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n/a
374 Posts |
 Posted - 06/01/2006 : 13:28:13
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Can't agree about telling people to reading archives before posting a question, Peter. When I started posting here a long time ago I was in a fragile state - depressed, in pain and not sure where to turn next.
It was such a relief to have a conversation (albeit a virtual one) with people who had gone through what I was going through. Had they told me to go off and read archives instead of taking the time to answer me, I would have probably not have returned to the site. I am eternally grateful for the help I got here - a factor in my recovery, definitely.
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2scoops
USA
386 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2006 : 14:01:35
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| I agree with somwe of the things Peter is saying. We rarely ever talk about strategies to uncover what is truly causing the pain. I believe it would be beneficial if we would start seeing examples of others who have had therapy or who have success in ridding their body of the pain. I believe we need to focus more on the psychological aspects. That's not to say we are not going to ask about symptoms, but what is causing the symptoms. |
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Special One
USA
61 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2006 : 14:39:43
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| I love you PeterMcKay, so much. Here's my opinion. I do think that some people are helped by expressing their fears about their "pain" and learning that others have overcome similar things.There are so many aspects of this tms journey, it seems that we shouldn't feel the need to write according to guidelines. How about no guilt about sharing our personal stories however we express ourselves. Sarno's books talk plenty about pain as well as the hope involved with the tms process. I don't want to offend, but I also want to feel free to ask questions, and have open discussions. Who really knows if it will set me back personally? I hope not, but the pressure to be the perfect forum discussion member is a lot to ask of me right now, I'm such a weakling. Can I have a hug? (Just kidding) |
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cheeryquery
Canada
56 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2006 : 14:42:33
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Peter, I have been reading posts and the responses on this thread and would like to add my own experience. I found Sarno incredibly helpful when I first encountered him in 1992 and have kept up with subsequent books and never doubted that I have TMS. That said, right now, and for the past six months or so, I have spent much of my time in agony with various symptoms. At times, I have nearly concluded that I have bone cancer, for example. Nearly because Sarno's methods always help and whatever horrid symptom I have goes away or mitigates for at least a few minutes. So that's me.
Now, why (I ask myself) am I doing this to myself? For a start, if I were a combination of Mother Theresa and Martha Stewart I wouldn't be good enough. Why is that? My husband and I have been working on this conundrum for years. Our conclusion will surprise you, perhaps.
I am Scottish. I am a Ross by birth and what I have always referred to as "Rossiness" in the family turns out to be Scottishness. Don't get me wrong, I love most things Scottish and feel a deep connection to a lost homeland that I may never see. But there is a grim attitude among many Scots, certainly everyone in my family, that surely contributes to my TMS with its anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, constipation, several different sleep disorders, and much, much more.
My husband is a Welsh/native American mystic who came up with this Scottish disorder theory and, after many years, has pretty much convinced me. I did a little research on my own and here are some of the reasons I think that I, and so many other Scots, have a grim attitude toward life.
The first, and basic, problem of Scottishness is physical: beautiful as it is, Scotland has a miserable climate and nobody with a good attitude would have settled there for long. Or emigrated to Canada or the northern United States.
The second problem is mental: the result (or, more likely, the cause) of adopting the notion that destiny is predetermined, that no matter what we do or don't do, we will end up in heaven or hell. Probably hell. Again, no sensible person (or race) would have entertained such ideas for long. They are a recipe for dysfunctional living.
The third problem is spiritual, possibly the outcome, possibly the source, of the first two: we Scots are only slightly above the orangatang when it comes to spirituality. We either the worst sort of existentialists or we absolutely believe a higher power exists but it is evil. I fall into this second category. My father clearly explained to me as a child that God was obviously also Satan and no friend of mankind. This still makes sense to me. People who believe otherwise seem daft to me. This despite the fact that the world is beautiful and would be a paradise if people would just treat each other with minimal kindness. No. Somehow it's all God's fault and/or hopeless.
Where does this leave the typical Scottish person? Well, me, anyway.Trapped in a nightmare which happens to be eternal. I can't sleep w/o the television on (preferably on Fox because it confirms my world view). I yearn for death and fear it because my greatest wish is non-existence. At the same time, I think I'm wrong about all this. Well, I would be, wouldn't I?
Couldn't help noticing, Peter, a certain tell-tale Scottishness in your own name and attitudes. What do you think? It took me about 20 years to reach these conclusions so I'm prepared to be patient. 
Cheers
There are old mushroom hunters,
There are bold mushroom hunters,
But there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.
I'm glad I'm not a mushroom hunter.
www.fluentphrases.com (you'll need to turn your sound on) |
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2006 : 01:15:52
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I think you should come and visit your lost homeland, Cheeryquery. It's not the grim presbyterian place you describe - I think you would find that lots of people with all sorts of attitudes are born here and people from many different countries have chosen to make it their home.
