In Dr Sarno's books he talks about how enraging 'mortality' can be to the unconscious. I just wonder if this is the cause of many athletes sporting injuries - the fact that their career is so limited and their unconscious finds this to be enraging? I am 26 and from a sporting point of view, wish I was 16 again. Anyone have any views on this?
If you were living your life to compete in any sport and you have that ability taken from you it makes sense to me that it's enraging.
One thing that I have found is the more I want to do something or have something the more fearful I am of having it taken away from me (Buddhists would probably relate this to "attachment" which is something they practise letting go of - not sure if I explained this right -any Buddhists out there?).
Fear and rage are interconnected. This then would relate to the rage that you feel when that "thing/ability" IS taken away from you.
Back in my days of long distance cycling I used to feel so good when I was riding and I remember telling people that I would kill myself if I ever had to stop doing it. So what happened? I got arm pain that forced me to stop. Then I became a runner and liked that as much as cycling. I started to rely on it as my stress reliver and racing became a way I could achieve as I felt such a failure in my career. So I became attached to running. THen the injuries started in my legs especially knee. Next came swimming and that was cut short even more quickly by shoulder problems.
So is it that the more you want something the more enraging it is if you entertain the possibility that it might be taken away? Why do some athletes not have TMS? Is it because TMSers are born worriers (I have no problem imagining worst case scenarios in every aspect of my life but I struggle to visualise positive outcomes).
I am 32 years old and my partner and I are discussing having children but I have a problem with it because I want to recover from the TMS pain and when I recover I want to do all the things I have been restricted from doing over the last 10 years. I want to enjoy myself before I devote most of my time to a dependent child who I wouldn't just be able to leave and go riding/running whenever I liked. But if we do have kids we'd need to have them soon so we wouldn't be too old as parents.
Another thought James: sporting injuries are just one aspect of mortality when you thing about it. They remind us that we don't live forever and that is enraging. A lot of fears can be traced back to fear of death. I personally have discovered a lot of rage from the fact that my mother was upset throughout her pregnancy with me, the fifth of 5 children. i have struggledwith low self esteem and the fear of not being liked by other people thru my whole life. I was a very good child and I now realise I wanted and still want to justify my existence. So I have a fear of my life not being wanted (ie fear of death).
Sorry it I ramble, i've just been thinking a lot this morning and getting lots of ideas.
Tunza Excellent post. I saw alot of me in your post. I am a marathoner who for the past 15 years have been stricken with every kind of running "injury" imaginable. I often asked myself the same question you posed - how come the people I run with do not suffer like I do with TMS? How come they can run happily w/o any interrupation? I don't think in 15 years I have ever run an entire year without any injury. Always something in my legs to prevent me from running. Never once has a treatment ever worked. I also have said that I would die if I couldn't run. I have attached so much to running. It is almost the most important thing in my life. Yes, yes I know - therein lies the TMS stuff!! I recognize it and realize it but I have yet to figure out a way to fix it. 15 years of injuries but I still perservere and continue to run after months of layoffs. start, get injured, start, get injured. 15 years of this. I am now swimming as I have taken one week off from running to step back and see if rest will improve my groin/pelvic pain.
Athletes
Posted - 12/04/2004 : 02:51:59
