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1koolkat
USA
24 Posts |
 Posted - 05/23/2013 : 15:36:45
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Hi, I'm a week into helping myself after reading Divided Mind, with a self-diagnosis of TMS. Already I feel much better!!! And the angels are singing right now!!! Aleluja! Obviously, I will continue on with my journaling, even though there are times when I don't want the tears to smear my make-up. Small price.
I have a fibromyalgia diagnosis (lots of pain everywhere along with muscle cramps and horrid tinnitis), along with hypothyroidism, and adrenal fatigue. I have trouble with yeast overgrowth, digestion, constipation, depression (for years), insomnia, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
I have a question for anyone. Has anyone healed/cured not only the pain of the fibro, but any and all of the above issues? I read about some of them being helped - digestion, insomnia, perhaps? I truly believe that even the hypothyroidism can be cured with this method. I went on Dr. Schulze's 30 day detox and my thyroid levels were at the lowest, most whacked out ever. I stopped all supplements and just juiced, etc. and ate very little except raw veggies and nuts. At the end of two months, I got my levels tested again, and they had come up on their own! Also, one time I cured my neck pain in one day using the emotional tools I had back then. This tells me that Dr. Sarno, and I, are on to something - BIG.
Anyway, thanks for any help or suggestions you can offer.
Namaste, Kat. |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2013 : 16:37:49
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Hi Kat.
Best advice is to search for 'chickenbone' in the members section and delve into her posts. She's the mama on this and will doubtless answer you anyway. She's well on her healing journey and is very generous with her wisdom. Namaste. |
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chickenbone
Panama
398 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2013 : 23:40:53
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Hi 1koolkat, I have a lot of the issues you describe. I am so sorry for all your troubles, I can relate to many of them. Where to start? Ok, first the hypothyroidism. I have that too and I have tried lots of healthy diets and nothing has made a difference. I take Synthroid. I don't consider this a big problem as long as I keep it under reasonable control. Is yours under control and what is your TSH now? Do you see an Endocrinologist? Do you have Hashimoto's? Have you had an ultrasound to check for nodes? Usually they are not a problem. There seems to be an epidemic of this in the US anyway. Some researchers think that one culprit might be fluoride in the drinking water which has been mostly banned in Europe. Of course another could be stress.
Have you had your serum calcium checked? It should be firmly in the 9's. If it is in the 10's, then there may be a problem. The symptoms of a disorder called "hyperparathyroidism" includes a lot of the symptoms you have described. You probably don't have it, but it is easily fixed if you do. This is important because, in addition to making you feel awful, it will give you various degenerative diseases including osteoporosis and heart disease. So it is important to be screened for this. I had it and had minor surgery for it last year. Most doctors don't know much of anything about this, and will tell you that you don't have it even when your serum calcium is too high, so just find out what your value is. Even Endocrinologists don't know much about this.
Ok, so if medical problems have been ruled out, than we come to the fibromyalgia. I really believe that this is largely TMS. Fear, coupled with pain and discomfort, form TMS. Then the TMS feeds on itself with more fear and more pain. People become trapped in this endless cycle. It gets so bad that even the threat of pain, which the TMS mind is constantly manufacturing, is enough to cause more fear and more pain. People who have healed have somehow learned to break out of this cycle. The path is not the same for everyone. I did beat fibromyalgia, I just said that this is quite enough. I am just not going to live with constant pain. It has been a long, hard road, but definitely worth the effort. I am still working on my insomnia and making forward progress.
One thing you can expect is that, once you defeat one symptom, another one pops up to take it's place. This is normal while you are healing and is actually a good sign. It is called "the symptom imperative" that basically always has to be distracting you with a symptom all the time. We all try to reach a place where we no longer need the symptoms.
Also, do you have any trauma in your background? It is useful to know this because the TMS can be more resistant if you do. Remember, trauma does not always mean abuse. For example, I was terribly traumatized by a 3 week hospital stay at 3 years of age, but no one was trying to hurt me.
Have you read "Ace's Keys to Healing"? This is a good place to start. Are you up for reading books? If so, The Hidden Psychology of Pain" by Dr. James Alexander kind of picks up where Dr. Sarno left off. Clare Weeks' "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" is priceless.
