely a physical issue not yet identified due to incompetent doctors". I was explaining all this to a new work colleague about 4 weeks ago and he told me that he had back trouble that he got rid of from reading a book. Dr John Sarno's Healing Back Pain The Mind Body Connection. He suggested I read it. Although I didn't have back pain and was sceptical I thought why not. Again although I didn't have back pain I found a direct comparison with my headaches and Dr Sarno's concepts. I read the book in 2 sittings and was able to identify fully with it. I realise now that I have TMS. I have since watched the DVD and my headaches have reduced by about 80% in severity. I believe education is the key. Medication, while helpful to some people is not the long term answer. Knowledge and an understanding about mental health issues such as anxiety have changed My life. It is not easy and I am still working at it. My aim is to be pain free some day. Physically and emotionally.
I would seriously recommend reading Dr Sarno to anyone who has unexplained pain. Obviously after seeking medical help to rule out other causes.
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| judthryn |
Posted - 10/08/2010 : 00:43:06
These success stories will really help others to overcome their negative issues. As they give you a positive approach and hope in life.
http://www.southcoastrecovery.com/ |
| guej |
Posted - 08/19/2010 : 07:00:56
Winnie,
If you're up for a off-line conversation, you can send me an email through my my profile. Your story is very similar to mine, and I'm curious about a few aspects that seemed to work for you. Thanks
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| winnieboo |
Posted - 08/18/2010 : 11:26:52
Thanks, Darko...
And PRCal: no, my therapist didn't specialize in hypochondria, but that condition was discussed, along with anxiety and somatization. A big component of hypochondria is fear. Fear that you'll die, be disabled or worse, stay alive but be forced to endure chronic pain. This mainly is what I've recovered from--that kind of fear and anxiety. I wish I could say that I'm pain free every day--that just isn't true--but I'm functioning well and I'm happy.
I also think, and I've hesitated to say this because it's such Sarno sacriledge, but...some pain is due to "real" physical issues that can be helped by therapies other than the psycho variety. PT and trigger point injections helped me a lot, as does occasional pain medication--and I really can't live without Zomig twice a month or so, for migraine--and we could say that the migraine is TMS as well. Definitely exacerbated by tension, but my feeling on TMS, tension, whatever, is that I can control it until I can't control it. It depends on what place I'm in that day or week...
You have to intelligently live your life, you know. There isn't just one way to feel better. And of course this is only my opinion. What Sarno did for me is point out that tension, largely created by fear (and he believes anger), can make pain, particularly neck and back pain, much worse. And that was an important first step in my understanding of what was going on three years ago, why my pain then was so crazy bad and intractable, and it's been hugely helpful to be able to see that one can reduce pain--or if you like to think of it as "controlling" pain on some level, by keeping anxiety and tension at bay. |
| Darko |
Posted - 08/18/2010 : 05:13:01
Winnieboo,
This was a very helpful post! Thank you for sharing, I see more and more everyday that the key to me healing...yet again :-) is anxiety.
Even if this does nothing for my pain, a anxiety free body and mind will be great.
Thank you and I hope for you, a complete pain free life
D
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| PRCalDude |
Posted - 08/12/2010 : 17:22:31
quote:
Originally posted by winnieboo
Hi Hillbilly,
Thanks for the pat on the back, but it's not entirely deserved! As I mentioned, for me the journey will no doubt continue. I still have niggling worries and symptoms, but I think that the more one is engaged in living, the more you can keep your mind actively focused on productive endeavors and "the psychological," if you will, and not the symptoms.
So you just found a therapist that specializes in hypochondria and that was it?
Anxiety has always been my main problem. I've had some pretty good success using third wave CBT methods, but I still have lingering fears over my original neck pain that I can't seem to shake. This feeds into the anxiety and the anxiety feeds into the pain. Intellectually, I accept that this is stupid and I shouldn't worry about it, but once your brain has hold of an idea, it can be tough to shake. |
| winnieboo |
Posted - 08/09/2010 : 20:31:19
Hi Hillbilly,
Thanks for the pat on the back, but it's not entirely deserved! As I mentioned, for me the journey will no doubt continue. I still have niggling worries and symptoms, but I think that the more one is engaged in living, the more you can keep your mind actively focused on productive endeavors and "the psychological," if you will, and not the symptoms. |
| Hillbilly |
Posted - 08/03/2010 : 22:18:48
Very well done, winnie! Courageous, honest, and tasteful. Wish I could do that. Cheers to a great rest of your life free of your niggling worries and symptoms.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| MatthewNJ |
Posted - 07/24/2010 : 23:03:14
Winnieboo,
Excellent Story. Bravo! Good for you! guej told me about your story and gave me the link. guej and I were discussing the anxiety approach the other day. It is something new to me, but I am always looking for how people succeed and if any thing they have used would be useful to use or pass on to others. My "Sarno" therapist uses the concept of being less activated, more regulated and more resliliant. This goes down Kabat-Zinn's path and Dr. Peter Levine's path. So I would love to hear more.
If you are willing to chat, would you please email me? Also I am available as Matthewnj on the TMSWIKI. If you are interested in my story it is at http://tmswiki.wetpaint.com/account/MatthewNJ
Thanks so much for an inspiring story and a new approach.
Matthew
Ferretsx3@comcast.net
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The difficult we do right away, the impossible just takes a little longer. |
| winnieboo |
Posted - 07/17/2010 : 21:15:02
guej,
you made my day, too...I loved your post, I'm glad you are feeling well, and I wish I could have had a therapist like yours. What a gift! Take care and let's keep going on this good path. |
| guej |
Posted - 07/17/2010 : 08:13:12
Winnie,
I am so happy for you, and I see a lot of myself in your post. I, too, have come to the conclusion that anxiety has a lot to do with how I wound up with chronic pain, and then anxiety over the pain kept me in it. Oversensitized nerves that react ridiculously over the slightest bits of worry and tension now. It's as if someone hit the "on" bottom and I can't turn the volume down.
I, too, went down the road of trying to find the repressed emotions, etc. Lucky for me, though, my Sarno therapist studied also under Jon Kabit-Zinn, so we did a lot of somatization work. It was a combination of understanding how the events in my past led me to become such a high-strung, people-pleasing worrywart, and then retraining my brain and body to react differently to stress, tension etc. I'm not out of the woods yet, but I feel as though something finally shifted for me lately, and it was after I read the book "At last a life" by Paul David (recommended on this site). It deals with anxiety. I never thought of myself as having general anxiety, but I most certainly had a ton of anxiety over my pain syndrome, and I knew that was keeping me stuck. It helped me to finally address the part of Sarno's program that tells people to just ignore the pain and stop fearing it. I got it intellectually, but I couldn't seem to put it into practice until now. I"m happy to say that I am completely off pain medication for the first time in over a year. I went towards the pain and let it be, instead of cringing, tensing up and fighting it so much, and unbelievably, it's diminished somewhat, or maybe it just doesn't bother me as much as when I was being so vigilant about it.
It's nice to see your story and that you could, in fact, get those nerves to calm down. I got very stuck also when I got the "incurable" and "chronic" diagnoses. Thanks for posting Winnie. I can't always relate to some of the success stories, but yours was spot on with my situation, and you made my day! |
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