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debbette
44 Posts |
 Posted - 07/03/2008 : 17:03:31
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I am new to this board but not to Dr. Sarno's books. I found him about 7 years after suffering from digestive problems, anxiety, panic, depression and a 20 lb. weight loss. After seeing lots of Drs who could find nothing wrong with me, I read the MindBody Prescription and found a good shrink and was "cured." Fast forward to last year, chest pain everyday - went to a cardiologist who suggested it was reflux but it was my husband who realized it was TMS (I just happen to be quitting my job at the time after 20 yrs) and again, cured. Now, after severely throwing my back out 2x since Oct., the toes on my right foot began tingling a few months ago. Now, my whole foot is tingling, no back pain at all though. I went to the Dr. who's referred me to a neuroloist. My husband said it was probably sciatica and then it dawned on me that this might be TMS. I can't really think of anything too obvious that might be bothering me though but I do know how tricky TMS is! My appt. with the neuroligist is Friday but until then, I'm reading Dr. Sarno and doing as he suggests.
Any thoughts?? Suggestions??
Thanks much! |
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Peg
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 17:57:42
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First of all, I hope the cardiologist did a thorough work up before suggesting that your pain was reflux. In any event I'm glad yuour symptom resolved.
It's good that you are going to be evaluated by an MD for your foot symptoms. I assume your primary MD did some sort of evaluation of your legs and feet. At the very least an exam for reflexes, pulses, skin temperature and color, etc
I do know how tricky TMS can be.
May I ask, how did you "severely throw your back out"? Doing some unusual activity? Some extreme sport? Remember from some of Dr. Sarno's writing, I think somewhere it talks about not really being able to "throw our backs out". Could this have been a recurrence of TMS? Did you have back pain at that time? Did you have the tingling in your foot then? You say the tingling started a few months ago. was your back pain (from "throwing your back out") gone when the tingling began? You may remember how sometimes if one symptom doesn't get our attention enough, another "scarier" one will develop, in an attempt to distract us.
I think re-reading Sarno is a smart thing to do. Have you tried journaling?
Good luck seeing the neuro. Hope all goes well.
Peg
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei |
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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2008 : 07:20:58
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My main symptoms were pure Sciatica and feelings in legs. Rarely was it ever my back, so I never saw myself as a 'back pain sufferer'. It only started moving to my back when I started doing TMS work. Sciatica is a big TMS symptom.
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"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"- John Lennon |
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moose1
162 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2008 : 18:34:38
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debette,
you sound like a carbon copy of me. my bet is that yes, it's TMS, and i would suggest staying the TMS course.
i'm just curious...how long were you in therapy before? i am in therapy now for severe, chronic anxiety, which was also my default TMS symptom, and the most stubborn.
Moose |
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debbette
44 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2008 : 20:03:39
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Moose,
I'm sorry you are suffering so badly from anxiety. I went to four different therapists before I found one who I felt could really help me. I went to an office that specialized in anxiety and agoraphobia. I saw my cognative therapist for about 6 months. I shouldn't have said I was "cured" because with anxiety I don't think you are ever really cured, you just learn to accept it and learn to cope with it. I think I'll always have bouts of it but nothing like before. We worked out of a book by Dr. David Burns called The Feeling Good Handbook (not the small paperback but the workbook). It's such a great book and has lots of exercises to deal with different situations that cause anxiety. I did figure out pretty quickly what sent me into such a state - being in a relationship with my birthmother that I didn't feel that I could get out of. For me, my TMS seems to come out when I feel I have no control or choice over a situation. But, my therapist didn't focus too much on the whys of my anxiety or my childhood or any of that, we mostly focused on how to deal with anxiety, panic and depression.
It's good you are facing your anxiety and getting help. For me it was life changing - I am no longer controlled by my anxiety and it's so good to be free of that.
Best of luck to you. |
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moose1
162 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2008 : 20:51:57
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thanks debbette,
yeah, the anxiety is very very difficult to deal with, and my therapist and i are slowly but surely peeling away the layers of crap that have built up in me over the years to get to the bottom of it (hopefully).
i've expressed my own ideas about why it exists - framed in Sarno's theory of the symptoms as a distraction method - and he supports this, but i have a lot of very complex issues - especially with my Dad - that is making the process painstakingly slow and difficult.
thanks again for the info and support. i hope you are able to tackle your current set back with Sarno's approach, too. i had chronic low back pain, gastro hell, arm pain, etc in the past...all TMS. so keep at it.
best,
Moose |
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This is TMS, right?
