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lincoln
USA
4 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2006 : 16:41:10
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First off - I would like to thank everyone that contributes to this forum. It's a great resource.
The logical part of me has fully accepted the diagnosis of TMS. I have read all the books. Sarno, Sopher, Schecter etc. Had a consult with Dr. Sarno and am currently seeing one of his Psychologists. I have been battling this since 2001 although I didn't see Dr. Sarno until 2003 and didn't start psycotherapy until spring of 2005.
My personality traits fit the classic TMS profile.
Sources of repression:
Since 2001 I've gotten married (Where is the carefree, spontaneous woman I fell in love with?), have the high stress - highly demanding career job I worked hard to get (Consumes all my time and freedom), bought a nice big home with a nice big mortgage (sprinkle in a dose of pressure) and basically I have the full catastrophie minus the kids. So I have alot to work on psycologically. I am in alot of TMS pain right now so I am really cranky and seeing the world through the opposite of rose colored glasses.
I think it's taking me a long time to recover because I am so afraid of the pain. The fear of pain (even though I know there is nothing wrong with my back)has made me make physical allowances and restrict all of the things I love to do. But I now realize that the only way I am going to lick this is to do the psychological work and just as important bear through the pain I have been afraid to deal with.
I apologize for the long winded intro but my question is:
What can I do to take the edge off the severe pain (that is very debilatating but also very benign)so I can at least function at work and home?
I'd appreciate any help or suggestions as I am very scared to deal with the pain. |
Edited by - lincoln on 02/17/2006 16:48:55 |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 17:06:22
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You can take occasional Tylenol for the pain but only as long as you're fully embracing the concepts and regaining control of things you've lost control of, such as movements, exercise, etc. In the beginning I had to still use a little Tylenol or Motrin and still occasionally do, to get the edge off but not on a regular basis, because that would be telling the brain a different story. You want the brain to accept the TMS diagnosis but there's no saying this will occur overnight.
Good luck. |
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2006 : 19:53:44
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| Hi Lincoln, the pain is not the problem. It's all about the fear. Until you get past the fear, your symptoms will continue to be more severe. Why not convince yourself that the pain hasn't really been anything but a big inconvenience and you have lived thru it so far. It has been unpleasant but it's nothing you can't handle. You must thumb your nose at the pain. When you do this you will slowly lose your fear. Read Mala's post. Her attitude represents exactly what it takes. She refused to let the pain get her attention. Pain acts just like a spoiled child throwing himself on the floor and screaming. If you pay attention to him he knows his fit is working. If your brain can no longer get your attention with pain, it will stop. Your brain might try another symptom, mine sure did, but you must treat them all the same. It just takes time and patience. Be brave and tell the pain to shove it. |
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mhr74
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2006 : 11:13:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Susie
She refused to let the pain get her attention. Pain acts just like a spoiled child throwing himself on the floor and screaming. If you pay attention to him he knows his fit is working. If your brain can no longer get your attention with pain, it will stop. Your brain might try another symptom, mine sure did, but you must treat them all the same. It just takes time and patience. Be brave and tell the pain to shove it.
How do you avoid giving the sypmtoms attention if you communicate w/ your brain to stop it? |
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lincoln
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2006 : 11:28:02
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Thank you Susie and Maryalma8 for the encouraging words. I did read Mala's post - it's geat - and I am firmly convinced I need lose the fear and be brave. After all what am I afraid of and I am going to really try to view it as an nconvenience and lose the fear but I think I have identified the major stressor in my life and I don't know if I can stop the symptoms unless I leave my job. Could a difficult life situation override all the good TMS work I am trying to do?
