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jennypeanut
103 Posts |
 Posted - 05/06/2012 : 20:37:08
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My first question is my main question for you TMS'ers out there, so please feel free to answer mostly about this question as my second one will likely produce strong opinions... Okay, so I got Healing Back Pain 1 week ago and while somewhat skeptical, one week later I have seen a dramatic decrease in pain. Yesterday I actually realized: Hey! I dont' feel it anymore! I then proceeded to stretch out my arm (my main issue right now is around my joints/tendons) to see if it hurt at all and it didn't. Later I tried again and felt some pain, but not much. Then today I saw a report on the CBS Sunday Morning show about these doctors and back pain - and they went on and on about surgery and injections and yadda yadda yadda and before I knew it, by the end of the news segment, I was hurting again! Later today a friend told me she basically thinks antidepressants are making people crazy, not helping me (I take one) and after my conversation with her, I was back to hurting a decent amount. My question is - is this the nature of TMS? Does it really act like a little fiend, waiting for you to experience a little anxiety and then bite you in the butt again? Or has anyone experienced setbacks like this while they are starting to feel better? I'm feeling discouraged that it's coming back on again after first noticing it's absence and then being triggered by a news show, then my friend? I hate the news. I am so done with "Health news"
Question #2: Antidepressants. Is this a can of worms I dont' want to open here? I've been on one for 12 years. Please don't respond and just tell me to get off of it - I already want to get off and am freaked out that it's harming me in some way - but if you respond in such a manner as to scare me, I guarantee I will respond with fear and that lovely TMS fiend will really have a hay day with that! I just feel very conflicted over antidepressants and I feel like I've been in the psychiatrist's trap for too long. I have (in the past) had depression so badly that I could not get out of bed. The antidepressants kept me from having those terrible, TERRIBLE depressive episodes that would last a long time. Anyway, thoughts on drugs? |
Edited by - jennypeanut on 06/20/2012 22:20:25 |
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balto
839 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2012 : 08:22:48
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This is just my thought:
About your first question, I think us, tmser's, our bodies are conditioned to produce pain/anxiety symptoms every time there is a FEAR thought in our brain. The brain tell our bodies to produce all these stress chemical or to tense up some part of our bodies to produce all these anxiety and pain symptoms. It doesn't matter if you think it is a distraction mechanism or just our bodies' normal reaction to fear/stress, the way to elliminate the symptoms is all the same, elliminate that fear thoughts and live your life as if everything is fine then the symptoms will leave eventually.
Elliminate depression is the same. Don't fear it, don't resist it. You have to realize that being depress, sad that come after a traumatic or depressed events in one's life is normal. It is normal to feel down when one lost a loveone, lost a job, going through a divorce, lost your security, failed an exam... It would be abnormal if you don't feel sad, depress after an event like that. The trick of getting over depression is to realize that it is OK to be sad and depress for awhile. It will get better. Don't resist it. Accept it, accept that it will be there for a while. Just go on with life as if everything is fine. Spend time with people or pets. Do some charity works, pray, occupy yourself with constructive work... Do anything to forget yourself and to not feeling sorry for yourself. Depression can be defeat and can be over come.
Goodluck Jenny. |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2012 : 11:44:56
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Jennypeanut, regarding antidepressants, I'm not a TMS purist. Every person is different. Each of us has a different physiology. No one can tell you to tough it out or that you are in any way inferior because you choose to use antidepressants. Most of the people who would tell you that don't have a clue what they are talking about.
That said, obviously one should try to experiment, challenge the psychological symptoms somewhat, eg, try to discover and confront the fears that are making you anxious. In the end, nothing else will work.
A two-pronged approach is best. Use the meds to help you work on your life. Maybe over time you can reduce or eliminate them. Maybe not, but so what? There is no evidence that long-term use of antidepressants is harmful. There is evidence that long-term depression and anxiety is detrimental to your health.
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jennypeanut
103 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2012 : 22:54:27
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Thank you so much for your responses. Very encouraging.
quote:
It is normal to feel down when one lost a loveone, lost a job, going through a divorce, lost your security, failed an exam... It would be abnormal if you don't feel sad, depress after an event like that.
