| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
greenelvis
USA
21 Posts |
 Posted - 02/07/2007 : 20:39:10
|
Ok, so it hasn't been working the past few days. The whole trying to convince my mind that its TMS.
The Sarno video series has been ordered. I've read the HBP book twice through.
Yesterday, I noticed that my back didn't hurt much---but I had a whale of headache!
I just have a question though, ok I admit, a doubt:
If its not physical, explain why:
1. the pain seems to get worse at night
2. the pain is worse in the morning, until after I get going.
Now, I admit, I haven't dropped my PT, but I have rigerously told my mind that this is our gym, and we are going to work our butts off and strength our muscles. So, that's what I've been doing. Even my physical therapist commented she can now "see the determination in my eyes". I broke a sweat on the elliptical today!
I did go off the Celebrex.
But, I still fight the fear, in the midst of telling my body that there is nothing structural wrong with it. This is harder than I thought at first
|
Edited by - greenelvis on 02/07/2007 20:46:13 |
|
|
carbar
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2007 : 21:04:39
|
It's working, it's working! Look, your back is hurting less. It's normal for symptoms to shift around a little bit, your brain is fighting the TMS concept. You are overriding the message of backpain, and those wires are getting crossed into headache. That's classic TMS. Whatever you were saying about backpain you can say about your headache, and so on. Plus, you write that you got off your pain meds, and your back STILL felt better? You are on track!
As for this question:>>If its not physical, explain why:...
If it's physical, shouldn't it be hurting constantly, regardless of activity or time of day? Morning and evening are time of day when the destractions of work and family fade back and the brain works extra hard to create the destraction of pain to keep you from acknowledging feelings.
Hooray for being physically active and motivated at your PT. Are you doing any journaling, or connecting with the personalities described in MBP? How has that been helping?
Good luck! Understanding TMS isn't the quickest thing, but it's really effective. Keep fighting that fear, acknowledge that you have it, and then you can move on. |
 |
|
|
Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2007 : 21:12:46
|
ge said: Yesterday, I noticed that my back didn't hurt much---but I had a whale of headache!
Ok, so this is going to sound a little weird, about the headache.
Symptom switch is a marker. Your back hurt less because the headache wanted to be the distraction, instead of the back pain.
Guess what? Good News !
See, if the cause of the pain was truly physical, your back would still hurt when you got the headache.
That's key.
So this marker is a sign that you have taken a step in the right direction. Keep going. Ignore the pain. If you cant ignore it, accept it. Let it hurt. The pain is benign, just a signal in your brain. The pain will not damage you in the long run, it can't, its just a signal in your mind.
Ok, consider this. You have some pain. Ok. So its there. If you are angry at the pain, its still going to be there just the same. If you decide to NOT be angry at the pain, its still going to be there just the same. DO THIS -> Choose NOT to be angry at the pain. If its going to hurt either way, choose NOT to be angry. Do that for a week and see where that goes. In case you were wondering, no, you wont be "cured" in a week, so get that right out of your head. You don't have to be cured in a week, or a month, or whatever. What matters is each week you get a little better. If you see that gradual improvement over time, and accept any pain you have each day, then you WIN !
Oh yea, almost forgot. You WILL have relapses. We all do. That's normal. Don't let it throw you.
Sarno Wins ! Everybody Wins !
So you will ask how do I know all this. Many others here have been thru this path. I have. TT has. Dave, austingary, Baseball65, h2oskier, HilaryN, Fox, AnneG, the list goes on.
Take care, -Stryder |
Edited by - Stryder on 02/07/2007 21:16:15 |
|
|
|
vrampen78
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2007 : 21:39:35
|
GreenElvis,
*warning - I think my reply will be a long one...I can feel it because I read your first post about your back pain & fear and your age (I'm 28 and was devasted thinking I was have to live a life of horrible fear and pain before I found Sarno), and now the minor setback you are having. I found I could really relate to you.