Anyway, welcome to the forum and I hope we can have more conversations. |
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1koolkat
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2013 : 07:18:34
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Thanks, Plum and Chickenbone.
Something I find quite interesting with all these symptoms, Chickenbone, is that they are virtually the same! They vary a bit between adrenals, thyroid, candida, and fibro with the extreme fatigue being the thread for all of them. This is why I think, well, if the fibro is cured, then why not the rest? Or, pick one for a cure. I was looking back at different threads and found one that had people listing their symptoms. You didn't list hypothyroid as one of yours. Is that because it's considered more of a "medical" issue, one that can be fixed with proper diagnosis and treatment? And there sure are lots of different theories and treatments for that, too. For example, in some camps, TSH level is passe and Synthroid does not help many people. You need to test T4, T3, etc. Then there's a protocol to use T3 meds only. Which I tried, and that's when ALL my levels were low and whacked out. And of course, there's so many other variables that go along with it like iron levels. I seem to be super sensitive (could be something to journal on?) to anything and right now; just using thyroid glandulars (not Armour) has aggravated the insomnia.
Another question for you or anyone: Sarno says to stop doing all the stuff you do to get well. For me, I take a boatload of supplements everyday and do all the healthy diet stuff (though I can't see myself stopping that). As I said before, I stopped all the suppies in Dec. last year and saw no adverse affects from it, in fact, I felt great, and my thyroid levels righted themselves! One thing I am doing is to STOP the obsession with my health.
However, it came to me in the wee hours last night; isn't this just another obsession? Gotta read this book, do that journaling, take up EFT again, so now, I'm dropping the suppies and doing this. Doing, doing, doing. When can I just BE?
To answer your questions: my thyroid levels were a little low, but decent a couple of months ago, and I check them every 3 months. I suppose it's under "reasonable" control. I can function and I'm not too much of a bitch or a recluse. I have an integrative doctor who gives me free rein to figure out my stuff, offers what he has, and then writes me a script if he thinks I need it. No thanks to the endo. I have a real thing about doctors in general and this is another journaling coming on as I can feel the rage as I write. I don't have Hashi's. Haven't been checked for nodes. Yes, fluoride. Many think it causes probs for thyroid and is the cause of fibro. I don't use it. I don't use sugar or eat much fruit and I'm a vegetarian. Sickeningly healthy diet.
Since, 2010, serum calcium has been in the 9's. I'll have it checked again next time. Did you have a parathyroid tumor removed? If so, are your symptoms gone? It's supposed to cure you, eh?
Yes, last night as I lay awake until 2 a.m., I greeted each pain as it nugded it's way into consciousness. Hello, I see you. I talked to them and told them that this is not what we're going to continue doing. They receded. Without sleep, I am not as happy and the brain fog takes over.
I do have trauma from my childhood. Father was a beater, a rageaholic, narcissist, and an extreme perfectionist. Mother was a victim, obviously, and a narcissist as well who yelled and found something wrong with everything and everybody and did it loudly. Course, I can't really fault her for that. It's endemic in our culture and most of us are taught to look outside ourselves for what's "wrong." I have never gone the route of abuse in any form, woops! and I guess I'd have to recant that since I've abused myself quite a bit. No more.
I have read Ace's Keys - good stuff, thank you, Ace - and will return to it often, I'm sure. Books are a way to avoid journaling for me, but I still do both, and Claire's book resonates with me, but I will try all suggestions. I am DONE with this CRAP! And, I know it's a process, and I'm open to that. I love one of the quotes in Sarno's book from a guy who said, "Now I know I can feel crappy, but I'm not crap."
This work was the missing key for me, and I find it illuminating. Thank you from the depths for your help. I feel less alone now.
Kathryn Parker |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2013 : 07:41:17
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quote:
Originally posted by 1koolkat
Another question for you or anyone: Sarno says to stop doing all the stuff you do to get well. For me, I take a boatload of supplements everyday and do all the healthy diet stuff (though I can't see myself stopping that). As I said before, I stopped all the suppies in Dec. last year and saw no adverse affects from it, in fact, I felt great, and my thyroid levels righted themselves! One thing I am doing is to STOP the obsession with my health.
