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grayson
2 Posts |
 Posted - 08/06/2004 : 00:22:56
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hey all,
i've been dealing w/ my TMS for about 5 yrs now. at times the symptoms have been super severe (requiring hospitalization), and before stumbling upon Dr. Sarno's teaching a year ago, i did every medical treatment in the book and some that weren't. because a close family member is a neurologist, i had access to all that coventional medicine had to offer. as an aside, i think my exposure during my childhood to neurological talk everday at the dinner table is why i developed the type and severity of neuro symptoms that i have.
however, after reading Dr. Sarno's books, along with Amir's and Schecter's, i became convinced that TMS is what is responsible for my pain and started on the program of attacking it. i feel like i have made some decent progress over the last 6 months but things have seemed to stop lately, and i'm beginning to have doubts and feel very, very frustrated. i meditate/think about TMS issues every day for 15-30 mins., like Dr. Sarno recommends, and I journal and re-read Sarno's books several times a week. I've made a concerted effort to become more physically active and also have stopped taking any medications or using any postural devices for the last 4 months. however, the past two months i've just seemed to stop improving, and i'm beginning to have doubts that my progress is more about my greater willingness to be more active and less afraid and less about truly reducing my symptoms. i still deal with a lot pain every day and i'm growing disheartened.
does anybody have any help or advice on how they got through plateau's and how they were able to stay on the right track through the tough times? any advice on other treatment techniques i can try? i find that nowadays i feel like i'm just sort of going through the emotions as a result of habit and a loss of conviction. i just repeat the same things to myself when i take my quiet time to think about TMS and i journal about the same issues.
any advice or kind words would be greatly appreciated.
thanks. |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2004 : 08:08:52
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Based on my own experience and posts on this board, it seems common to hit a "brick wall" at some point during recovery.
Think of TMS recovery like a marathon. It starts off great, you feel strong (the pain gets better almost immediateley after reading Sarno). But then after awhile you start to get tired and don't feel as strong (the pain starts to come back or gets worse). Now it's mile 12, and you feel like crap, and really want to quit the marathon (the pain is almost as bad as before you learned about Sarno, your belief in the TMS diagnosis is shaken). You start to think that there's no way you can finish. It's tough, but you hang in there (you ignore the pain as best you can and continue to do the work). For the rest of the race, you have ups and downs (the pain move around, some days are great, some days are pretty bad). Now it's mile 20, and you're tired, but you realize now that you can finish (the pain is still there, but you've learned to accept it, and you no longer have doubts that it is TMS). You start to feel better about yourself, you get stronger (the pain starts to fade, slowly but surely).
At some point you're in mile 26. The pain still flares up once in awhile, but not nearly as bad as it used to be. You no longer fear that it will become severe. You treat the pain as a benign signal that there are some unresolved emotional issues going on in your life. Maybe you don't have 100% relief, but chronic TMS pain is negligible, and acute attacks are few and far between.
I think all we can hope for is to get to mile 26. If you get 100% relief, that's a bonus. The most important thing is that the fear is gone. The pain is more of an annoyance than anything else. You stay the course, always turning your thoughts towards your emotions when you are aware of the pain. This is a new way of thinking, a new way of living.
At 4 months, you're still in the early stages. (I say 4 months because if you were using postural devices during the first 2 months, then you hadn't fully accepted the TMS diagnosis.) The doubts and frustration are a cue to your brain to bring on more pain, because it is trying to shake your belief in TMS. Even after 6 months, it doesn't want to give up. It will never want to give up. You always need to fight back.
Sometimes treatment techniques can backfire. You read all the books you can find, you journal constantly, you do all the things that you're supposed to be doing, but you don't get better. That feeds the frustration, feeds the low self-esteem, and can actually make matters worse. Treatimg TMS can become a chore, you find that you're just going through the motions. That's not helpful.
So at times like this, it might be worth it to take a break. Stop reading the books, stop journaling. Just spend some quiet time with your thoughts. Really try to feel what is going on inside you. Ignore the pain and go about your life. |
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April
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2004 : 10:21:25
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quote:
Originally posted by grayson
does anybody have any help or advice on how they got through plateau's and how they were able to stay on the right track through the tough times?
Hi Grayson
Most of us here have experienced plateaus in healing TMS. The advice given to me by my TMS Dr when hitting a plateau using self help is to go to a psychotherapist that accepts your pain as emotionally based. Sarno recommends therapy for some of us. I've been one of those. but twice now going to therapy I've gotten past TMS.
Give it a try to get help exploring what's repressed or what you personality traits are doing to you.
April |
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Irish Jimmy
USA
52 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2004 : 18:44:29
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Grayson, we all hit plateus. But you didn't mention a setback, which I have had a couple of times. I would guess this means your doing a pretty good job. Keep it up. I believe and have written on this forum, that one of the most important parts of my TMS recovery is NOT TO GIVE UP! Which we all might feel like sometimes.
The books are great, but after reading them a number of times, I could recite the upcoming pages almost to a T. When this happens the reading becomes a chore, especially after you try to find something "new" in the books, and it isn't there. It might be best to let the books sit for awhile.
Journaling is good, and has replaced alot of my reading. You have so much you can write about that emotionally effects you. I try to journal everyday, and sometimes this is redundant too, but like I said there is so much to write about. I start off every journal writing with the statement I WILL BEAT TMS. I call this motto, short for motivation. I also try to acknowledge during my writing that although I may not make a great "Breakthrough" and find what is causing the pain, the writing will help, although like Sarno has mentioned you may never find out what is truly at the cause of your emotionally induced pain. The understanding of the process is more important, Specifically that the pain is a distraction.
My advice for your plateau would be, let the books sit if they are a chore. Explore different avenues of journaling, and DON"T GIVE UP!. This type of positive attitude has helped me. Don't let the recovery be stressful, just stay confident in the diagnosis, and remember your not the only one. Good Luck. |
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Allan
USA
226 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2004 : 19:49:26
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Is there someone who makes you angry or frustrated?
Is there a relationship that needs repair?
It may be difficult to proceed beyond a certain point in the recovery process if the underlying cause of the pain (anger at someone) is not recognized and corrected.
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any advice for breaking through a plateau?