I COMPLETELY understand what you are talking about...the fear & panic that this might not work and that you will be in pain. ...been there done that (my 'episode' with back pain & sciatic nerve pain happened May 2006 and I found Sarno September 2006...that's when it all changed). It worked really well the first week (kind of like a placebo) and then the 'healing' is slower and then there are flare-ups along the way. But the fear IS a TMS equivalent...ur subconscious is working hard to keep you from finding out ugly emotions you have dug deep until now. I'm not saying you will never have fear or that you are a failure if you have a moment of fear, but you need to stand up to it! I do it on a daily basis. I'm not in the pain I was in last year, but I have a few flare-ups (not just of back or leg or hip pain, but other symptoms too...migraines, dizziness, nausea...etc.) and I stand up to it and bully IT around or laugh at it. Sometimes it's uncomfortable if I have a symptom going on and I just push against it and KEEP DOING MY DAILY ACTIVITIES, but you have to do. For some it's as easy as reading the book or accepting the diagnosis others need to do more and that's fine. Don't pressure yourself with a timeline...IT DOES NOT HELP. Try to journal...you'll find that you will start out with nothing but "today I'm not having such a great day" and your hand and your mind will work together to fill up the pages with anger or sadness or resentment, etc. that you didn't think you had. This is the route I had to take...I also decided that therapy was best for me and it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. You don't necessarily have to journal everyday for the rest of your life don't feel pressure that this is one more thing to commit to...you just need to write enough to get some repressed emotions out and maybe later you'll just have to journal every so often.
From what I have read I think you are doing great. The pain is moving around...when my back pain came on and stayed with me a few months I miraculously had no more migraines (and I could easily count on 2 per month before that), stomache 'issues', nausea, dizziness NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE. My unconscious really new that the back pain would REALLY do the number and distract me. Look! Your back pain let up and you got a new symptom (the headache and the fear). You might feel the pain more at night or in the morning...maybe during those times there's nothing to distract you from the pain. And there's nothing set in stone that says you can't do physical therapy. The first Sarno book I read was Healing Back Pain and in there he says to stop the physical therapy, but that if the person has a fear of moving around or being active he will recommend doing the PT. If doing the excercise makes you feel good do it, but try hard to tell your subconscious that there's nothing physically wrong with you and that your are just doing this for your health.
Keep up the good work, watch the videos, read the book or if u are limited on time do a search of the TMS concern you are having on this forum and read how others are able to overcome. Just a couple more things before I FINALLY stop that I experienced and might help you out to know...I've sat through many a knots in my back...I realize my back is knotting up, think about what is bothering me, and then ignore it and it usually clears up within a few hours...sometimes sooner sometimes later if I don't want to deal with my emotions. Even though I am still experiencing many TMS symptoms (sometimes all at once) and I have to deal with them it feels great not to be filled with fear like I was before I found out about Sarno...kind of knowing deep down inside that it will all pass.
If I can help at all I'd be more than happy to. I'm still a newbie to TMS, but have learned soooooo much from this board.
-Veronica |
|
|
|
greenelvis
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 04:59:49
|
Wow.
Thankyou everyone, this place is such an encouragement. I'm so thankful I found it!
Blessings,
Jenn- |
|
|
|
greenelvis
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 18:02:48
|
Just posting this as more of a record:
But, I actually felt anger today towards my ex. This is a first. 
Now, I am home tonight, and my hip is on fire! Off to journal about my angry day. Thanks again for the support!
And thanks for the explanation about conditioning, that really helped put my mind at ease with the amt. of pain I feel as I try to go to sleep. I actually read some posts last night, and as I climbed back in bed, I noticed my hip wasn't sore like before. |
|
|
|
Bliss
Canada
33 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2007 : 19:53:22
|
Hi Jenn
Hang in there!
I am almost a month new to TMS. I had great relief the first week I read Sarno's books...then 2wks later relapsed - BUT I no longer had the horrible fear inside of me so I just "went with it". One day when I had had enough of the relapse (was hoping for at least a one day break from it to take breather) I was out walking and I stepped up the pace to a power-walk and was mad as hell! I told it (out loud) all the things I wanted to do that day (and then I changed my mind/wording and told it all the things I was GOING to do that day and that it was NOT going to stop me!!) I said, if you wanna come back and continue to bug me the next day, then fine...but that for just today, I was bloody in charge, not it! I tell ya, it worked for at least the rest of that day....I baked and cleaned and did minor errands. Sure enough, it started again the next day (the pain) but I was satisfied that I TRULY was in charge of my body and that it was my proof that it was only a matter of time that I gain all of my life back/but better...I never thought that journaling would do any good cause I always figured I already had it all worked out/talked out in my head (what was the point, I thought = waste of my precious time)...but there's something about writing it out that seems to allow things/ideas/lightbulbs to pop out onto the page! Like, you end up staring back at a sentence you just wrote and , wham! A big "click" happens and something finally fits- like a missing puzzle piece.
Take care!
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
the TMS is Slipping