It seems this onset of my TMS began shortly after I started working at my current job which pays me very well (that's the anchor keeping me there) and I do a great job (due to my TMS personality) but I am miserable. I work for a large CPA firm doing "IT support" and the environment is fast paced and very stressful. Our systems need to be up and there is no tolerance for down time. The IT support staff is very small (just me and my absent boss who works part time 3-4 days a week - has two small children and is very disinterested in her job until there is a problem). The worst of it is that due to my bosses part time schedule I have to do alot of her work for the managing partner and he is a very difficult and brutal man to deal with. I have to endure getting yelled at - cursed at and most of the times it's due to his incompetence. It's a terrible place to work at because managment is abusive and I go to work in fear. Could a difficult life situation override all the good TMS work I am trying to do? |
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Susie
USA
319 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2006 : 11:44:06
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| Lincoln, apart from the tms,life is too short to take that kind of abuse from anyone. It sounds like your brain is trying to save you with the tms symptoms. I am 57 so I am probably a good bit older than you but I can tell you for sure that money is not enough of an incentive to be that miserable. I feel that you are lucky to have the pain because it got your attention. Save yourself the future anguish and either talk to your boss and tell them that their type of behavior is not acceptable or find another job. IT guys are hard to find and I'm sure you can get into a much happier situation. Look at tms as your wake up call. |
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vikki
95 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2006 : 19:54:20
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Hi Lincoln,
I can tell you how I handled it. For me, one of the biggest problems was sitting. The biggest turning point for me occurred when I sat through a 5-hour flight -- I was in excruciating pain, but I suffered through it. That was kind of like diving in headfirst, but I saw an improvement shortly thereafter. After that, I made sure I spent time every day doing something painful. I started by just sitting for an hour, or just running a mile, etc. I gradually worked up to bearing the pain for longer periods of time. I didn't try to "think it away" or anything because that made me feel stressed about whether I'd be able to control it. I told myself that all I had to do is bear it, and get through the next hour (or however long I'd decided to do the activity). Personally, I thought of it as a workout or bootcamp of some sort -- i.e., do it now, and it will pay off before you know it. Personally, I would avoid painkillers. I would just start small -- do something painful for just 5 or 10 minutes, then let yourself feel good about how you defied the pain even for a short while. You'll gradually be able to do more. This works -- it really does. You will be amazed.
Vikki |
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lincoln
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2006 : 20:55:08
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| Susie, I agree with you whole heartedly about either a career or job move. One of my many flaws is that I am good at coping with difficlut situations, appearing strong and in control but the reality is my subconcious is in a rage. I resent my place of work and myself for putting up with it. I guess we all could and probably should be better advocates for our primitive mind or at least acknowledge it's voice. & Vikki I know exactly what you mean by trying to think it away. In my quest to think it away I have discovered many useful tools to combat stress - journaling, meditation and psychotherapy. However it's probably lasted this long for me because of my fear of the symptoms and not being completely honest in eliminating any or all doubt in the TMS diagnonsis. Even if there is 1% doubt in your mind I think it's enough to get those gremlins going and hold onto the fear. |
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mala
Hong Kong
774 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2006 : 22:55:03
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What sort of pain are you feeling? Are you taking anything for it? Has the pattern of pain changed in any way since you consulted Sarno?
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
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lincoln
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2006 : 16:03:43
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Hi Mala,
Thanks for the interest. The pain levels vary alot for me and most of the intense pain usually is brought on by stressful situations ie: stressful times at work, stressful times in my relationship with my wife, the loss of my uncle last year (we were very close).
My pain symptoms are very weird to say the least. Originally the pain was isolated to just the right hip and buttock. It stayed there for about two and half years and then a couple months after seeing Dr. Sarno the pain moved to my neck and shoulders. Now the symptoms have relocated to the low back and hip because I guess my neck and shoulders were not a very compelling area for TMS. All my MRI's and X-rays on my low back were normal although I know that MRI results are not even important in TMS. To sum it up I truly believe I have TMS.
To date the only meds I've taken for this have been an anti-depressant. For some bizarre reason (nothing rooted in logic) I have an aversion to taking psych meds. I had never taken any before and had made it through some pretty rough times and I stupidly wear that fact like a badge of honor. Then last summer (looking for any relief from the symptoms) against my better judgement I began taking a low dose 25mg of Zoloft. I was on it for 4 days and stopped taking it because I had a panic attack and attributed it to the Zoloft. What's interesting about this is in the 4 days on Zoloft I had almost no pain and no fear of pain (It made me feel weird and almost drunk like).It's like the Zoloft took away my pain and I was left with an anxiety equivlent. According to the Pharmocolgist who prescribed it he thought it was probably a case of mind over matter because I was on such a low dose for only four days. He suggested I go down to 12.5MG's but I just stopped taking it.
I didn't mention this but prior to me having this pain syndrome in 2001 I had stuttered my whole life. Sometimes really bad. I had been to speech therapists and nothing worked. I remember thinking if only I could beat stuttering. Since TMS I no longer stutter or are at least very fluent and no longer fear speaking. Now I think I can't wait till I beat TMS.
Do you have any tips in beating your symptoms? Did you take any meds?
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I have fully accepted the diagnosis but
