| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
crk
124 Posts |
 Posted - 09/24/2008 : 19:57:12
|
I get so much out of these success stories; it's high time I contributed one of my own. I'm not free yet, but since my TMS is a "repeat offender" I see clearly that its bags are packed. :)
My first experience with TMS was the worst, since I did not know what was wrong with me. For over 7 years I suffered chronic low back pain, with various treatments, diagnoses, etc. Just before I found Sarno, my TMS added hip and foot pain. I was "cured" in about 2 weeks after reading Sarno's Healing Back Pain. Actually I was mostly done with the pain in about 3 days.
I've had 2 or 3 bad episodes (relapses) since my original "cure," and about 100 "triggers" -- where the TMS tried to come back and I shot it down quickly. The bad episodes have always been times when I questioned whether I might really be hurt. (Eg, the day after heavy gardening, or - in this week's case -- after hard exercise.) For me, it is extremely important not to let the TMS get that kind of foot hold. If it does, it is much harder to shake off, even when I realize I've been fooled again. I really believe some kind of automatic pain response can take hold that is harder to break.
I want to be brief but helpful here, and list the kinds of "tricks" I've used to diminish or banish pain. Each one is useful in a different way. The brain and its defense system is extremely complex, so I can't just say "do thus and such."
Right now, I am only experiencing low grade and intermittent pain after about 8 days of real suffering. The TMS faked its way in this time by making me believe I might have shin splints. (I am a runner.) Just for the record, "shin splints" is complete B.S.!!! I should have gone straight to my Mind Body Prescription book, but by the time I did I was stuck in the pain loop.
So, here is what has been working for me the past couple of days. I'm pretty sure I'm almost out of the woods. This is just a list of thoughts and mental talk in no particular order. Let me know if this helps or if it's unclear in any way. Take care!
- Relax, breathe, you're ok.
- Don't look at the pain, look at the problem.
- It's a bad radio station playing next door. It's not who I am. I am healthy and strong. Ignore it so you can live your life.
- I'm going to be just fine. It's leaving. I don't know when -- I don't have to know when. I have all those moments of pain free living ahead of me. Soon.
- I will win. I always have won! All those b.s. pains - where are they now? Gone. You will go too. Soon. I will be victorious! There is no doubt.
- I cannot control X situation. I can do x,y, & z, but I am not in control of others or of the universe. And what a relief: not being in control means I am not responsible for all that. Only for my own being.
- I am trying to think through this problem. Please shut up so I can think. You're nothing but a spoiled brat screaming "look at me!" and I really don't have time.
- I can work this problem out, and I can do it without you (addressing TMS). Haha! I've handled this exact situation, with just as much anxiety, without you. You are completely ridiculous and you're in the way.
- I'm going to study this problem. You are not going to stop me. Shush.
Helpful actions: laughing, humming, singing. I do find angry words towards the pain to be helpful in the less severe moments, but I found that when I was really hurting badly, anger was just fuel. Better to go the zen route. :)
One more word, and this is a very personal opinion. I do not mean to negate others' point of view. I don't think TMS relief has to take a lot of time. It often does, for the same reasons we get it in the first place. But I know my TMS could leave 5 seconds from now. Physically speaking, I know it could clear off that fast. It's not a matter of work-work-work it away. It's more a matter of believe in what you know is true: there is nothing wrong. It's belief plus relaxing your grip on the universe and all you demand of it.
I am a Harry Potter fan -- this is very much like producing a "patronus," if you know the books. The protection is inside you and the magic is to summon it in spite of the Dementors all around. Expecto patronum! |
|
|
johnaccardi
USA
182 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2008 : 06:55:47
|
crk,
Thanks a lot for this. I really like the way you say don't try to have control over everything. I think this is the main contributer of my TMS - I have to have control over EVERYTHING. I don't express it when I don't have control, but I can feel my reaction on the inside. Many of the things you said here are techniques I have also recently discovered but you have really put them in words betterthan I could have. I'm sure I'll read your listafew times and really take it in. Thanks again. |
 |
|
|
LuvtoSew
USA
327 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2008 : 09:39:52
|
| thanks for your post, I enjoy reading the success stories. Stay well. |
|
|
|
crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2008 : 10:09:15
|
I have an update since the original post here. Continued success (very little, infrequent pain now) and more freeing thoughts to add to my list:
-Live in the moment! Use my day planner and a voice recorder (carry in pocket if necessary) to have a "vent" on hand for all those have-to's that crowd my mind and shake my calm. Concentrate on taking pleasure in the present. I tend to have a vision of what will make me happy as soon as ------ (random future event) instead of really enjoying this moment and letting it stand on its own.
