TMS Flare Up

Hi All,

Hope it's ok for me to just come on here an spill my guts. I've essentially been pain free for a long time, since May 2013, with the odd little day of soreness or whatever but nothing of concern. It's been such a long time that I've forgotten all my log on details etc. but I know what a great help the people on here can be. It's hard to summarise a long story (for me) in a few words but I'll try to keep it brief.

Priory to May 2013 I had four/five years of excruciating lower back pain. I then read "Healing Back Pain" and was almost entirely cured within a few days (thank you Dr Sarno). Since then I've really gotten into running, cycling, gardening etc. - all the things I never thought I'd be able to do again. Having said that, I now recognise some of the milder pains I've had - such as knee pain whilst running and my first migraine last year, as likely TMS.

Still, I've had some pretty stressful times - the usual stuff, births, deaths, marriage, house purchasing, moving, changing etc., having a very challenging 3 year old, but managed ok. Well I say that, but I have been increasingly suffering from anxiety and had counselling etc. for this. The biggest challenge has been moving the length of England with my family for a new job. This probably seems tiny compared to US but 300 miles here is quite something culturally.

I guess the anxiety could be because I've not been repressing my feelings anymore? I've been starting to manage the anxiety through meditation, which I've been really enjoying and felt I was getting on top of it. But since last Thursday I've felt the old back pain creeping back. I still managed 30 hilly miles and a long walk on Sunday but in the last couple of days I've been so stiff and sore I've had to get my wife to put my socks on for me. I've also had shooting pains in both legs.

I do wonder if the "body scan" meditations are part of the problem? They encourage you to observe how different parts of your body feel, which in a way encourages you to look for pain. Should I stop these? Are other meditations ok, like visualisation, breathing etc?

I've read "Healing Back Pain" thoroughly over the last two days and it's given be some reassurance. I also have an appointment with a Sirpa therapist this afternoon. I assume this is a good move but does anyone have any experience with them? I can't believe how many TMS specialists there are now in the UK compared to when I looked back in 2011/12ish. This can only be a good thing.

Until now I've only ever been self-diagnosed and never really met or spoken to anyone (except on here) who really knows about and believe in TMS.

I'm going on holiday with my family on Sunday, to stay at my in-laws which is around a 250 mile drive and I'm determined to be in a fit state to do this. I've been really trying to thing psychological and work out every little thing that could be worrying me or that I could've been repressing. It is taking some time to have an effect though so can only think maybe I'm missing something?

I'm also telling my pain to "do one" - to put it mildly.

Can anyone offer any words of advice? Is a flare up so long after the original occurrence unusual?

Oh, just to add, I think Brexit has a lot to do with my stress and anxitey and is likely causing a mental health crisis in the UK

 

Ouch..that hurts me and I'm in Tennessee.

Funny, now that I am removed from all responsibilities (kids grown, wife gone, easy job, great home...etc) I can look back at when I had them and think 'My God...I should have been in pain every minute of every day'... But I wasn't. And now with all the stuff removed it should be a cinch,right? But it isn't...

staying aware of how stuff that we're dealing with OUGHT to make us feel was always essential to my recovery (which was via reading HBP). I would be mega-repressed angry if I had to drive a long way to see my in-laws. I was mega-pissed angry... but I talked myself out of it "They're not that bad... I am being responsible.... I am being a family guy.... I am doing the right thing"

THAT voice is the stopper in the bottle. You don't have to unstopper it but you better look into it.... and brexit and politics are usually where people who have no agency in their own lives tend to place misdirected anger. I don't know if Brits are like us but I really don't like being told what to do by EITHER side... but I always seem to think one of them has my best interests at heart.(LOL) Great place to waste a lifetime of real life experience .

...and who told you to pay attention to your Body? That's the dumbest TMS banishing method I have ever heard. A lot of people have been sneaking into Sarno's work and placing their own spin on stuff. That would make me hurt everywhere, always!!!!!

We have all had relapses of different durations.... the fundamentals always work...every time.
REad the book again...and for God's sake, STOP scanning your Body...That's like TMS suicide

Sarno was clear...any time you catch yourself paying attention to the symptom redirect your thoughts to a source of continual irritation like finances or a bad relationship... this trains the subconscious that we're not fooled...AND it REMOVES your attention from the body to the real problem area.

peace