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cmonBrain
7 Posts |
 Posted - 11/03/2007 : 16:58:35
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I just read Dr. Sarno's book, Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection, after a person who I respect a lot suggested this.
I have been diagnosed with sciatica and "suspected" herniated disc. I've been to pt but despite this, have been slowly but steadily getting worse over the past 6 months or so.
So I read the book. Actally I didn't want to wait for it to come in the mail, so I downloaded the audio version and finished listening to it the first time in two days. Now I'm listening again.
I'm pretty convinced that the theory is correct. My question is, is reading the book and following it's suggestions as a form of self-therapy enough, or do I need to go for some treatment?
I really hope I'm not in the category of people who need extensive psychotherapy to get better, since I can't afford that.
Here's what I've done so far
1) I stopped doing the stretching excersizes that pt's have given me.
2) I went back to sitting in comforatble chairs and stopped sleeping on the floor as a way of accepting that I don't have a back injury.
3) I've been intropsecting and working out what I'm so angry about.
I've spoken to myself about some of the issues. I've expressly admitted to myself that I am really angry at so and so about this and that.
Have I discovered any new rage that I was not aware of before? Maybe not. But for the first time I have spoken to myself about it explicitly. "Yes, I really resent so and so for this and that" But so far I have not found any way to resolve the anger. The anger has not gone away, and neither has the pain.
I'm still convinced by Dr. Sarno's presentation. I'm just not sure I'm on the right track. What do you suggest? Keep at it? Keep digging for other rage that I am not currently aware of? But then, do I need to resolve the anger or come to terms with it in order for the pain to subside? How is this expected to take?
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2007 : 23:19:30
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Sounds like you're on the right track and in a good frame of mind.
Don't worry about therapy. Just do the work. You're halfway there if you can accept the theory and believe it may apply to you.
Much of the battle is getting to the point where you can ignore the pain and accept that there is nothing seriously wrong with you. When you are aware of the pain try to think about what's going on in your life that you may be brushing aside and not be fully facing up to. Many times it will be something you don't even realize, hence it is repressed.
Don't try to find any specific source of the rage. This is a reconditioning process. It's enough to try. By doing this you are "telling" your unconscious that despite its efforts to distract you, you are facing those difficult emotions anyway. If you are lucky you will hit on something. If you do, just freely associate and try to follow the emotion down to find its root cause.
Keep in mind that conscious anger is completely different from the rage that causes TMS. The rage is internal; it cannot be felt. The conscious anger is likely a smokescreen covering up deeper emotions. In effect, the conscious anger is itself a TMS symptom. |
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stanfr
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 01:25:58
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| Everything Dave said is right on target. You don't say how long youve been doing the TMS work, but it may take several weeks to notice change or improvement. If you put in the time you should notice your body reacting to your change in mindset. If you can work to resolve anger issues, obviously that's a positive thing. But it's probably not necessary to get better, while acknowleging these issues as a basis for your physical symptoms is. |
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cmonBrain
7 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 01:37:12
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That's really interesting Dave.
Thanks.
But I still have some questions.
By "Don't try to find any specific source of the rage...It's enough to try," Do you mean, "Try to find a specific source, but if you don't succed don't worry because all that matters is that you try"?
Also, regarding uncounscious rage, if I come up with some possibility, say, maybe I'm angry with so and so for such and such, but my conscious mind is not conviced of this, will that make the tms go away if it happens to be true on a subconcious level?
And tell me if the following idea is correct.
Let's say I know very well about things that threaten my life and happiness, but on a counscious level, I direct that anger towards myself because ultimately, its all my fault. Should I try to recognize these very well warrented emotions and feel the pain (maybe as sadness rather than rage) on a counscious level so that I don't have concious rage towards myself or pain in my leg?
If my concious rage at myself goes away will that be a good indication that I have done what is needed to stop the leg pain?
That's how I am understanding the process. Is that right?
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cmonBrain
7 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 03:45:58
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quote:
Originally posted by stanfr
it may take several weeks to notice change or improvement.
Thanks for clearing this up.
I just started last week. I'm doing the work. Actually, I'm feeling much better right now. Could that be the treatment taking effect already?
I'm going to go out and see if it hurts when I run.
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Allan
USA
226 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 19:03:54
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cmon Brain
First of all, I had sciatica pain for about six months. I was told, and believed, that it was caused by spinal stenosis, the spinal cord in contact with bone (vertebrae). I was scheduled for surgery.
I read Healing Back Pain by Dr. Sarno. I followed the treatment program outlined in the book. The pain went away and never came back.
Dr. Sarno says that spinal stenosis does not cause pain on page 105. He also says that herniated discs do not cause pain.
