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cindyo6
USA
20 Posts |
 Posted - 08/15/2009 : 20:48:58
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i am reading fred amir's book. i notice that he says TMS sufferers usually have pain at night and in the morning. well,my pain is just the opposite. i do not have pain when i sleep (fortunately), have none when i wake up. by 4 pm, i have lots of pain. sitting is my worst position, standing can get bad if i do too much, lying down is most comfortable. i am 62, have had low back and right leg sciatica for almost a year now. MRI shows only the usual stuff (2 bugling discs, mild stenosis, arthritis, etc.). i am about 15 pounds overweight, a lifelong runner-turned-walker. now i don't walk more than 20 m inutes/day because it seems to aggravate it if i do too much walking. i'm doing visualization, relaxation, positive thinking, etc. to no avail. makes me start to think i need to investigate more physical remedies, although i tried several before i discovered dr. sarno's books, which i have read all of them. the fact that i don't have the usual time of day pattern, possible my pain isn't TMS? anybody else have my pattern?
cynthia oeser |
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flutterby
United Kingdom
79 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 01:30:47
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Hi Cynthia
Just to say that my pattern was very similar to yours, except that standing was even worse than sitting - and that I'd had similar symptoms to yours for more than 40 years! It took me about six weeks to become almost pain-free, earlier this summer, even though I wasn't 100% convinced that there wasn't a structural cause for my pain. The strange thing is that if I now do get the odd twinge, it is nearly always first thing in the morning, which is really unusual for me! But it's so minor, I can easily live with it and it doesn't stop me doing anything!
Hope this helps!
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flutterby
United Kingdom
79 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 01:33:51
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| BTW, I think 'positive thinking' was actually making me worse! I had to get to the underlying negativity through journalling to get better. |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 10:48:08
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I wouldn't worry about what Fred's book says. I read it too. I do remember reading in one of Sarno's books that the pattern can be worse in the morning, then gets better as the day goes on, or ok in the morning, and gets worse later in the day (which is me). Bottom line is that there is no "set" pattern for TMS pain. It's different for everyone. Some people only get pain upon doing certain activities which they associate with pain, while others have pain pretty much constantly (lucky me!).
I, too, am all over the place in trying to deal with this. Do I journal? Do I do affirmations like "I feel great!" even if I don't, am I spending too much time worrying about this, am I not doing enough work, am I exercising too much, or am I not pushing myself enough to challenge the pain, etc, etc. Again, from what I can read on this forum, different approaches worked for different people. It's hard because we all want to be out of pain as fast as possible, so initially you try everything! I can tell you that 2 months into this, I am starting to get tired. I'm not sleeping great because my mind is spinning at night thinking about TMS treatment and why haven't I gotten the rapid recovery that Fred Amir got, blah, blah, blah. Last night, as I lie still awake at 2:00 am after trying to do my visualizations of a painfree me so it would sink into my subconcious as I sleep (as recommended), I realized its stressing me out. I have an obsessive personality to begin with, so I need to put myself on a schedule. Think Sarno-like a little in the morning, a little bit in the evening, try not to catastrophize about the pain during the day, and just go back to trying to lead a normal life. I have a feeling that the saying "what you resist persists" is at work with me. Good luck. |
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pandamonium
United Kingdom
202 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 13:41:46
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Hi Cindy,
I had no pain on waking except a dull ache which I could live with. For me the sharp pain got worse as the day progressed and by mid afternoon I was usually on my knees.
I wouldn't worry about a "pattern", if you've ruled out the usual stuff and fit the TMS personality type then it probably is TMS.
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A beginner's guide to psychology: If it's not your mum's fault.... it's your dad's... |
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cindyo6
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 16:23:09
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thanks for all your replies. this morning i went to the service at our local "center for spiritual living", a science of mind church, based on ernest holmes teachings, where they are also into louise hay, richard beckwith, etc., etc.......anyway, although i cried through almost the whole thing, i had a lifting of my pain temporarily. very interesting. i've been trying to do the things recommended by louise, by fred, obviously i'm open to anything, except surgery, which doesn't have a high enough success rate to interest me, although i know a handful of people who were cured by it. i want to ask flutterby, who had her pain disappear after 40 years....was it mainly the journaling that did it? journaling is hard for me because i can't sit. also, it feels so slow and laborious. what is it about journaling that you feel is so powerful?
cindy
cynthia oeser |
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flutterby
United Kingdom
79 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 01:40:12
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Hi Cindy
Yes, in hindsight, I do think the journaling was probably the key to the improvement in my pain, plus entertaining the possibility (no more than that!) that I could be pain-free.
I think the powerful thing about journaling is that you can be totally honest about how you feel because nobody is going to read what you've written except yourself. Now I come to think about it, I realise that I write as if I were writing to someone I know would be entirely sympathetic and understanding - a kind of perfect non-judgemental friend, who has no issues of their own! This sometimes brings on tears of relief which I generally find immediately eases my physical pain somewhat.
Perhaps you can start by writing standing up - or even lying down! - or sitting for just a few minutes at the time? It certainly sounds as if it's worth giving it a try - somehow!
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time of day
