Day 1 Level of Acceptance of Diagnosis

Write a short post about the level of acceptance you have of the TMS diagnosis, and of any doubts or worries you may have at this point:

I accept the diagnosis because it just makes sense. I know that has to be the answer because it can't be a coincidence that all of us are suffering the same and healing the same. I know that most of my medical issues don't make sense. This makes sense to me. However, I do have fear in the back of my mind that I'll be the exception and not find relief. I had surgery on my cervical spine 15 years ago for disk degeneration. That surgery relieved years of suffering from pinched nerves in my neck and also wiped out a lifetime of migraines. The lingering doubt is because of that success. Why don't I still have migraines? I guess, according to Dr. Sarno, it's the placebo affect. (shhhh, I don't want to say that too loud lest my brain hear me!)

 

Hi Shelly and welcome! I LOVE your photo - what a cutie - makes me smile :^)

Let me say this about the placebo effect - I believe that there is no reason to downplay or denigrate it, and every reason to take advantage of it. I've been developing my own theory about this for a number of months, which is that we should be harnessing the placebo effect and using it effectively. I was thrilled to find in Dr. Gabor Mate's book "When The Body Says No" that he firmly believes this. And there are studies being done that are also looking at the placebo effect as a tool, which I find incredibly exciting. Dr. Jerome Groopman has also looked at it, in his book "The Anatomy of Hope".

When I take Vitamin C and echinacea if I feel a cold coming on, I'm using them to visualize the cold virus being vanquished, because I believe that they are boosting my immune system - and my immune system is thereby boosted. Now, I'm not a physiologist - I never even took chemistry in school - so I have no idea how to visualize the actual chemical processes that are required to boost my immune system - but I know what the desired result is, and my use of supplements is apparently (and somewhat miraculously) enough to help my brain do what it takes to achieve that result.

Perhaps you feel that you should be dismayed that your surgery may have been nothing more than a placebo - but I don't see it that way. It worked, because you had the ability to visualize the desired outcome, as well as the desire to maintain that outcome - and that's really important! Celebrate both of those facts, and use them to your advantage in your TMS journey, because now you'll never need to resort to such extreme measures again, right?

This is powerful stuff. Remember, our brains are in charge of every single physiological process in our bodies, and we CAN control our brains.

Again, welcome, keep posting, and let us know how it's going!

Jan

 

I would also view it as history; it was done and the pain is gone. That was the goal right?

Do others have degenerative disc disease, etc. that gets blamed for back pain, learn of TMS, "do the work" and the pain goes away? Yes. But that's ok too!

I think it's human to have some doubts and think you're the exception. How about just moving forward at this point?

I do believe it is necessary to accept the diagnosis, and that you will be pain-free in accordance with how much you believe it is TMS.

Happy healing.