It was incredible to me that this horrible, piercing sciatica pain was not caused by something physical. But the cause of my pain was not physical. Neither is yours.
There was a famous study, the Maureen Jensen study. She was in charge of a radiology department. Patients with back pain would have herniated discs, etc. Other patients who had x-rays for kidneys, etc. would have herniated discs, etc on their x-rays also but would have no pain. The study is Appendix A in Fred Amir’s book. Well worth reading. Proof that herniated discs do not cause pain.
Buy the book. Read it. Read it again until you understand every word of it. Follow the instructions in the treatment chapter. Follow the morning and evening excercises each day. Go back and read Dave’s posting. That is all there is to it. The program has worked for thousands. It can work for you.
Allan
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ralphyde
USA
307 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2007 : 20:14:31
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There's also the 20/20 segment from 1999 that is a big confidence builder in the theory and treatment method because all the people followed get much better very quickly by accepting the diagnosis. You can watch it here and it's only 14 minutes long.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6660313127569317147
Best of healing,
Ralph |
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mamaboulet
181 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 07:27:05
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Sounds like you are doing the right stuff. Some people get quick relief, some don't. And the road to relief can be bumpy, with backsteps. Especially if your rage reservoir is really full, like mine is, or if you are going through some really intense life pressures. I'm currently struggling back out of a relapse, with a return of my depression and anxiety, stomach problem, and some pain I haven't felt in years. Certainly my reservoir is contributing to this mess, but I don't have to look that far. My beloved dog died 3 weeks ago, my best friend in the entire world. I was completely unprepared for such a bomb going off in my life.
Now I'm just slowly going back to where I was before this happened, challenging each symptom as it appears, and reminding myself there is nothing going on but grief and TMS. It is hard. I am furious. I am so F****** furious with the world right now I could rip somebody apart limb from limb. I don't dare stuff that anger, lest the dam break.
Anyway, one of my points is that it can be hard at first to accept or access some of that ancient rage, but there are usually plenty of current life pressures or self-pressures to practice on. Learning the basic skills of challenging the pain and talking to your brain is generally more useful than trying to find that traumatic experience in your childhood. |
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cmonBrain
7 Posts |
Posted - 11/05/2007 : 20:58:41
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quote:
Originally posted by mamaboulet
there are usually plenty of current life pressures or self-pressures to practice on. Learning the basic skills of challenging the pain and talking to your brain...
In other words, when I feel the pain, I think about stuff going on in my life that is probably causing emotions that are being repressed, since if they weren't repressed, I would be have a lot of anxiety, who knows, maybe even more than I could handle.
So then my brain says, "Look, I'm just trying to help. You should thank me, for helping repress those emotions. rather than complain about the leg pain. Believe me, you'd rather have the leg pain"
What do I answer? |
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stanfr
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 02:15:44
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| Do you really feel that way or is that just a hypothetical 'self response'? We can't get inside your head, so you have to answer the way it seems right to you. If you don't want the pain, then think that way, denounce that voice, and deny it your attention. |
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cmonBrain
7 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 05:06:14
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quote:
Originally posted by stanfr
Do you really feel that way or is that just a hypothetical 'self response'? We can't get inside your head, so you have to answer the way it seems right to you. If you don't want the pain, then think that way, denounce that voice, and deny it your attention.
It doesn't sound right to me. But when I talk to my brain, I'm expectng him to argue back based on his logic not mine. Dr. Sarno says that sometimes the brain does fight back. If it can't get you to repress your feelings by making this muscle hurt, it goes and zaps another one.
But I guess what he's saying is the basic approach of the brain (that little bugger!) is to give up as soon as it notices that the person tries to find repressed feelings despite the pain. It may try again sometimes. But then if it doesn't get it's way, gives up again pretty quickly.
By the way, is there any evidence that the brain will cause this pain to take you mind off of sexual attractions some of which are appropriate and others not. I mean, these thoughts are not repressed, but the pain does a good job of repressing the feelings. That's for sure.
I guess I'm thinking too much, trying to outsmart my brain. But you people will tell me that the part of the brain we are dealing with is not very smart.
Thank you all for this discussion. I really need it. |
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mamaboulet
181 Posts |
Posted - 11/06/2007 : 06:11:46
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Trying to second-guess your brain is probably counterproductive. Straight, simple challenge is more productive than trying to "outsmart" the brain that you don't even know very well.
One of the things I like about Dr Brady's book is that he supplies some lists of questions and challenges for different personalities and circumstances.
Why not write out a few questions and challenges of your own, so that you can access them when you are in pain? |
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Sciatica, Just read book. What next?
