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amyw
USA
3 Posts |
 Posted - 11/27/2007 : 20:53:49
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i had great success treating RSI with sarno's methods about 5 years ago but have been dealing with what appears to be a more difficult case for the last few years. i have a chronic, painful sore throat. it has gone away at times, but it's been back for a while now and i've become very frustrated in the last month.
i was talking to my therapist today and she suggested "listening" to the pain. asking myself "what is my body trying to tell me?" instead of feeling frustrated and trying to "fight" the pain or make it "go away".
i had a difficult childhood in which my feelings/needs weren't listened to and i think those feelings/needs would like *me* to hear them now and attend to them. i am trying to be kind to myself and hear what my body/mind is trying to tell me.
has anyone had success with these kinds of techniques? i am feeling a slight decrease in the sore throat pain tonight so i think i am on the right track.
i started listening to john bradshaw's "homecoming" lecture from itunes, but haven't gotten too far into it yet.
thanks for any help! AMY |
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golden_girl
United Kingdom
128 Posts |
Posted - 11/27/2007 : 21:02:59
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Have you heard of Louise Hay? In her book 'You Can Heal Your Life' she has many different symptoms and their (possible/probable) causes.
For throat she says -
"Avenue of expression. Channel of creativity."
For sore throat -
"Holding in angry words. Feeling unable to express the self.
The inability to speak up for oneself. Swallowed anger. Stifled creativity. Refusal to change."
She also includes various affirmations to 'counteract' the emotions. However, expressing the emotions, or the fact that you know why your throat hurts might help more.
I once had really bad earache, which I think was referred pain from severe tonsilitis. I'd been accusing my boyfriend of never listening to me some hours earlier, and he'd actually left my house in a huff. I woke with the pain, and I managed to get myself back to sleep by repeating over and over "I don't want to listen/I don't want to hear.." - I woke with about 5% of the pain left in the morning. Coincidence? Maybe!
"F.E.A.R.
Forgive Everyone And Remember
For Everything A Reason"
Ian Brown |
Edited by - golden_girl on 11/27/2007 21:04:05 |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 11/27/2007 : 21:49:16
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| Amyw--Have you ever gone to a doctor for the chronic sore throat? I think that would be the first step if you haven't already done it, then you can consider the TMS approach. |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 11/27/2007 : 23:03:09
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Hi amyw,
The pain is trying to tell you that your are angry, very very angry.
I agree with wldtrv. Get yourself to the doc and have your sore throat checked out. If the doc comes up empty then treat it as TMS.
Your obsessive brain will take any past pain "memory" and keep replying the pain memory as a distraction to your inner repressed rage. That's TMS's job, to divert you from having these feelings emerge. You may have had an acute sore throat that when healed is being replayed over and over again like a bad movie.
Take care, -Stryder |
Edited by - Stryder on 11/27/2007 23:03:58 |
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Littlebird
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2007 : 00:55:35
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Hi Amy,
I've had a chronic sore throat as part of TMS (diagnosed as Fibro/CFS) for nearly 20 years now, plus I had it for a four month period a few years before this long episode started (for me that's one of the clues that mine is TMS, along with the other Fibro/CFS symptoms). Mine fluctuates quite a bit in severity, from mild when I'm rested and not stressed to much worse when I get overtired and stressed out. It has not been as bad since I learned of TMS. (Plus I got rid of a bunch of other symptoms, even though I'm still working on some.)
As Stryder said, the brain seems to manipulate our autonomic nervous system in ways that can recreate nearly any symptom we've ever had in the past, due to an actual illness, in addition to creating symptoms we read and hear about. It is something you should have checked out, because there are a few physical causes of chronic sore throat, but it can definitely be TMS if there's no physical cause found. The fact that yours has come and gone and come back seems to point to TMS.
I read Bradshaw's book called "Homecoming" and found it very helpful. Do you journal about your emotions? I think it's true that while the pain can serve to distract us from difficult emotions, it can also help us realize the need to acknowledge those emotions. I'm not a big proponent of the theories that the pain's location tells you what kind of emotion you're suppressing or repressing, because I've had pain in so many areas and body parts, and it can shift from one location to another so quickly. But between your therapist, the tapes you have and journaling about your emotions, I think you'll have good success getting rid of the pain. |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 11/28/2007 : 11:08:55
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I think Bradshaw is excellent for connecting to the feelings and the inner child. I had a case of RSI that after I treated the pain with TMS techniques switched back to depression (also where it was before the RSI, actually). I tried fighting it, but it wasn't really working and I was feeling pretty bad. I ended up doing a lot of emotional work instead. Alice Miller, Bradshaw, etc. and getting in touch with a therapist (who does Bradshaw-based methods). It has really made a huge difference in how I feel and I know I am dealing with some stuff in my past and becoming more able to be myself in the present. So that was the key for me. I hope it can help you as well.
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It's not 100% belief that's required, but 100% commitment. |
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what is the pain trying to tell you?
