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playsinpain
28 Posts |
 Posted - 10/31/2007 : 10:03:00
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I've been reading different posts about what does and doesn't constitute TMS. As a decade-long adherent, I can boil it down to 2 essential truths that never change:
1)TMS only presents one dominant symptom at a time. Whether it's the lower back, shoulder, foot numbness, carpal tunnel like stuff, arrythmia, generalized anxiety, allergies, headache, etc....only one symptom dominates at a time. If you find yourself repeatedly declaring "damn, if only my lower back wasn't killing me, everything would be great....or...if only my shoulder didn't feel dead, everything would be fine", you have TMS;
2)Whatever the dominant symptom of the time, it was bad enough to preoccupy your thoughts the day before, it will be the first thing you think about when you arise the next day....BUT it will always go away if you are presented with a sufficiantly new, exciting, stimulating situation (i.e. public speaking, new sexual encounter, surfing big surf, etc.)
These are two basic pillars of TMS |
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painintheneck
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2007 : 11:58:19
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| A couple years ago I had a bad case of exzema. After the exzama was resolved I noticed that my "chronic" neck pain hadn't been bothering me while the exzema was an issue. Of course it was there every day like clockwork again. |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2007 : 19:01:46
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I don't think that your point 1 is true for everyone. Some people have different presentations, particularly people with severe TMS.
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It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
Edited by - armchairlinguist on 10/31/2007 19:04:13 |
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JohnD
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2007 : 19:43:11
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| Fibromyalgia is multiple symptoms at once. I don't think there are any limits or rules when it comes to TMS. It can hit any bodily system - nothing is off limits, and you can get have anywhere from 0- multiple symptoms at any given time. If you try to put TMS in a box, it will definitely catch you by surprise. |
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playsinpain
28 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 11:48:52
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The day I have severe pain in 2 completely seperate areas, is the day
I go get checked for something else. I've known several people w/ Fibromyalgia, and it has always been: "today my neck is killing me" or "I'm having a terrible migraine today." Multiple symptoms in their mind, but a single dominant symptom at a time. |
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Littlebird
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 13:55:42
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quote:
Originally posted by playsinpain
Multiple symptoms in their mind, but a single dominant symptom at a time.
Can you clarify what you mean by that? I have multiple symptoms at the same time every day, sometimes more than others, but never just one at a time.
It seems to be human nature to think that everyone else experiences life the same way that we do, but it's not so. |
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truenorth
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 14:06:48
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| I couldn't disagree more. I'll get hives, back & foot pain all at the same time. And all TMS. |
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playsinpain
28 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2007 : 18:50:44
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truenorth,
I don't get it. How is that explained by the TMS model? Does your mind require all three to be distracted from the problem? Did it evolve into that as you overcame single symptoms? |
Edited by - playsinpain on 11/01/2007 19:02:42 |
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truenorth
USA
83 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 00:14:25
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| Dr. Sarno diagnosed the foot and back pain years ago. The hives, especially giant hives on my lips, start when I really challenge the pain, and the emotions behind the pain. And no other time. |
Edited by - truenorth on 11/02/2007 00:15:31 |
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 01:01:08
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I think multiple symptoms can make one more likely to believe that something is 'really' wrong. I'm not sure if my point comes across, I find this a subtle thing -- our perceptions and the conclusions we draw from being in pain.
I don't know, obviously at any instant of time, you probably won't find yourself equally plagued by asthma and back pain, but over the course of a day, you could be. Perhaps cold triggers your asthma, so you need a different distraction when its not cold. But I assume this isn't what you meant. |
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stanfr
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 04:57:23
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| My experience has been that only one symptom seems to "dominate" at any given time, although multiple symptoms can certainly coexist. Also, some things like allergies are multisymptomatic and there's no real domination there (i get sore throat, congestion etc at the same time). I disagree with #2 tho--TMS seems to be pretty fickle in that sometimes a new 'challenge' or whatever can take away the symptom, sometimes provoke it. |
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playsinpain
28 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 06:36:30
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| I believe the fear cycle is critical here. There is no way the brain will focus on back pain if it is deathly afraid that an asthma attack is occuring; it's justnot possible. Perhaps multiple symptoms are a sign that the fear cycle is being overcome and is no longer a part of the equation. |
Edited by - playsinpain on 11/02/2007 06:39:35 |
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lidge
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 08:34:52
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I have pain in more than one place at a time but when the pain in one is overwhelming, I do not notice the other pain to any degree. So that I would have to say that when there are multiple pains, one does seem to dominate. I had always chalked it up to what pain doctors say- that your brain cannot focus on more than one pain at a time, blah blah.
But I do agree with playinspin regarding his first post. I definitely say to myself when one pain is overwhelming- Oh if that pain went away I would have a chance of feeling better etc. Of course more often than not, when that pain dies down a bit I just feel the other pain more.
I'm starting to wonder if my brain even remembers what it is like to be pain-free. |
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Littlebird
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 13:39:45
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My experience with TMS started with single symptoms, and early on I took them as a sign that I was in a situation that was too stressful and soon found that changing my circumstances would eliminate the symptom. But I was taught by my parents that I should stick out even very uncomfortable situations and ignore physical symptoms, so I always kind of felt like a bad person for bailing out of situations that caused me to have "stress symptoms."
Eventually I ended up in a situation that I couldn't just change right away and I got hit with multiple symptoms that would later be diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. But at the time a friend convinced me that the symptoms were being caused by chemical sensitivities. After 4 months my circumstances changed and I got well again, but shortly after that I also moved from the area that I believed to be the source of the chemical exposure, so I continued to think the chemicals may have played a role.
A few years after that, I again got into a stressful situation that I couldn't change and all the symptoms of CFS/FMS came back, only worse than before. So my impression was that I went from single symptoms to multiple symptoms because I could not eliminate the stressors.
Now that I know about TMS, I still think that the multiple symptoms developed because I couldn't change my situation, but I realize that being in the situation was causing a steady stream of emotion that I just kept repressing and suppressing. But I wouldn't say that the same level of continuous repression/suppression would cause multiple symptoms in everyone.
It can be true that some days one symptom only is very dominant, while the others are of low intensity, and if that main one would let up, it would be a much better day, assuming that none of the others then flared. But it's more common for me to have multiple symptoms of equal intensity.
I should say, for the benefit of new people who haven't already read it elsewhere, that knowing about TMS has eliminated a number of my symptoms and I'm making progress with some of the remaining symptoms as I continue doing TMS work. I'm just digging through the different emotions and their sources at a fairly slow rate at this point, so it's taking time to eliminate the symptoms. But my slow recovery is not an indication that the TMS work isn't effective--it is effective, it has helped me, it continues to help me and I believe I'll eventually get back to being essentially symptom free. |
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Rativision
United Kingdom
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2007 : 15:56:30
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Hi
I have had many different changes in the pains and problems since begining Sarno work. I have had
RSI
Back pain
Hip pain
Knee pain
Thumb pain (This is a real crafty one it takes some getting my head round)
Skin trouble on my hands
Neck pain
Mouth ulcers
Stomach trouble
Allergies to all sorts of things
Foot pain
After all these I have come to think the brain is far more devious than you think.
It no longer worries me when a new pain or problem comes allong because I know whats causing it.
I know its TMS because once I do the thinking they go away very quickly unlike a "real" injury
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The Essentials
