| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
fante
Norway
2 Posts |
 Posted - 02/19/2015 : 04:56:13
|
Hey!
I’m new to this forum and just discovered TMS a couple of weeks ago.
I have read, or listened to the following books: Healing Back Pain and The Mind Body Prescription by Sarno, and am now half way through Fred Amirs book Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain: A Nine-Step Recovery Plan.
I am 30 years old and have suffered from chronic headaches for about 8-9 years, and neck pain for about 5 years. About a year and a half ago I started getting shoulder and arm pain as well after doing some shoulder exercises, as well as some knee and heel pain. It all just escalated after the shoulder pain. This all happened about 3 months after I got married and we started to think about getting pregnant. I had to take sick leave from work because of my shoulders and our plans of pregnancy were put on hold. Later I ended up losing my job as well because the company was losing money and had to let me go. I later got a thyroid problem (subacute thyroiditis which is luckily temporary), so 2014 was altogether a really crappy year and I got pretty depressed. I found a much better job which I really enjoy now, and some of the shoulder pain is better but I still have chronic pain. It moves around a lot which is typical of tms.
I really believe that I have TMS and developed a decrease in my pain the first week. Maybe this scared me a bit because now the pain is back and now I’m scared that I’m over thinking things. I think it is good to do lots of research and understand the theory, but I still constantly have the FEAR of pain, and fear of not getting better and that I won’t be able to succeed in ever getting better.
Are any of you familiar with Fred Amirs book? He writes about his quick recovery and focuses on using your imagination and positive thinking to get better. A part of the program is to imagine yourself pain free. Even this is hard for me, because I really mean it when I say that my headache is chronic, I have a headache every minute of every day and it just varies in strength but it never goes away. Just imagining being pain free is hard. He also challenges to start being physically active quite early on and setting specific goals, but I feel that Sarnos approach is better..to start being more active after you see a reduction in pain.
I also read about people who recover really quickly (within a week) and I feel like I’m already unsuccessful. I don’t work a lot of overtime or have kids to take care of. My main and biggest challenge is to think psychologically and think of other things besides the pain. I have until now kept a kind of log, but I’ve stopped doing this because it only makes me focus on the pain
I would love to hear about peoples journeys who are not overnight successes and how you have coped and gotten better.
Thinking psychological is hard for me but I’m really trying. Do any of you have any specific examples of HOW you do this for example?
How soon did you start “testing” things out physically? Did you set any specific goals?
Do you write about your progress and how the pain was, or do you only write/journal/log about the psychological?
Fante |
|
|
fibri
Belgium
56 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2015 : 06:37:25
|
Hello Fante and welcome.
First of all, congratulate yourself that you have been lucky to happen upon the knowledge about TMS. Many people never find out about it at all. It does sound like you have TMS (I presume you've had various medical tests to rule out anything very serious). I was much where you were about 8 years ago, regarding pain and various TMS symptoms. After reading Sarno's books my pain lessened within a week and my main symptom - chronic, debilitating back pain - was gone in 6 weeks. I continued to read Fred Amir and other TMS books and continue to inform myself. I've had relapses over the years (never back pain though!) and dive back into the forums and books; then I get better and back away from it again.
You're on the right path. So the first thing you can tackle is the fear. This WILL all get better as you continue your TMS journey. There is a wealth of invaluable information just on this forum alone, and many wise and kind people.
I strongly recommend The Great Pain Deception. It's my personal favourite of all the TMS books.
I wish you well! |
 |
|
|
Peregrinus
250 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2015 : 07:43:58
|
quote:
Originally posted by fante
I had to take sick leave from work because of my shoulders and our plans of pregnancy were put on hold.
Hej Fante!
It sounds like you have a text book case of TMS and that the TMS is winning. You are more focused on the pain than you are on the psychological stress that is the cause. It is ironic yet understandable that, as the quote indicates, your pain caused you to turn away from the apparent sources of you psychological stress.
Getting married, having children, losing ones job, taking a new job, are all stressful events, even for the most self confident people. I'd suggest that you stop thinking about the pain and start identifying how your situation is causing stress. What makes you fear having children? Is the fear reasonable?
There are many excellent books and on-line resources for coping with TMS including many of the participants on this forum. However in the end its up to you. All the best! |
|
|
|
fante
Norway
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2015 : 08:27:10
|
Having kids and starting a family is one of the things that I have looked the most forward to in life, and I was stressing to find a solution to my neck pain and headaches so I would be able to enjoy that time. I went to a bunch of specialists, did shoulder exercises to strengthen my upper back and just ended up in more pain. ALL of this is so typical of TMS, and I see now how destructive all of this thinking was and is!
I really believe it is tms..but that my tms might be trying to stop me from getting pregnant never even occurred to me! That is actually very interesting..After the shoulder pain started i have started to worry and think more negatively about having kids which I never did before. This comes from FEAR of pain and that it is going to ruin this experience that I've been looking forward to for so long
My original pain started when I started in my late teens and went through a tough break up time with a long time boyfriend, going to another country for college that I didn’t like and left after one semester, moved back home and ended up going to a much less “prestigious” school, and so on. I also developed an eating disorder which lasted about a year. I came out of it when I met my husband years ago…so there are plenty of things to choose from, and I think it is a good mix of all of them
I’m going to check out The Great Pain Deception! I haven’t found it as an audiobook though which I prefer because of my neck..:)
Fante |
|
|
|
Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2015 : 09:46:10
|
quote:
Originally posted by fante
...This comes from FEAR of pain and that it is going to ruin this experience that I've been looking forward to for so long
I suggest you do not jump to such a conclusion. TMS is about the things that are beneath the surface that are affecting you in a way you do not realize or accept.
Consider fear of the pain as a SYMPTOM. It is circular reasoning to suggest that the pain is the cause. If you go down this path, you are doing the opposite of what TMS treatment is all about. You are focusing on the symptoms and giving them power over you.
You are definitely over-thinking, this is common in TMS-prone people. Unfortunately you cannot analyze your way out of it. You have to change your thoughts and actions.
I suggest you consider deep, dark reasons why you may not want to have children. No doubt, it is something you want and look forward to. However, it represents a major, permanent life change. The "child inside you" might resent the fact that you are going down this path. It represents a lifestyle in which you are no longer the center. It represents a tremendous increase in pressure and responsibility. The "child inside you" may be angry and fearful of this decision. The pain is a manifestation of these deep seeded emotions that you are not fully realizing or facing up to. Try to think about and feel those dark, forbidden emotions. Accept that they are a part of you, even if you don't want to. |
|
|
|
Rile84
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2015 : 01:46:39
|
| You have to overcome your fear of pain because it would be affecting the whole thing in your life. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
new member-help
