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jkouwenh
Netherlands
9 Posts |
 Posted - 11/08/2006 : 09:42:13
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For about 7 years I've been suffering from RSI. About 2 months ago I first learned about TMS and dr. Sarno and after reading 2 of his books I'm doing a whole lot better!
There's one thing however I don't completely understand. I can't find the answer to this in his books or on this forum. So that's why I'm creating this new topic, hoping to get more insight.
My RSI complaints are created by my unconsious mind to distract me from anger and anxiety I harbor. Once I grasped this concept, or more importantly, my unconscious grasped I was onto "it", my RSI complaints reduced significantly. However, I probably still harbor anger and anxiety (or will do so at any time in the future). How can I stop my unconscious from creating other symptoms to distract me. In the worst case it could even decide to create auto-immune diseases (according to dr. Sarno these might be TMS-related)! |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 10:29:56
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Congratulations on your recovery!
Once you see through the brain's strategy, most symptoms should go away, because your unconscious mind "knows" that you can't be fooled by the strategy any more.
There's usually a period where the symptoms do come and go, but hopefully in the end they mostly just go.
To that end, you should find a way to be in touch with your feelings (writing about them in a journal is the most common one). It's not the feelings themselves that create problems, but our repression of them. If you're not repressing them, and are more aware of them, you will not need any symptoms anymore, and won't need to worry about developing more severe ones.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
Edited by - armchairlinguist on 11/08/2006 10:30:18 |
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miehnesor
USA
430 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 11:27:56
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Congradulations on your progress!
I would say that the best insurance against recurrance or symptom substitution is to continue doing the psychological work and try and fully understand the reasons for the repressed rage. If you think you might be able to feel the fear and or the rage go ahead and let yourself feel it. This will be very beneficial as you will really be resolving it instead of letting it sit there and stew. Feeling the rage helps reduce the fear of it because your unconscious will see that now nothing bad happens to you if you let it out. |
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Darko
Australia
387 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 15:26:57
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JK,
I'm of the opinion that simply having the "knowledge" will not cure you permanently. Yes you may feel good now and for a long time, but at some point you will get other symptoms unless you take action. You will have repressed anger, 99% of us do, so learn how to release that anger. You need to release the pressure valve, because your mind knows how much is stored in the "anger account" and if it doesn't create a distraction you could lose it at the smallest thing. Read my post below, cause I'm too lazy to write it all again.
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2690
So, release that anger, understand what makes you mad and WHY, then neutralise it. Also forget about your pain, and focus on your anger more. I have had some really good results from this formulae, however it's still a work in progress. Best thing is that I'm much calmer and don't get pissed-off as easily now, my pain is less and I'm SLEEPING like a normal person. Hmmm are any of us actually normal anyway???
Good luck
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Edited by - Darko on 11/08/2006 15:31:44 |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 16:06:38
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You hit the nail on the head, treating TMS as a life long condition.
Another interesting aspect to "knowing" how TMS works is how to spot later when you start to fall into the TMS trap again. You are correct, once you get mostly better, TMS can reccur. I've been able recognize when that happens and then start doing my TMS work. You can prevent a total relapse, and your subsequent recovery can be faster and more complete each time.
Take care, -Stryder |
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Redsandro
Netherlands
217 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 18:01:33
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This is indeed an interesting question... I feel like I'm on the brink of being cured (not yet cured but feeling better) even though I didn't reason with my emotions and such.. what if my RSI goes away and instead I get cancer? That is said to be partially stress-induced AKA TMS
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Do not base your joy upon the deeds of others, for what is given can be taken away. |
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MikeJ
United Kingdom
75 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 19:07:35
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That's a very encouraging thread! Congratulations to jkouwenh, and also Redsandro for your progress!
Everyone gave solid advice and I agree that now that your RSI complaints has reduced, you need to shift your focus on understanding how anger and anxiety comes, and how to effectively deal with it. What I did is read as much as I can about it, and came up with a system that works for me. For me, writing it down and asking "Why are you anxious?" and having that internal conversation works great. In case I can't write right away, I've trained myself to calm down immediately, and focus on something bigger than whatever I'm feeling, and it puts things in perspective. The important thing is writing it down at some point, and make sure I don't let it nag me incessantly in the back of my mind.
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2006 : 19:47:28
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That's a really good question and there have been some really good answers here. I view TMS as a life-long method of maintaining mindbody health. It's something I do just like exercising, working, eating or sleeping. Maybe it is the idustrial-age form of meditation.
Most of us don't sit in caves or pray three times a day, but we have ocasional breaks in our busy schedules when we can contemplate our emotional state, perhaps during our commutes. According to Dr. Sarno, when we feel the pain we should shift our thinking from the physical to the psychological/emotional.
If you learn and practice doing this through understanding the Good Doctor's instructions, as layed out in his books and videos, you learn to get and stay in touch with your feelings and pains. As you get better and better at it over time, you can learn to not repress emotions, therefore preventing them from having to morph into physical or affective/emotional equivalents.
You deal with them face to face at their early intrinsic level. At this point, maybe that's what's meant by being in the now, you can deal with the emotional situation by taking action towards a solution or if no real world solution is available through acceptance.
I think by following this course of TMS health, the mindbody will not be forced to dig deeper into it's gremlin's bag of tricks to come up with extremely serious symptoms such as cancer and heart conditions. I think those more serious conditions take a life-long history of not dealing with TMS psychological/emotional issues.
