Amadeus

My chronic pain started with my neck around the age of 27. My neck would freeze up every so often and I would not be able to turn my head/neck. This would happen a couple times a year and last a couple days. I eventually started going to a chiropractor who told me I had degenerating discs in my neck, which shouldn't be happening to someone my age. I blamed it on a snowboarding accident in which I separated my shoulder, and because I thought it didn't heal correctly(since my collarbone sticks out of my shoulder 1/2 inch or so). I also blamed my neck problems on landscaping because it is a physical job and involves a lot of bending and lifting.
At 30 I moved to Florida to start my career in the environmental field. After a couple months down there my girlfriend of 10 years and I broke up. Soon after my neck froze up, and stayed that way for 2-3 months. The chiropractor I went to didn't help, so I went to another chiropractor/reiki expert and after two sessions my neck was back to"normal".
About a year ago I started having pretty severe pain along my spine between my shoulder blades. I thought it was a bulging or herniated disc. My chiropractor told me my ribs were "slipping out of place". My ribs proceeded to slip out of place for the next 9 months every week or two. It was a roller coaster ride where I would start to feel good and think that I was better, so I would do an activity and as soon as I did that activity my back and ribs would start to feel terrible. Lifting a bag of dog food, vaccuming out my car, sleeping in the "incorrect" position, etc. would throw my back/ribs out of place. It was a long drawn out cycle of thinking I was better, and then not ever thinking that I would get better, and depression would set in. I went to accupunture, 2 different types of massage, chiropractor, and physical therapy. None of it worked. Eventually I found an item called the backpod, which "worked"(placebo) and my ribs stopped slipping out of place. But, I still had terrible scapular winging, which doesn't hurt but is really uncomfortable when I sit down. And my shoulder blades and upper back feel as hard as a rock.
I actually came across the TMS website by "accident". I was using it and journaling as a way to get over some social anxiety, after doing it for a while, I realized I had TMS and that was what had been causing my neck/back/rib issues(there are no coincidences). Soon after I bought Healing BAck Pain and read it in a couple days. Underlining every other sentence, and realizing how much sense it made. I have also been listening to it on YouTube. I have listened to many of Dr. Sarno's interviews/lectures and Steve Ozanich interviews. I have done the multimedia recovery program, gone through the main page of TMS wiki program, and now I am doing the daily educational program. Between doing the daily educational program, a lot of journaling, and reading The Great Pain Deception, my winging scapula is about 50% better. A couple days ago I started getting some pretty bad ringing in my ears, slight vertigo(i think), and pain once again in my ribs. I sorta freaked out and was ready to break out the backpod, which had helped my ribs out before, but I decided not too. I'm really glad I didn't because next day my ribs felt fine, and I believe it was just the TMS acting up since I had dug up some repressed memories/emotions, and it was trying to tell me physical pain would be easier to deal with than psychological issues. I am getting closer and closer to recovery every day and would like to thank Dr. Sarno so much, Steve Ozanich, and Alan Gordon. You guys are the best and everyone else who has contributed to the TMS wiki page.