-Combat perfectionism and goodism: Perfectionism says "all or nothing." The opposite is to say "anything is better than nothing." If I cannot complete every single task on a list, maybe I can do one, or even part of one. The trick is to say "that's ok. It will be ok." Five minutes, even. Check imperfect action off as "accomplished" instead of "failed." Something is better than nothing.
-Combat disability: Repeat (as slowly as possible) whatever action or thought brought on pain or increased pain. Let's say it was a physical action, such as stepping down a stair. Ouch. "No." Go back up the stair and do it in slow motion while thinking "I will do this. You will not stop me." Same with thoughts. It's not enough to survive the pain surge. To battle means to go back and say "This is mine. I will have it. Even if I have to experience pain for it. Here is proof that I know the pain is b.s."
-Reverse the fear: Use mockery to show the TMS that you see through it. Example: I think about my daughter's math test and a sharp pain appears. In my mind I make a melodramatic voice and a drawn out gasp of "Oh no! (Voice rises and falls.) It's the end! What WILL I do?? Nooooo! (Hands to cheeks.)" Make it as ridiculous as possible. The mockery reinforces disbelief in a physical cause and combats our fear of both the pain and the situation.
I am doing so much better and I hope my thoughts will be of help to some of you. |
|
|
|
crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2008 : 10:22:14
|
Here is an update with great news! I'm free! I'm free! What really finished it off was not exactly the journaling, but the practice of the essay prescribed in The Divided Mind. Sarno basically lays out a number of key thoughts about which you must write an essay. For me, it was more a series of phrases rather than a composition with complete sentences. I knew I was on track when the thought of writing it and the writing itself caused a huge increase in pain at first. Then I re-read the document 1-2 times per day, especially before going out for my run. I brought myself to tears by focusing so intently on the feelings in my written words. Then I'd blow my nose and go out running... no pain!
All those strategies I listed when I started this thread were helpful, but nothing worked like that deep focus on the issues that were causing the TMS. The difference between the essay and the journaling was intensity and repetition. It also remained important that I disregard the pain that came from the essay and disrespect it by saying "that's not important... these feelings are what matter." Sarno was right: the distraction is abandoned when it is not necessary anymore. I hope this has been helpful! |
|
|
|
Fox
USA
496 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2008 : 06:37:43
|
| Very helpful suggestions. Thank you so much. |
|
|
|
crk
124 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2009 : 09:28:40
|
| Another update. I think it's hard to get a good feel for how immensely successful Sarno's therapy is, because I'm sure once we are cured, we drift off and stop posting. I wanted to just counterbalance that by coming back and saying again -- this works! I have no TMS pains. I know when a TMS pain triggers that it is TMS, and I know how to combat it by focusing on my childhood hurts and rage. It works! Take heart! |
|
|
|
Nightwing
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2009 : 01:20:55
|
Thanks for the post. I am 24 days into the knowledge of Dr. Sarno books. After suffering for 6 years with severe low back pain, I am so much better and contine to improve with posts like yours.
Thanks |
|
|
|
fibri
Belgium
56 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2009 : 08:28:28
|
Hello crk,
I just love your analogy of producing a patronus despite the Dementors all around you. That is both a helpful image to use when in the throes of pain, and a fun way of minimising it :-) I'll definitely be working with this idea.
I also love your post describing how you talk to your brain, and especially this one "I'm going to be just fine. It's leaving. I don't know when -- I don't have to know when. "
For all us goodists it is a healthy reminder that we don't have to know when it will stop. We don't have to be in control of the future before it even happens. We can just trust. Phew! |
|
|
|
inaned
Bulgaria
28 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2009 : 23:51:41
|
quote:
Originally posted by crk
I get so much out of these success stories; it's high time I contributed one of my own. I'm not free yet, but since my TMS is a "repeat offender" I see clearly that its bags are packed. :)
My first experience with TMS was the worst, since I did not know what was wrong with me. For over 7 years I suffered chronic low back pain, with various treatments, diagnoses, etc. Just before I found Sarno, my TMS added hip and foot pain. I was "cured" in about 2 weeks after reading Sarno's Healing Back Pain. Actually I was mostly done with the pain in about 3 days.
