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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2013 : 10:11:18
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What do you guys do for it? I am constantly looking at the area that has pain and swear it looks different everytime I see it, which is the course of a few times a day,
Sometimes the area looks swollen, sometimes redder than usual. The pains vary from dull,ache,burning, to a "numb zap". (all in the groin and private region)
Despite my primary care doctor who is also a general cancer surgeon. I keep thinking he is missing something or cant see well. lol
The guy is a top cancer surgeon in NYC since the 80's I am sure he knows what swelling and colors look like lol but I still doubt him when he says its mental. (probably because I researched everything to death online)
I say to myself "he's older he doesn't know the new stuff that's happening to people"
Yet, I had these thoughts about him when he first diagnosed my rib pains back in 2005. It was def tms but I kept going from doctor to doctor to no avail, saw Dr.Sarno did not believe him either.
I said the same thing to myself " well he is a cancer surgeon, how does he know anything about rib/chest pain especially if it hurts when its touched etc"
Today are three birthday parties in a row. I must enjoy them.
Any tips people? The pain has no specific trigger or action, things I did last week set it off and when I do those same things this week it doesnt set it off. It use to have a pattern and now it doesn't. |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2013 : 10:21:48
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| That obsession is part of the syndrome. When you get those thoughts start to think why am I sensitized to the situation I am in right now and work on deconditioning that. |
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apace41
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2013 : 10:22:47
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Ice,
In my view, FWIW, there is a very fine line between TMS and health anxiety/hypochondria. When one of the top cancer docs in NYC tells you you don't have cancer, yet you remain unconvinced and feel the need to google symptoms, perform continuous self-checks and come to this forum seeking affirmation, I would say you have reached the point where getting help migh be in order. If you can't "think psychological" in the face of that level of clearance as to physical origin, overcoming TMS without a little thought "rewiring" will be difficult.
Andy |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2013 : 10:40:57
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It just scares the crap out of me because I rarely get relief from a wide range of symptoms whatever they may be.
A few months ago I was doing this because my girlfriend broke up with me, it just acted as a replacement. I went to my old Tms therapist during that time and felt better but was also on an ssri. When I stopped the feelings came back then I got hit with this . |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2013 : 12:57:26
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[quote]Originally posted by apace41
Ice,
In my view, FWIW, there is a very fine line between TMS and health anxiety/hypochondria. When one of the top cancer docs in NYC tells you you don't have cancer, yet you remain unconvinced and feel the need to google symptoms, perform continuous self-checks and come to this forum seeking affirmation, I would say you have reached the point where getting help migh be in order. If you can't "think psychological" in the face of that level of clearance as to physical origin, overcoming TMS without a little thought "rewiring" will be difficult.
Andy
[/quote
Andy, this is precisely right. I see it over and over again on the forum, and have for many years. I also see it now as a TMS coach. Hypochondria and health anxiety very often lead to psychosomatic pain. Hypochondria by definition, makes any TMS symptoms difficult to treat. It can be done however. So that's the good news. |
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bryan3000
USA
513 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2013 : 12:59:04
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Only a small percentage of people truly benefit from an SSRI and a large percentage of that is thought to be placebo, in some circles.
But at minimum, that tells you the problems are not physical... and that you have the right to safely lose all fear of them.
I've been where you are and I'm not totally out of the woods yet, but I'm close.
You've got to get your mind distracted from those symptoms. Not fearfully distracted, but distracted with the comfort of knowing that you can safely ignore these harmless symptoms.
You said yourself you "didn't believe" Sarno. You don't believe you're safe. No one recovers from anxiety without first coming to grips with the notion that THEY themselves are responsible for their own pain... that it's harmless and that THEY are able to lose it by losing the fear, and recognizing it for what it is.
I know how you feel, believe me. We all do. This is hard work but it's the work we have to do.
I suggest working with a behavioral therapist who can help you start to break the cycle of obsession about these symptoms. In my opinion, even sitting around trying to figure out where they came from is obsessing.
Good luck. You'll get there. You will get tired of listening to the false-warning voice at some point, and make the change. I know you will.
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2013 : 15:10:10
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Interesting. Many people have called me a hypochondriac separate from this situation , in fact my whole life.
I am happy to know this is common in Tms |
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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2013 : 00:33:48
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"Looking" or internal "scanning" is a distraction mechanism.
You want to see evidence of physicality, a structural problem/defect. So you can say "Ahhaaa I knew it". That is part TMS and part conditioning of Western medicine.
If you saw something that would ease your mind and you can get it 'fixed' and good as new and your troubles are over. That's the denial/distraction step. A step that you MUST stop in order to progress.
It's also a step that your are responsible for entirely in your addiction/obsession with your pain.
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"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"- John Lennon
"TMS is just as afraid of us succeeding, as it is us failing" - Me |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2013 : 10:12:36
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La_Kev,
It makes sense, what better way to keep you distracted. I have been shifting my attention to things I would have normally done on a day to day basic instead of thinking of how,where, the tms might be.
It is difficult to break the mold. I remember thinking about all the emotionally torture my ex girlfriend put me through during our relationship and towards the break up.
You really do not treat somebody you love this way and it was really gnawing at me. As a result of her breaking my heart I was on all these other message boards obessing and asking "how do I get her back" " she said this to me, what does it really mean".
I remember for a split second I thought, whoa this emotional pain is harder than any type of physical pain that I had. I remember with such clarity wishing in a way for something to manifest tms wise because then I would be off the subject of her.
What interesting was before her I was married and divorced, I thought that was the worst a girl could do to my head in terms of what went on but this last one, took the icing.
My way of dealing with the torment of her leaving me in December was to go on Lexapro. Whether is was real or not, I stayed on for three months and felt alot better. Infact I felt either angry or emotionless which in my opinion is much better than feeling sad all the time and wanting to die.
Jeez, time for therapy again :) It just hit me how emotionally vinerable and scared I was this past winter. I tried pretending it was all okay but I guess it needed to get out some how. |
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la_kevin
USA
351 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2013 : 12:22:28
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Like you hinted at, a lot of times TMS is the excuse from looking at your mental 'self'.
So the brain looks at the physical 'self'. Instead of 'what's wrong with my thinking?" or "what do I FEEL about this certain event" it's
"Hey what's going on with my leg?" or "Does this look swollen to you"?
When in a normal setting you would never question or notice these things, or they wouldn't be paramount to your life.
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"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"- John Lennon
"TMS is just as afraid of us succeeding, as it is us failing" - Me |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2013 : 14:32:40
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exactly, I was constantly inspecting my area and it literally looked different everytime I looked at it.
One hour it looked swollen, the next like a rash, then nothing, all in the course of one day.
I know I am not going crazy.
I caught myself doing it today three times and I quickly shouted "no".
Just reiterated what everyone here is saying, "do not give it any attention".
Went for a jog, which usually makes it worst the pain down there but I feel no different. Enjoyed a day off in Central Park. For the first time noticed a few plants and tree's that have always been there but I never noticed how nice they looked.
So what detail I was paying the tms I am paying to the world around me. |
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apace41
USA
15 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2013 : 15:37:13
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quote:
Originally posted by icelikeaninja
I caught myself doing it today three times and I quickly shouted "no".
If you are going to be looking and shouting at your manstuff, Ice, probably want to avoid the public facilities. 
Glad you had a better day,
Andy |
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icelikeaninja
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2013 : 15:59:55
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Imagine. |
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obsessed with pain