In my own area - centre of the UK oil industry lots of Americans came to work and ended up making it their permanent home.
As for the weather - well, I can't argue about that, although I'm looking out the window this morning on glorious sunshine.
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Edited by - n/a on 06/02/2006 01:18:07 |
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cheeryquery
Canada
56 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2006 : 11:36:44
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Good point, AnneG and I'd love to do that. The only part of Britain I've visited is London to change flights a few times. Would love to see more. In just those few days in London, I noticed some cultural ideas and attitudes I had thought were just my family. I'm sure a longer visit would be explain a lot of things.
The thing is, our ancestors had beliefs that were passed down in some form to us. Perhaps we no longer accept them rationally, if we are even aware of their existence, but they still have an effect if only to colour the ideas we hold to be true.
I had a compelling experience at a gathering of native (aboriginal) women here in Canada. The participants took turns lamenting the various griefs and losses in their lives in a ritualized way. When my turn came, without warning (I had no idea this was coming), I launched into a lament for Scotland. The other women were shocked because they had never looked at the European invasion from the perspective of the invaders: far from home and likely never to see it again, faced with the promise and terror of living and dying on alien soil, perhaps forced into servitude, certainly with no expectation of comfort and familliarity for many months or years ahead. I did not know that a memory of those things was hidden within me. Very strange.
So, I guess what I'm trying to share here is that we may have to look deeply into ourselves to find out the source of tms pain. Sarno seems to say rage is foremost but I often find there is great sorrow behind my anger. quote:
When asked by a reporter something like :"What, in your opinion is the most important question facing humanity today?" Einstein thought for a bit then replied, "I think the most important question facing humanity is, 'Is the universe a friendly place?' This is the first and most basic question all people must answer for themselves.
"For if we decide that the universe is an unfriendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to achieve safety and power by creating bigger walls to keep out the unfriendliness and bigger weapons to destroy all that which is unfriendly#65533;and I believe that we are getting to a place where technology is powerful enough that we may either completely isolate or destroy ourselves as well in this process.
"If we decide that the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly and that God is essentially 'playing dice with the universe', then we are simply victims to the random toss of the dice and our lives have no real purpose or meaning.
"But if we decide that the universe is a friendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to create tools and models for understanding that universe. Because power and safety will come through understanding its workings and its motives."
Albert Einstein[33], quoted without a source, as is common with Einstein quotes, at http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/Sept_11.html
My ancestors clearly felt the universe was an unfriendly place. On the surface of things, I'd have to agree. Since I have no faith at all in technology, it's not surprising that I have tms. A friend once said to me, "How am I? I feel like a bug on a pin". Me too, sometimes.
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Edited by - cheeryquery on 06/04/2006 11:38:24 |
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n/a
560 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2006 : 07:36:06
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I overheard yet another conversation in a coffee shop the other day of a person who clearly has TMS. The old fibro diagnosis and she is set to go into surgery for 3 bulging disks and also has a list of other ailments. I think I heard her say something abour irritbale bowel syndrome.
Also, one of my wife's co-workers has TMS manifesting as severe low back pain. She was on her back for a month and could not move but now it is coming back. She is scared to death. All tests found nothing. My wife introduced her to the idea of TMS and she was receptive. She bought her Dr. Sarno's Healing Back Pain.
I am preety much convinced my own mother has TMS because after numerous tests she the doctors cannot explain the severe leg pain she gets shen she goes to bed at night. All treatment up until now has been unsuccessful. She is not receptive to the idea of TMS.
My sister also has TMS. She has back pain from what she attributes to an accident she had several years ago. She even got a financial settlement from that. If you knew my sister you would understand why she has TMS.
It seems that if I were to randomly talk to ten people, that 2 or 3 of them would have TMS.
Peter |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2006 : 16:02:54
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quote:
It seems that if I were to randomly talk to ten people, that 2 or 3 of them would have TMS.
Sarno says that TMS is an epidemic in the western world, so it is not surprising that we look around and see many people who have it. Also, I think we get biased samples, because I know that I got my conscientiousness, etc. from my parents. (My entire immediate family has TMS, IMO, ranging from incipient to severe.) And I think we tend to pick out other nice, high-achieving perfectionists for friends. So those people we know and are related to are more likely to share this problem. |
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lilykins
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2006 : 16:36:52
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| My TMS doctor believes that everyone has TMS, to some extent or another. |
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n/a
560 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2006 : 19:26:04
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| I agree with your TMS doc but I did not want to go that far in my original comments |
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Dr. Sarno is a genius