The weird thing about my "depression" is that it wasn't brought on by anything circumstantial. I do agree with how you say to get through it. I never knew that acceptance was the key to getting through anxiety. I'm sure that applies to depression too.
quote:
Maybe over time you can reduce or eliminate them. Maybe not, but so what?
Yes. I like that. So what? Thank you. I needed to hear that.
Today hasn't been a good day. It hasn't been terrible, but it's not been great, like the last week I have had where "the old me" was returning and pain was not dominating every aspect of my day and thinking patterns. I just had this thought: Do I obsess about the pain because I feel it or do I feel it because I obsess over it? Or is it both? Today hasn't been an obsessive day, but not entirely free of it either.
After reading through some of the success stories tonight I have realized something. First, I'm glad I found out about Sarno when I did. Who knows how bad this could have gotten. I have only been avoiding doing things that cause pain for the past 2 months.
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Edited by - jennypeanut on 06/20/2012 22:21:45 |
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Dr. Zafirides
189 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2012 : 23:23:03
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Jenny,
Q1: What you described is very typical of TMS. Your mind will look for any reason to link your pain to a physical cause. Seeing that news story may have been an opportunity for your mind to try to "pull you back in" to believing in a structural/physical cause of your pain. Fight it!! You know the results you got by reading Healing Back Pain. That was real. Read the book again!!
Q2: As other individuals here, I don't look at things in absolutes. I am a psychiatrist and believe deeply in TMS. But I also believe in the neurobiology of depression. It is very real and the research findings continue to be replicated. There are specific changes in the brains of patients who are depressed that increase one's sensitivity to pain as well.
Make sure you are talking to your doctor about your frustrations and concerns. Remember, it is our privilege to serve YOU - not the other way around.
If you want to learn more about the very latest in depression science, I invite you to listen to the 4/25/12 episode of my podcast, The Healthy Mind. I try to lay out the absolute latest science in a clear, concise and easily-digestible way.
Here is the link:
http://www.thehealthymind.com/2012/04/25/depression-update-the-latest-news-research-information/
I hope the information is helpful to you. Don't ever doubt how powerful you are, Jenny!!
Kindly,
Dr. Zafirides
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2012 : 10:05:26
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Hi Dr. Zafirides,
I just listened to your podcast on depression and found it very informative and helpful. It makes a lot of sense regarding the complex of relationships between depression, inflammation, overweight and TMS. I'm gonna' put fish oil caps on my shopping list--whatever works.
Cheers,
tt
==================================================
DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dKBFwGR0g
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
==================================================
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." Author Unknown
"Happy People Are Happy Putters." Frank Nobilo, Golf Analyst
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." Mark Twain and Balto
======================================================
TMS PRACTITIONERS:
John Sarno, MD
400 E 34th St, New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-6035
Here's the TMS practitioners list from the TMS Help Forum:
http://www.tmshelp.com/links.htm
Here's a list of TMS practitioners from the TMS Wiki:
http://tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist
Here's a map of TMS practitioners from the old Tarpit Yoga site, (click on the map by state for listings).:
http://www.tarpityoga.com/2007_08_01_archive.html |
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Dr. Zafirides
189 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2012 : 16:01:24
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quote:
Originally posted by tennis tom
Hi Dr. Zafirides,
I just listened to your podcast on depression and found it very informative and helpful. It makes a lot of sense regarding the complex of relationships between depression, inflammation, overweight and TMS. I'm gonna' put fish oil caps on my shopping list--whatever works.
Cheers,
tt
Jenny,
Thanks for listening to the podcast and your kind words.
Just keep at it. You are succeeding!!
Dr. Z
Kindly,
Peter Zafirides, MD
http://www.thehealthymind.com |
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jennypeanut
103 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2012 : 21:14:17
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| Hi there, Dr. Z. That was actually Tom who listened, though I plan to as well!!! |
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Dr. Zafirides
189 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2012 : 09:16:24
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quote:
Originally posted by jennypeanut
Hi there, Dr. Z. That was actually Tom who listened, though I plan to as well!!!
Jenny - thanks for pointing that out!! Special thanks to Tom, sorry about that.
:)
Dr. Z
Kindly,
Peter Zafirides, MD
http://www.thehealthymind.com |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2012 : 09:33:14
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No worries, my ego can handle it--it's my id and superego that are having problems--it's a great opportunity to increase my post count.
Cheers |
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2 questions