I've had 2 or 3 bad episodes (relapses) since my original "cure," and about 100 "triggers" -- where the TMS tried to come back and I shot it down quickly. The bad episodes have always been times when I questioned whether I might really be hurt. (Eg, the day after heavy gardening, or - in this week's case -- after hard exercise.) For me, it is extremely important not to let the TMS get that kind of foot hold. If it does, it is much harder to shake off, even when I realize I've been fooled again. I really believe some kind of automatic pain response can take hold that is harder to break.
I want to be brief but helpful here, and list the kinds of "tricks" I've used to diminish or banish pain. Each one is useful in a different way. The brain and its defense system is extremely complex, so I can't just say "do thus and such."
Right now, I am only experiencing low grade and intermittent pain after about 8 days of real suffering. The TMS faked its way in this time by making me believe I might have shin splints. (I am a runner.) Just for the record, "shin splints" is complete B.S.!!! I should have gone straight to my Mind Body Prescription book, but by the time I did I was stuck in the pain loop.
So, here is what has been working for me the past couple of days. I'm pretty sure I'm almost out of the woods. This is just a list of thoughts and mental talk in no particular order. Let me know if this helps or if it's unclear in any way. Take care!
- Relax, breathe, you're ok.
- Don't look at the pain, look at the problem.
- It's a bad radio station playing next door. It's not who I am. I am healthy and strong. Ignore it so you can live your life.
- I'm going to be just fine. It's leaving. I don't know when -- I don't have to know when. I have all those moments of pain free living ahead of me. Soon.
- I will win. I always have won! All those b.s. pains - where are they now? Gone. You will go too. Soon. I will be victorious! There is no doubt.
- I cannot control X situation. I can do x,y, & z, but I am not in control of others or of the universe. And what a relief: not being in control means I am not responsible for all that. Only for my own being.
- I am trying to think through this problem. Please shut up so I can think. You're nothing but a spoiled brat screaming "look at me!" and I really don't have time.
- I can work this problem out, and I can do it without you (addressing TMS). Haha! I've handled this exact situation, with just as much anxiety, without you. You are completely ridiculous and you're in the way.
- I'm going to study this problem. You are not going to stop me. Shush.
Helpful actions: laughing, humming, singing. I do find angry words towards the pain to be helpful in the less severe moments, but I found that when I was really hurting badly, anger was just fuel. Better to go the zen route. :)
One more word, and this is a very personal opinion. I do not mean to negate others' point of view. I don't think TMS relief has to take a lot of time. It often does, for the same reasons we get it in the first place. But I know my TMS could leave 5 seconds from now. Physically speaking, I know it could clear off that fast. It's not a matter of work-work-work it away. It's more a matter of believe in what you know is true: there is nothing wrong. It's belief plus relaxing your grip on the universe and all you demand of it.
I am a Harry Potter fan -- this is very much like producing a "patronus," if you know the books. The protection is inside you and the magic is to summon it in spite of the Dementors all around. Expecto patronum!
Crk, this is me. You've described my experiences. I'm not exagerating. And the bit about relaxing the grip on the universe is right in the bull eye! This is what I've been doing all the time- trying to control it all, make sure the future develops according to my plan, although I know it's not under my control, not all of it. And although I know and I keep reminding myself all happens the best possible way, the "parent" in my mind does not believe and wants to be on top of everything. You are right - zen techniques are useful for calming down the overreacting parent. I imagine I am a calm lake, no wrinkles, no waves.̉he storms and hurricanes above me cannot disturbe my waters.... |
|
|
|
inaned
Bulgaria
28 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2009 : 02:36:46
|
I forgot to add something. I also believe there is an automatic pain response to certain activities. In my case, this is swimming in a pool. I perfectly know there is no way I can harm my back or sciatica by swimming, no way. Yet, the automatic response is there. It never happens when I swim in the sea, never! Even if I dive or just stay in the water for hours.
So, how did you get rid of this? I've noticed sometimes just one word breaks the vicious circle..it will be gone in 5 secs! |
|
|
|
MichaelB
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2012 : 21:12:35
|
Hi CRK,
Thank you for your writing. I , too, see some changes happening but not enough to write anything successful yet. It will come I know. But thank you for writing your success story so we also can look forward and learn by your history. Please continue to write so we all can learn and get excited for the success that will happen for us also. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
It's leaving -- again!
