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victoria
16 Posts |
 Posted - 11/30/2005 : 20:33:17
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First time posting. I am new to Dr. Sarno , am completely impressed by him, but am so afraid that I will be the only one not helped. I have joint pain, anxiety, facial/sinus pain. Am considering seeing a therapist he will hopefully recommend. Any words of hope? similiar stories?
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saga
Canada
25 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2005 : 20:38:28
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| Well did you read his book yet (mind body prescription)? |
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victoria
16 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2005 : 20:40:23
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| Read it about 20 times. Went to see him, went to lecture, and am doing my homework. |
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saga
Canada
25 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2005 : 20:41:17
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| Seen any signs of improvement yet? |
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victoria
16 Posts |
Posted - 11/30/2005 : 20:43:26
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| yes and no. The joint pain is better, the facial/sinus pain is worse. I am definitely discouraged. |
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pault
USA
169 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2005 : 04:49:31
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| Victoria , everyone thinks that their case is special and the system won't work for them.Just remember the unconscious mind is not logical,so you cannot always confuse conscious feelings.Going to a therapest is always a good idea.Remember tms thrives on the fear that nothing will help.Feel well soon , Paul. |
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n/a
560 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2005 : 06:32:51
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quote:
Originally posted by victoria
...but am so afraid that I will be the only one not helped.
That is one of the strategies of your brain to keep you locked in a cycle of fear and dispair. You have to fight back and aggresively challenge these thoughts. Contine to read the treatment and psychology sections in Dr. Sarno's books over and over and over and over again until the message sinks in.
Best of luck. |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2005 : 09:18:49
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Hi victoria,
You can manage your recovery better if you don't put yourself on some sort of time table for recovery. That's one path that can lead to feeling discouraged. Putting pressure on yourself to "get better" is counter productive.
While you are doing your TMS work and re-training your mind, accept that the pain will move around, you will have good days and not so good days, you may experience new symptoms that you never had when you started. This is all NORMAL in the course of recovery for some people. Everyones recovery is different, so there is no magic pattern of recovery that fits everyone.
Take the big picture approach, and over the coming weeks the net effect will be you are continually improving. You can discount any minor dips in between, they are just noise and its best to just forget about them.
Take care, -Stryder |
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redskater
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2005 : 09:21:10
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also, when one symptom starts to get better another might get worse. That's what happened with me. It was just trying to find a home, when I didn't buy into it, it went away too. It has taken me about 3 months and it was just in the last two weeks that I really began to improve. Don't give up because that's just what the TMS wants. You are lucky to have gotten to see the Doc!
Cheers,
Gaye |
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Allan
USA
226 Posts |
Posted - 12/01/2005 : 19:27:28
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Victoria
Even a small improvement should be encouraging.
Dr. Sarno mentions the lag time between the mind accepting the diagnosis and the long time that it takes for the emotions to realize it.
I think this happens because we are so conditioned throughout our lives that the doctors know it all and who are we to challenge them.
Dr. Sarno covers this also in that he says that the current medical profession has not caught up with his diagnosis. Therefore, we tend to believe that the TMS pain is caused by a physical problem and find it so difficult to believe that it is emotionally induced.
The pain is very real. It can be severe distressing pain that limits one activities. It is really a leap of faith to believe that, although it is so very real, it is harmless and caused by oxygen deprivation, which is caused by stress, anxiety and anger.
When you read Healing Back Pain, do not read it like a novel. Read it like a text book with an exam coming when you get through. Read it slowly with the intent of understanding what he is saying.
May I suggest that you read Fred Amir's book listed in the references. He takes a stronger approach in challenging the pain, that is setting goals. This approach was a big factor in my recovery. I had severe back pain. I walked with a cane. I had a handicapped plaque for my car. I haven't had a whisper of back pain in five years.
Be of good cheer. Many have recovered. You can also.
Allan.
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redskater
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2005 : 08:59:55
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I second Fred Amir's book! I improved much quicker after imploying his tips.
Gaye |
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victoria
16 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 12:16:05
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| Thank you all for your encouragment. I am going to not put myself on a timetable, and acknowledge I will have my good and bad days for a while. |
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2005 : 18:06:23
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Allan and Red skater,
You both inspired me to open up my Fred Amir book. I stopped reading it a while ago, when I decided to go to see one of Sarno's Psychologists. I do not have enough money right now to go back and see her - and so I thought I would try some of Amir's techniques. It all seems rather involved. Allan - have you really got rid of all your back pain. Did you find the progress happened when you started Amir's recovery plan? I would love to know more. He seems to really focus on beating the unconscious. I guess I feel a bit like a Sarno purist and have not really wanted to go to other books for the answer. My recent flare up is bad - good old fashioned sciatica. Wow -does it hurt. I forgot how much - sort of makes the leg buckle.