Hope that helps,
tt
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jkouwenh
Netherlands
9 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 06:53:19
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Thank you all very much for your responses and congratulations (yes, congratulations are probably very much in order, come to think of it!).
My progress so far has come solely from reading the books and every piece of information I could find on the internet. I have done some soul searching in the process and couldn't come up with much. And what I came up with is mostly resolved at the moment (like feeling very alone without someone to love). Judging from your replies however, I can't sit back now and relax, but must try to get in touch with my innermost feelings, always.
Well, I will try to do just that, because I sure don't want to get a relapse. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 08:28:19
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Hi JK,
If you want to find the most frequent causes of TMS psychosmatic pain go to page 26, of THE MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION, and look at the Rahe-Holmes list of life's strssful situations that cause psychosomatic "dis-ease".
Pick out the stressful situations that you may be experiencing.
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Quoteing JK:
"I have done some soul searching in the process and couldn't come up with much. And what I came up with is mostly resolved at the moment (like feeling very alone without someone to love)."
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JK, that may be enough. But things could be much worse--you could be feeling very alone with someone you don't love."
I don't think we need a long list of stressors/pressures to create TMS symptoms. We have a resorvoir of repression fed by a lifetime in our unconsciouses. I think we tend to obsess on whatever is our TMS distraction of current choice.
Mine right now is my weight. I'm at my high-end now so I think about it and blame it for all my shortcomings. I hate it when I can't get into my last pair of jeans. |
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ppd
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 09:20:52
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good morning....
not only does our unconscious feed our tms symptoms but the world with all its stresses (that have nothing to do with us personally) can be a trigger. Especially with the types of personalities TMSers have...
Not only is it difficult for me to see loved ones in "pain" (and want to "fix" it)... it is also difficult for me to see the world in "pain"...and there has always been that "thing" inside me to do good for the world and lessen its pain...and no matter what or how much i do or have done...it is NEVER enough...
this i think for me has been a thread throughout my life that has contributed to "the weight of the world on my shoulders" feeling that culminated into my tms symptoms...(among others - major UPPER back pain)
I have been working with this issue, and intellectually know, that even the little good things we do for others are important...and strings of them (as our lives progress) is all we can do (unless ofcourse we are mother teresa).... but somehow convincing my unconscious seems to be an ongoing process where vigiliance is of the utmost in importance.
Tho tms can be a difficult issue to deal with it has also been such a blessing in my life, where not only has it contributed to alot of pain, the discovery and process of healing has seeped into many areas of my life and allowed me to conquer certain fears...
i have a long way to go...but that i imagine...is life...
marilyn (ppd)
"Do small things with great love" - Mother Teresa |
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Suz
559 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2006 : 15:49:36
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This is interesting. I am still getting sciatic flare ups from time to time. I immediately switch to thinking psychologically - it is normally work related. Then I go about my day and ignore it. It always goes away. I haven't journalled for a long time.
Dave and some of the "cured" old timers here,
Do you still get symptoms and then they go away quickly?
I have actually managed to break my food allergies. This is UNBELIEVABLE. I have avoided foods for 12 years and am eating everything. My skin has stopped breaking out into boils. If I get a pimple, I laugh and ignore it. I do not have fear any more. My skin has never been clearer. |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2006 : 12:57:43
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Suz, that's FANTASTIC! I'm so pleased to hear that, because I know you were finding it hard.
Two SuccessStory 's in one thread. (Had to be ungrammatical there so it will appear on searches!)
Great posts from everyone else here, too.
Hilary N |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2006 : 13:55:18
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quote:
I think by following this course of TMS health, the mindbody will not be forced to dig deeper into it's gremlin's bag of tricks to come up with extremely serious symptoms such as cancer and heart conditions. I think those more serious conditions take a life-long history of not dealing with TMS psychological/emotional issues.
TT, I think this is one of your best posts! And that's saying a lot because you make a lot of good posts.
Suz, congrats. Really glad to hear you've licked the allergies. I guess I still need to get to that point of laughing with my last remnants. (And journaling, too. I've been lax. It's too easy to forget how much lighter I feel when I unload the pressure into words.)
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
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PeterW
Canada
102 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2006 : 22:36:36
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quote:
I view TMS as a life-long method of maintaining mindbody health. It's something I do just like exercising, working, eating or sleeping. Maybe it is the idustrial-age form of meditation.
Most of us don't sit in caves or pray three times a day, but we have ocasional breaks in our busy schedules when we can contemplate our emotional state, perhaps during our commutes. According to Dr. Sarno, when we feel the pain we should shift our thinking from the physical to the psychological/emotional.
If you learn and practice doing this through understanding the Good Doctor's instructions, as layed out in his books and videos, you learn to get and stay in touch with your feelings and pains. As you get better and better at it over time, you can learn to not repress emotions, therefore preventing them from having to morph into physical or affective/emotional equivalents.
You deal with them face to face at their early intrinsic level. At this point, maybe that's what's meant by being in the now, you can deal with the emotional situation by taking action towards a solution or if no real world solution is available through acceptance.
I think by following this course of TMS health, the mindbody will not be forced to dig deeper into it's gremlin's bag of tricks to come up with extremely serious symptoms such as cancer and heart conditions. I think those more serious conditions take a life-long history of not dealing with TMS psychological/emotional issues.
Great post Tom. Just thought it was worth reading again! |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2006 : 18:44:15
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Thanks for the kind words ACL and Peter, I appreciate them greatly.
Regards,
tt |
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Won't the unconscious keep creating new symptoms