CORRECT! Quit wasting your money on all that crap from Walgreens, "health" food stores and stuff body workers, push down your throat while you are a captive audience prone on their tables. Years ago I dumped half a garbage can of expensive Chineezy sounding supplements my "trusted" acupuncturist at the time convinced me would be the holy grail to health. I had to buy a tackle box to sort them in that sat on my car seat and gobbled down on my way to work. Didn't do me a bit of good and could have done more damage if I'd choked on them--who really knows what's in that stuff? Have you ever seen them manufacture it? I take one rx now to humor my doc and not sure what that's for. If I don't take it I don't feel any different.
G'luck,
tt
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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
"The hot-dog is the noblest of dogs; it feeds the hand that bites it." Dr. Laurence Johnston Peter
"...the human emotional system was not designed to endure the mental rigors of a tennis match." Dr. Allen Fox
======================================================
"If it ends with "itis" or "algia" or "syndrome" and doctors can't figure out what causes it, then it might be TMS." Dave the Mod =================================================
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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chickenbone
Panama
398 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2013 : 08:39:20
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Good questions, Kat. It might be helpful to realize that your body will always make absolutely sure that your T3 and T4 in your blood will be in balance. These tests have nothing to do with control of thyroid hormone, but are often added by a doctor to complete the picture. The TSH hormone that is produced in the pituitary gland, is the controller of how much thyroid you produce. T4 free is useful because it tells how much thyroid hormone is actually available to the body. So the TSH test is the test. However, it is true that some people are more comfortable out of range. You are right that synthroid can cause insomnia, I have that problem. I don't let my TSH level go below 6 which is not what most doctors want.
You are right that a lot of these symptoms seem to be related, but we don't know how or what the original causative factor is. I beat fibro, and all my pain, but it had no effect on my thyroid function. The physical and mental cannot be completely separated. And the reason I did not list hypothyroid on my symptoms is that I don't believe it is a symptom of TMS. Also it is normal for thyroid levels to fluctuate. That is why it can be so difficult to control. Your moods will often fluctuate with them.
Personally, I think that taking too many supplements and being a health nut is not good for you and can make you sick. I went through this more than once and all it did was to increase my health anxiety. I believe that there is no credible evidence that a vegetarian diet is a healthier diet. As far as I know, there are no vegetarian centenarians. There is more and more evidence that these poorly planned diets are causing osteoporosis, for example, in younger people. Our ancestors were not grazers. Please don't let the supplement industry get a hold of you because I've been there and that is an expensive dead end. I do take vitamins and a mineral supplement, but don't read about this stuff, it is addicting. Just eat a well balanced diet. Sarno is right, stop being a hypochondriac.
One thing I found to be absolutely necessary is to not fight your symptoms, you need to fully accept them because they are a part of you. Probably the reason you have them is because, somewhere along the line, you began to dissociate (separate from) your uncomfortable physical sensations, either because of trauma or you stepped out of your own power and boundaries, for the sake of someone else. Either way, the pain of not having your more basic physical needs met was too uncomfortable and you dissociated from them. You kicked them into your shadow (part of the unconscious), where you disowned them. But now they want expression in consciousness, they want to be reclaimed by your conscious mind. Because you are not accustomed to sensing and experiencing these physical sensations and the feelings and emotions they generate, this part of you has become alien and terrifying. So your mind becomes extremely fearful of them and creates pain, (whenever they threaten consciousness). This in turn creates more fear and now you are trapped in the endless loop. Clare Weeks explains how to get out of this. Others who explain it are Peter Levine and Anodea Judith. I am in the process of doing chakra work to heal from my past trauma and it is working very well for me. I am not having much trouble sleeping anymore. I was looking for a fast approach and this it, especially if you can sense the energy flows in your body. It is remarkably effective. I have made more progress with this than anything else. The only symptom I have left is allergy symptoms when I travel, of which I am very phobic, but not on a conscious level. That one will probably take awhile. |
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chickenbone
Panama
398 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2013 : 08:42:25
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| Well spoken TT. The health supplement industry mostly markets their products to hypochondriacs. I can't tell you how many people I know who have been both physically and psychologically messed up buy taking boatloads of them. |
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1koolkat
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2013 : 11:13:03
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Hi Chickenbone,
Thanks for your reply. One thing you said that really struck me square was about accepting my symptoms. This has been very helpful and I remember it constantly. Even if I can't sleep because of the pain, at least I'm not causing myself more trouble by being angry or having anxiety. I never realized just how much anxiety I cause myself in so many ways! Wow! Just seeing that piece has made the depression disappear and I feel clear and alert even if I have pain. What a difference a realization makes!
