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Paul
134 Posts |
 Posted - 01/21/2007 : 08:35:40
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Do most of you believe that deep down at the core, TMS is the root cause of chronic anxiety and depression...or is it more of a brain chemical imbalance?
I'm dealing with beating TMS in the form of "levator ani syndrome" and am still fighting it. But my anxiety and sadness is also bad as well...I get a sense of un-ease in my life almost daily. Like a sense of impending "doom" is hanging over me and it feels scary. Even have panic driving alone on the turnpike or living alone. There is no doubt that having the pelvic pain puts my whole body "on edge" and to the point where I feel like I can't ever relax because I'm always fighting the pain...which I know is the wrong way to go about it.
I'm learning the TMS principles...it is just taking some time to Re-program my thinking...I've had this type of rectal pain and spasm for over 6 years.
There is no doubt it has caused me a LOT of fear in my life.
I know a woman named Carolyn posted here and got over the same pain I'm having. Carolyn, if you ever read this, I would love for you to contact me via email at: pdylan AT gmail DOT com.
Thank you everyone! |
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floorten
United Kingdom
120 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 09:04:18
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According to Sarno, anxiety and depression ARE TMS equivalents, and I agree. They certainly seem to me to worsen when I stuff feelings and worries. Getting out the diary and letting off some of the steam offers almost instant relief, though often my mind will work hard to distract me from getting started on that.
Don't forget also that the symptom imperative will mean that some of your physical symptoms may at first switch to becoming anxiety and depression when you first begin your work, so it's important to distance yourself from the feelings and remind yourself this is all part of the defensive process that is TMS.
Regards,
Greg.
--
"What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves."
Robert Anton Wilson |
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momtoone
18 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 11:35:26
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| Greg, thank you for your post even though it was not to me. My anxiety, depression and general bad mood have gotten much worse since I started the TMS work. But, when I think about it, I feel like I am working backwards....the pain is getting better but the anxiety worsening, this will then hopefully lead to a full recovery. (I hope that makes sense, I had the anxiety and depression, supressed it, then the pain came). Anyway, thanks for reminding that these symptoms are TMS just in a different form. Thank You! |
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Paul
134 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 12:24:50
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Momtoone,
Interesting way to look at things...and it makes sense. In a way, we are working backwards or getting out of the hole we originally created from suppresing emotions. In order to "back" out of it...we have to face them and move back to the beginning.
Pain --->Emotions ---->Freedom
Nice post. :) |
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Littlebird
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 13:18:20
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| Momtoone, that's a great way to put it--working backwards, or as Paul said, climbing out of the hole. Excellent insight. This is one of the threads I'll bookmark so I can read it again. Good work! |
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momtoone
18 Posts |
Posted - 01/21/2007 : 19:15:37
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| Paul and Littlebird, thank you for the kind words. Littlebird your words are always kind and insightful so that is a compliment coming from you. I noticed that as the pain has gotten better the anxiety has gotten much worse. So I thought to myself, I don't know about this, I feel like I did before (I hate anxiety almost as much as pain). Then I had a lightbulb moment (rare these days) and I thought maybe this is what I have to do, just go backwards and deal with things the right way, like I should have done initially. Thanks you to both! |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 02:18:29
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This reminds me of how I really came to understand that my 30 years of illness really WERE psychosomatic - even though none of my approaches in this department had seemed to work.
I had been praying for healing for a long time, but finally I kind of surrendered internally. Soon after this my life suddenly entered the most amazing trauma zone - loss, abandonment, betrayal, legal and financial hell... it all began with my husband bailing with our secretary...
Anyway, I went into the most intense emotional pain of my life, and if I have had many lives, of my lives. Unimaginable intensity, like I was going to to crazy - grief, terror, panic, rage. And noticed that my health was staying fairly stable and maybe even slowly improving. And I thought, Aha! I was using my physical pain to hide my emotional pain, but now I can't hide it, so the physical pain is unnecessary. Smelled the first real rat.
Read Sarno about a year later and the gig was up - smelled several more rats.
Another rat: I've been having this awful pain from dentistry and noticing that I am quite serene - maybe more so than usual. Aha!
Okay, brain, let me have it direct! Don't need these fake physical pains. I can feel my feelings and I know it won't kill me!
xx
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 06:14:51
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"...my life suddenly entered the most amazing trauma zone - loss, abandonment, betrayal, legal and financial hell... it all began with my husband bailing with our secretary..."
Well Wavy, that sounds like a sure-fire TMS life-cycle trigger. Did you see that coming or was it out of the blue?