Any of your experience with Amir's approach would be great.
thanks |
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 09:45:50
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One thing that's helpful when someone first gets serious about treating their pain (or other) condition as TMS is to study very closely what happens when a pain starts.
Something twinges, aches or some other unpleasant manifestation occurs - within a spit second, a twinge of fear, the pain worsens the fear increases, the pain gets even more severe - on and on - until you're in the vicious cycle of TMS.
It's really worth training yourself to observe closely what actually happens at the beginning of a TMS attack. When you are able to break down what actually happens, the fear that keeps TMS going will no longer have a hold and when the fear goes - the TMS pain will no longer be able to dominate your life. |
Edited by - n/a on 12/04/2005 09:47:42 |
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Allan
USA
226 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 18:40:00
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Suz
Off an on you will read on the forum how some people “challenged” or “attacked” the pain with success. It has been done.
Dr. Sarno mentions this technique also. Fred Amir says that if a certain action that you do causes pain, repeat that action. One form of challenging the pain.
Somehow or other the mind has to get to the brain and convince it that the pain, although extremely severe, is harmless and is emotionally induced and not physically induced.
I found the last part of Fred Amir’s book a little difficult to follow in parts, but one message came through clearly. Set short and long-terms in terms of challenging the pain.
Here is what I did. In my case, the sciatica pain in both legs was so severe that I had great difficulty in climbing the stairs. I had to grit my teeth and hold on to the banister to laboriously get up them. One horrible, painful step at a time.
My short-term goal was to get up all of the stairs without holding on in two week's time. My long-term goal was to go up two at time without holding on in a two month's time.
So, in screaming pain, I went up one stair without holding on. The next day, still in screaming pain, I went up two stairs. The next day, I went up three stairs with only slight pain. I could not believe the progress. I was exhilarated.
My guess is that the brain was getting the message from my mind that the pain was TMS pain, emotionally induced and not from a physical cause. The brain was dramatically giving up. Before the week was out, I had completed my long-term goal and was doing them two at a time. I had completed both of my goals in one week.
I had back surgery scheduled at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. I never had the surgery and I have been pain free for five years.
I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I think that I was fortunate in that it worked for me.
Allan.
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2005 : 19:23:37
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Allan,
Thank you so much for writing how you applied Amir's approach. I think this might help me as my unconscious is really fighting me. Consciously, I have no doubt and I mean no doubt that there is nothing physically/structurally wrong with me. I have had every test and I am in great shape in every way. However, i think I may have to do something more than the reading and journalling. I think I may have to go into direct battle with my unconscious. This is where Amir's work comes in. I think the goals are a fantastic idea. I normally put on really high heels and work out vigorously - this stops an attack. They are short lived. However, I broke a bone in my foot 6 weeks ago and I cannot wear shoes yet and cannot exercise much. I believe that another reason I keep getting flare ups is because I have never overcome my last fear - fear of running. When i can exercise again - hopefully in a month, I am going to face the running fear. I will try the goals - although I am in far less pain now and am not sure where to start.
Allan - did you use the reward/punishment system and do any visualization? Amir suggests that one imagines oneself as very strong and healthy - almost like a superhero. This sounds ridiculous, but I think that this positive approach does help. When I am riddled with fear during an attack and feel like a victim, the pain gets worse.
I think the reward system is histerical. When one reaches a goal, one gives one's unconscious a reward - like chocolate or icecream etc. If the unconscious stops one from reaching a goal - like climbing the stairs etc. one punishes it with things like cleaning the bathroom etc.! Sarno recommends talking/yelling at the unconscious - Amir takes it one step further - treat it like a naughty child - bargain with it. I have tried the yelling - it doesn't work for me. I think my unconscious might be very very stubborn. |
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dwinsor52
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2005 : 12:50:48
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I had sinus and facial pain for an entire winter. The next winter when I got it, I told it to "f" off. It went away. |
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ralphyde
USA
307 Posts |
Posted - 12/05/2005 : 13:08:05
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"One has to confront TMS, fight it, or the symptoms will continue."
Dr. Sarno, Healing Back Pain, p. 81.
Ralph
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Nor
152 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2005 : 18:14:43
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Victoria,
I am in the same boat as you. I've done the lectures and panel and my symptoms still come and go. Can't seem to figure out how to lick it. I found all the replies for you helpful, as well. Thanks, everyone! |
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