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Shamrock
26 Posts |
 Posted - 01/05/2011 : 13:46:30
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So I've been doing TMS work for a couple of years, and keep having relapses of back pain every 3 to 6 months or so. Some times are more serious than others.
My pain usually comes after a physical activity (moving a TV, shoveling snow, etc.) It's followed by anxiety, depression, and feelings of worthlessness. My emotions are directly linked to the pain. No pain = no anxiety, depression, etc.
I've read the books (Sarno, Amir, and currently working through Unlearn Your Pain), been diagnosed by a TMS doc, stopped physical treatments long ago, journaled, working with my therapist on it, etc.
So has this been anyone else's experience? Is this typical with TMS? |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2011 : 14:33:47
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This is typical. You need to change the way you think about these episodes. Instead of getting depressed, frustrated, etc. accept the attack as a benign signal that you need to address something about your emotional state. Then try to think about what is going on in your life that you are not fully facing up to, i.e. potential soures of repression.
The more you condition yourself to respond this way to the attacks, the less frequently they will occur, and the less intense they will be.
You should not expect to be rid of TMS symptoms for life. This is an unreasonable goal. Accept that from time to time, you will experience psychogenic pain. It is harmless and part of being human. |
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Shamrock
26 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 08:45:08
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Thanks, Dave. Your insight helps.
There has been a lot going on in my life as of late. Recent first-time home purchase, brother diagnosed with cancer last year, trying to get back into the dating scene, most recent pain hit just after I returned from Xmas with my parents.
I'm also going off of an antidepressant that I went on several years ago to help with the anxiety/panic attacks that I was having from/along with the back pain. The drug did help me cope, but I want to get off of it and "move on."
The more I understand and deal with TMS, the more I feel it is crucial for me to re-condition my thoughts. Unlearn Your Pain and the Amir book are helpful tools for that. |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 15:32:38
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Visits with my parents and brother sometimes trigger pain for me. Our upbringing has a lot to do with why we develop TMS symptoms. There are many "forbidden" feelings we may be pushing down when it comes to family and friends -- things we don't want to admit we feel -- deep rooted emotions that took a lifetime to develop. So it is not unusual that interaction with family often stirs the TMS pot.
The fact that the pain comes after physical activity is due to conditioning. This is critical to understand and accept. TMS is a clever process and will try to make you believe the pain is due to a physical cause. For example, you expect to hurt your back when you shovel snow, so TMS siezes the opportunity to make you believe you hurt your back shoveling snow.
Dr. Sarno considers anxiety and depression equivalent symptoms. They serve the same purpose as the pain. You need to push through those feelings in the same manner that you ignore the pain.
Dealing with TMS is a lifelong change in our thoughts and behavior. It takes time to get lasting relief. Just stick with it and accept that you will continue to improve. Take a long-term view and don't get frustrated by short-term setbacks. |
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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 19:41:14
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quote:
My pain usually comes after a physical activity (moving a TV, shoveling snow, etc.) It's followed by anxiety, depression, and feelings of worthlessness. My emotions are directly linked to the pain. No pain = no anxiety, depression, etc.
Okay, Dr. Sarno considers anxiety and depression a TMS equivalent, and I agree, but I think where the anxiety and depression (and maybe obsession?) are linked to the happening of the physical symptom, one must address anxiety first before working on the body. I can only speak from experience by saying that when I was totally anxious and depressed about my physical condition, even knowing the TMS basics did not help me. I was too wound up.
I can agree that you have to "push" through the anxiety, but unless you have the tools to know how to do it, you will not be able to. I was greatly helped by the writings of Dr. Claire Weekes and her CDs, and by the suggestion of a TMS doctor that I saw who advised me to try 5-HTP and GABA. When your brain is fried by long term anxiety your serotonin level is shot. For me it helped to reset the frame, and I've made some decent progress.
Another point that never clicked until I read it for the fourth time or so in MindBody was that the physical action is the trigger for the symptoms and that the physical action did not cause them. I blame not "seeing" that on anxiety and feeling hopeless about the situation.
I'm new to all this --two months-- so I'm only speaking from personal experience.
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suegr98
USA
39 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 21:32:00
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Hey Shamrock, at just under a month into my recovery, I am relapsing every other day, so I would be happy to get it down to every few months. I suspect your relapses will become farther between as you progress. You clearly have good insights into TMS and how it works for you.
take good care,
Sue
http://www.facebook.com/suegr98
http://healingwithfeelings.wordpress.com
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Relapses, anyone?
