Long road ahead

I just started Sep - I am up to day 4 now. I have read Healing Back Pain, and I am half way through The Divided Mind. I notice my low back pain seems slightly better. Of course, now I am waking up with headaches and upper back spasm/nausea daily. I don't intend to give up. I am obviously not one of those individuals who reads the books and BAM - the pain is gone. And that, in itself, makes me mad! I have called for an appointment with a TMS MD to confirm that I have it. So very tired of the pain and fear. I wish something would just get easier...

 

Don't give up! I'm on Day 7 of the program and have found that the pain/symptoms move around as you progress. So, as uncomfortable and scary as it might seem, this is actually a good sign. It means you are making some headway in believing that it's TMS and your brain is actually fighting you...I can almost hear your brain saying: Okay, if you don't believe the back pain is real anymore, then what about a headache? What about nausea, maybe I can distract you from your emotions with that!

For me, my pain switches feet. And when I first started this program, my feet started to feel a bit better, but then I got terrible back and hip pain for a day, but I ignored it, as I knew what the brain was trying to do (from reading Dr. Sarno's books). Then it went to my neck and down into my arms, wrists and hands. Again, I ignored it, as I understood it was just my brain desperately trying to distract me. And that went away. Then I became anxious...and on and on. Good times!

But, with persistence, my foot pain is improving little by little and I simply ignore any other symptom that pops up and usually, by the end of the day, I've forgotten about it and it's gone.

It's harder for me to ignore my main symptom...so that's the challenge.

But new symptoms are oddly a good sign. It means your brain is losing ground and desperately trying to keep you focused on the physical. Fight it by focusing on your emotions, feelings, etc., and try not to worry about the outcome. The main goal is to notice the pain, but not care. To not let it control your emotions or life for that matter.

 

Hi Mountain Girl and thanks for the encourgement. It is really hard to ignore the pain or whatever you are feeling. Today is just a difficult day here. I did get out and walk and plan another walk later. just having a lot of weakness, pain, fear, cardiac sx-- you name it today. But as I said, I am not going to give up. So thankful for this network and your response.

 

Yes, maybe ignore isn't the right word. It's pretty unrealistic to ignore intense pain. This short note by a TMS therapist really helped me focus less on the pain and not care about it so much, even though it was still there and I was aware of it: http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/A_Word_About_Outcome_Independence,_by_Alan_Gordon,_LCSW (A Word About Outcome Independence, by Alan Gordon, LCSW)

 

Hi Timbercat, I am happy you are here! I know many people don't experience that immediate healing, but that doesn't mean you won't be better soon. Please stick with it--it's worth it!