Also, I'm eating mostly vegetarian because I can't seem to digest the meat very well, even when I eat only meat and veggies. I do eat some dairy, but no gluten. I have given up reading about health, except for TMS. Even that I am limiting so I don't obsess. I'll be buying Claire Weekes' book. I think you're right that she has a lot to offer.
BTW, what chakra work are you doing? How can I find it? I've done it in the past, but not for a long time, so I forget what I was doing.
Thanks so much for the conversation and help. Kat |
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chickenbone
Panama
398 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2013 : 14:00:46
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I am so happy to hear that you are doing better. It is really amazing what happens when we begin learning to separate the fear/anxiety from our symptoms. I am not telling you not to eat a vegetarian diet or to eat a lot of meat. What you need to be aware of is that so many vegetarian diets are deficient in high quality proteins, some of the B vitamins (B-12 especially) and some trace minerals. Dairy, cheese, fish and chicken, beef (only occasionally) are all good to eat also.
I think Charkra work is good to help you to get in touch with previously dissociated physical states and sensations because it focuses on the energy centers in your body. I began with an energy healer several years ago and then discovered I could do this better on my own. I would begin with a brief description of the locations and chakra colors, which it sounds like you already have. I use chakra meditation CD's. "Journey Through The Chakras" by Colette Baron Reid is a good one. Also, Deepak Chopra has some very good ones. For deeper understanding, Anodea Judith's "Eastern Body Western Mind" is an excellent book. I also like the work of Peter Levine for trauma healing and chronic pain.
Here is something that worked for me once I could separate my fear/anxiety of my symptoms from the symptoms themselves, is to go right into the symptoms/pain with the intention of exploring them out of curiosity. Try to discover the emotions that they are attached to. At times, I discovered that certain physical sensations were related to long forgotten emotions and memories. Then I would basically try to make them as bad as possible, dare them to get worse. Clare Weeks touches on this. Most of the time you will find that they may worsen, but only for a few minutes, but then, ironically, they seem to get better. I was able to lose the fear of them this way. It just takes time. |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2013 : 15:21:01
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quote:
Originally posted by chickenbone
Well spoken TT. The health supplement industry mostly markets their products to hypochondriacs. I can't tell you how many people I know who have been both physically and psychologically messed up buy taking boatloads of them.
I take some myself, but I really wonder about people on chronic fatigue and related forums who seem to place so much stock in them and so much mental energy into endlessly tweaking and balancing their supplement regimes. It's also huge in the autism community; I used to belong to forums where parents talked endlessly about supplement regimes and various practitioners who did very expensive testing and prescribed very expensive supplements they happened to sell. For example Amy Yasko is a hero to many; I have very serious reservations about her. |
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Peregrinus
250 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2013 : 15:56:51
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[quote
I take some myself[/quote]
Why? You know that supplements are not subject to regulation and that many are manufactured in unspeakable places and contain harmful substances. |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2013 : 16:11:34
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| I do know that, nearly all of mine are manufactured in the USA and are whole food not synthetic. |
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MatthewNJ
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2013 : 17:11:32
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Kool,
Everything you mention can be TMS (almost anything can be). I have dealt with most of that and a ton more. That said, you should rule out the physical (Dr. Sarno's mantra) to ensure you haven't missed anything truly physical that could cause you harm.
Check out my "success story" on this site.
Good Luck
Namaste
Matthew
Ferretsx3@comcast.net
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Less activated, more regulated and more resilient. |
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New kid's urgent question