Regards,
tt
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Edited by - tennis tom on 01/22/2007 06:23:11 |
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vnwees
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 06:53:53
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I have had success reducing anxiety/depression by using Sarno's information (as well as success with the original pain syndromes, etc..) It's part of my regular routine, like telling my brain to increase blood flow to an oxygen deprived area. When feeling anxious, fearful or depressed, I instruct my brain to balance the chemicals thruout my brain and body. I come on strong (Do it RIGHT NOW!)and may name examples of chemicals, such as dopomine, seratonin, stress hormones, etc. For good measure I often tell my brain to balance ALL chemicals, such as adreniline, insulin etc.throut my entire brain and body (not that I try to name them all, rather I want to give several examples of what the brain is to balance for "optimum health and well being" and to "feel calm, sane and balanced". This is the kind of stuff I've included in my regular Sarno-sizing. It definitly helps me.
I'm trying to treat my entire mind and body by eating somewhat better, walking/exercising a bit more, etc. Those things help, too.
Vicki |
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JohnO
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - 01/25/2007 : 12:02:04
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| Paul -- Remember me? I was told I had levator syndrome too and suffered badly also but I know since I got back with Sarno teachings that there is nothing wrong with my leavtor muscle. It is just the TMS decided to land there this time. Since I have repudiated the thinking that I had a problem levator muscle, I am much better although I have a few not-so-good days once in while. This misery didn't come on overnight and it won't go away overnight either. Just don't keep telling yourself that you have leavtor problems and you will feel better. |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2007 : 09:29:05
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quote:
Well Wavy, that sounds like a sure-fire TMS life-cycle trigger. Did you see that coming or was it out of the blue?
TT: Out of the dark blue - and that was only the beginning of a year and a half of hell and legal/financial entanglements that I am still dealing with. Almost unimaginably intense and all encompassing, like my life disappeared. I had to literally turn to "the Presence" within to find any place to be. Yet the feelings were so strong that I actually started getting less physical symptoms - the distraction process couldn't work. Plus I said, "Okay, I'm going to feel my way through this, and feel what it's really about (old family stuff recreated)."
I kind of decided at some level not to die, and the TMS to distract from all this would have had to be cancer or something to be bad enough to distract me from these feelings of grief, rage, terror.
And I am happy and free on the whole now, 3 years later.
Thanks for asking
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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Carolyn
184 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2007 : 13:40:27
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Paul,
I haven't checked in in a while. I am sorry you are still having such a hard time. I have trouble remembering exactly how long it took me to get over the pelvic pain but I know it was not a straight road. Even now, I get the occassional spell of pelvic pain but now since I really KNOW what it is, I can make it go away in a day or often less. There really is no doubt in my mind that levator ani syndrome is pure TMS. Have you had any change in symptoms right after reading Sarno that you can use to help convince yourself? You mention anxiety and that feeling of 'unease'. I never had any (conscious) anxiety in my life until the first night after I started journaling and I woke up with intense anxiety every morning for a while. I think I now acknowledge that I probably have always been a somewhat anxious person but always stuffed it inside. I can tell you for sure that whenever I get that sense of unease, I know some TMS symptom will be popping up soon. Is anxiety a new symptom for you?
I do have to say though that sometimes I feel like I am always suffering from one form of TMS or another. My husband laughs at me because I now always assume everything is TMS and I'm not sure I am wrong. Once your body has used the TMS strategy successfully, it seems like anytime there is a 'real' problem, TMS can take it over and prolong it or attach emotional significance to it. Anytime I start getting emotionally upset about a physical problem, I start to wonder if it is TMS. Often that makes the problem go away but it may pop up somewhere else.
The key is to stop reacting emotionally to your pain (I know that's nearly impossible). You need to get to the point where everytime you feel a twinge, your mind automatically goes to wondering what is bothering you emotionally. Try to summon curiosity rather than fear. It takes practice to become a habit. Are you doing your journaling every single night? Try some meditation (regularly) to help calm the beast. Do what you have to lessen the pain so you can stop reacting so emotionally. What everyone says here is true though and the ultimate answer lies in really understanding that you can control the pain and not the other way around.
Carolyn |
Edited by - Carolyn on 02/01/2007 13:54:17 |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2007 : 15:05:59
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"The key is to stop reacting emotionally to your pain (I know that's nearly impossible). You need to get to the point where everytime you feel a twinge, your mind automatically goes to wondering what is bothering you emotionally. Try to summon curiosity rather than fear. It takes practice to become a habit."
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Nice post Carolyn  |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2007 : 10:58:44
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Yes - very precise! I like the question about whether one is journalling every single night. It's easy to think you are because you did last week.
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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jbraw
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2007 : 12:17:43
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Dr. Sarno's DVD/VHS tape is a tremendous help since one can go over the psychology and treatment sections at will. Since repetition is the key to getting over and beyond the pain, all one has to do is turn it on and listen. I also use Dr. Schecter's tapes, and I'm most impressed with kelving's postings, especially the Daily TMS Exercise and Journal from Dr. Rochelle. I downloaded this, printed out the entire thing, then, when I need to add a page, I just print it out and add it to the journal.
Dr. Sarno feels that anxiety and depression are TMS equivalents.
Jan |
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Is Chronic Anxiety and Depression TMS?
