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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
 Posted - 02/08/2012 : 16:33:15
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Hey Everyone,
TMS therapist, Alan Gordon, has recently written a terrific article on TMS and how people can overcome the fear and anxiety connected to their symptoms.
The article opens with: "This article is for those of you who have had the following thought: “I’ve tried to look at my pain psychologically, I’ve addressed some of the underlying emotions, why isn’t my pain going away?”"
The article is at http://tmswiki.org/ppd/Breaking_the_Pain_Cycle,_by_Alan_Gordon_LCSW
One thing that I really liked about this article was that it explains how to handle obsessing about TMS symptoms and how people can overcome their fear.
I noticed that Alan treats patients over the phone, which may be of interest to some of you. Just in case any of you are it might be worthwhile to check out his website at http://www.painpsychotherapy.com/index.html
Best,
Forest
Forest
Check out the TMS Wiki's free Structured Educational Program! |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2012 : 11:46:54
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Great, great article. Would also add that as Alan alludes to, the pain doesn't always go away as soon as you try to change your approach to it. 2 people I spoke with during my worst pain years told me the same thing, which proved to be true for me in the end - -the reduction of pain symptoms often lags the new thought process. So unfortunately, when you don't see results right away you get frustrated, get pre-occupied with it all over again, and the whole cycle is up and running again.
It's hard to not focus on or be upset by non-stop pain that has a negative effect on every aspect of your life. After 2 years of trying really hard to get rid of pain, I finally got disgusted. I think the "disgusted" was what did it for me. I didn't fear the pain, I was just disgusted with it. I decided that since I couldn't think the pain away, I was going to live my life like I had no pain, and that it wasn't going to control what I did or did not do anymore. I could not control my thoughts for the life of me, but I could control my actions. I planned vacations again, wore the shoes I would normally wear pre-pain, went back to work..all with fear and with pain but I did them anyway and little by little they became normal actions again. More importantly, I felt like my old self again and I stopped talking about pain, and naturally I became pre-occupied with the rest of life again. Being busy living life forces your thoughts away from pain, and when you don't think about it constantly, it doesn't escalate.
I would say maybe 3 months after I really threw myself into this new attitute, the pain started to fade, and then it faded fast and completely. It was unbelievable. Up to that time, it was so frustrating to do all the right Sarno things, but not get relief. Now that I look back on it, I really didn't follow his advice on just living your life normal. People who have been in chronic pain are so afraid of pain escalation and what it will mean to their already limited life. We've obsessed over our pain 24/7 for so long that it runs through our minds constantly. It took me a long while to let go of that. All of this I can see with the benefit of hindsight but I didn't see it clearly when I was in non-stop life-altering pain, nor did I even realize the pain was fading when it finally did.
I like the title of Dr. Schubiner's book "Unlearn Your Pain" because that's essentially what I feel like I had to do. Unlearn my pain-related behavior. I acted like my old self again, and I became my old self (still a worrywart who obsesses constantly, but not in chronic pain anymore...)
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Sutter
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2012 : 12:29:45
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| I now go to a therapist for anxiety disorder and back pain anxiety. I now find that my back pain worsens is extremely painful after a visit to the therapist. I'm also going to a pain mgmt specialist and am now off work on disability. I've always had chronic back pain, sometimes worse than others but it is now taking over my life and am getting very depressed. I've read the sarno books over and over the past few months but can't seem to get relief. I'm thinking of seeing a surgeon next week for a diagnosis. |
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Hillbilly
USA
385 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2012 : 14:18:58
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This is quite different from what Sarno claims in his books. The theory goes that since the purpose of the pain is to distract from the unconscious negative emotions, becoming conscious of them is the agent of diffusion. Since the emotions won't come out, we have to go in, and once we become aware of or feel our hidden emotions, they lose their grip on us, and our pain goes away. But most here know this just isn't true. I applaud the author for saying so.
I agree that every time we think about pain or some other distressing symptom, we reinforce it. But we reinforce it not just mentally, but physiologically as well. There are hormonal secretions involved that involve the brain, the pituitary and adrenal glands, that mix up nasty cocktails that have to be burned up metabolically in the body. This is why exercise makes people with depression feel better, even though they might still be stuck in negative thought spirals. The effect is temporary, of course, because the stress hormones are replenished by negative mentation when the exercise ends.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
Edited by - Hillbilly on 02/09/2012 14:21:58 |
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Aussie
Australia
87 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2012 : 14:28:43
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A great article and just as good was the response from guej. Since learning of tms i have made allot of progress and changed my thinking about my pain, However if i get a really strong or painful twinge, I panic and start thinking of all the horrible physical possibilities. This happened last night twice and really scared me. A flash of really strong pain that unlike the normal dull back ache i have is a very sharp and scary pain. What then happens is the fear and doubt take over, My mind comes up with reason after reason on how this cant be tms and it seems im back to the start again. I feel this is part of the syndrome but it really sucks being stuck here.
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Bugbear
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2012 : 10:02:49
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Guej, your post struck a chord with me because right now I am at the 'disgusted' phase with one particular symptom. I try my best to plod through the day doing what I have to do. I think the key for me is to not check in with the pain periodically during the day. If I can avoid doing this, I think I will have cracked it. As soon as I start checking on this pain, it is always there. I tend to give in eventually and take a pain reliever. Then I get disgusted with myself for giving in. The thing is I can usually manage when I am not at work. My job is intensive and focused. The pain prevents me from being focused so I rely on the painkillers to get me through. I will keep trying.
Aussie, try and come up with reasons why it is TMS rather than why it isn't. |
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bryan3000
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2012 : 23:54:00
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Excellent article. Thanks for posting Forest!
_____________________________
-1/2010 - Developed chronic sinus problems. ENTs/Docs can't find anything
-5/29/2010 - Doc gives cocktail of allergy meds which induces first ever panic attack/anxiety.
-7/16/2010 - Anxiety stays/worsens - put on Xanax
2/1/2011 - Began Xanax taper - Withdrawal starts - full body chaos
-6/11/2011 - Last dose of Xanax. Physical/emotional chaos continues for several months.
-Now: Taking it day by day, looking for real answers and ways to heal myself without medical poison. |
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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2012 : 11:58:06
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I am glad that all of you enjoyed the article!
The points that Hillbilly and guej made were some of the reasons that I really liked this article. In my own recovery I know that preoccupation and reinforcement were really the driving factors to my symptoms. Once I knew about TMS and accepted this is what I had I no longer feared my symptoms and they substantially decreased.
I am so excited that so many of you found this article helpful, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Forest
Check out the TMS Wiki's free Structured Educational Program! |
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Breaking the Pain Cycle
