1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Our TMS drop-in chat is tomorrow (Saturday) from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern (***NOTE*** now on US Daylight Time). It's a great way to get quick and interactive peer support, with Steve2 as your host. Look for the red Chat flag on top of the menu bar!
EdenNC
Last Activity:
Jul 2, 2019
Joined:
May 9, 2017
Messages:
16
Likes Received:
15
Trophy Points:
11

Following 3

Followers 2

Gender:
Female
Birthday:
Aug 1, 1969 (Age: 54)
Location:
Apex, NC
Occupation:
self-employed

Share This Page

EdenNC

New Member, Female, 54, from Apex, NC

It's been a very long time since I've been on this site. I'm glad to be back on. Jun 3, 2019

EdenNC was last seen:
Jul 2, 2019
  • My Story


    When my adult son, Patrick moved back home with me and my daughter Logan, his back pain became worse and his left leg became so weak that I had to get him a cane to walk. His weakened leg would give out and he would fall a lot.


    My own stress level has been the highest it's ever been. Constantly working and not taking breaks, worrying about Patrick and feeling worn out from the stress of it all. Feeling anxious, having major insomnia and panic attacks... Thankfully this whole time I have had health insurance and have had therapy every week to help me get through the stress and heal and continue my own path to mental health. The stress I have been through was also effecting my body during this time. However it's also been a blessing to teach me how powerful the mind-body connection truly is.

    Patrick couldn't work and didn't have health insurance so of course I've had to increase my work load and work too many hours to be able to take care of him and my daughter, Logan. My son's fiancé moved in with us and is by his side 24/7. I was hoping she would be able to work so I wouldn't feel so over-worked and exhausted all the time, however her being by my son's side gives me peace knowing he is safe and cared for when I am working.

    I had to explore any and every option available that could help Patrick and find out what was wrong with him.

    I found a clinic in Apex, with a very good doctor that offered sliding scale fees and also had resources to UNC/Rex Charity programs so that I could get as many tests as possible to find out what was wrong with my son and to help him get better.

    Once Patrick was accepted into the UNC/Rex Charity program, there was a waiting list before he could be seen.

    First he got complete MRI's and X-rays of his entire spine.
    I also found a physical therapist who specialized in spinal injuries.
    Then he saw a neurologist and she did a bunch of tests and lastly one more neurology test that he just got in May 2017--- and now we are waiting for the results and the wait to see the neurologists to go over the last tests results.


    So far, all the tests he has had show the same thing: that Patrick's spine has healed from the car accident he was in 8 years ago, and that he should not be having pain or leg weakness.

    When Patrick and I were at the doctor's office and got the results from the MRI and x-rays, we were both surprised and shocked that his spine had healed and that it showed no damages. His doctor told us that pain is complex and one thing to be aware of is that people with childhood trauma are predisposed to have chronic pain as adults.

    This knowledge helped me focus on learning more about chronic pain, how it works and how it can be cured.

    How I found Dr. Sarno's books:
    I became obsessed with finding answers to my son's pain:
    Why did people with past child-hood trauma become predisposed to have chronic pain...as well as a variety of chronic pain syndromes?
    If I was not working, I was doing on-line research on chronic pain and learning more and more about it until I knew I was on the right path to help my son heal and to also heal my own pain and my own MBD (Mind Body Disorder).


    It also seems that the Universe and my higher power gave me powerful messages to let me know that indeed I was on the right path to healing. Powerful messages through talking to friends who either have chronic pain or have someone close to them who suffered from chronic pain. As well as learning chronic pain comes from the mind, not the body. It was powerful for me to learn how to make my tension headaches go away in seconds. It verified what I was learning and that indeed I was on the right path to healing.

    My friends with chronic pain
    -John: who's wife has suffered from chronic pain for many years was physically and emotionally abused by her father.


    -Lana: Injured her neck whilst working and for nearly a year couldn't move her neck and was in excruciating pain. She was neglected and emotionally abused by her mother and sexually abused by her older brother. Her neck pain is now gone through going to therapy.

    -Lisa: Fibromyalgia and was severely abused by her Father.

    -Carlton: super sweet friend of mine and when he told me his daughter had chronic neck pain for close to a decade, I thought that his daughter was the first case of chronic pain that did not have childhood trauma.. and when I told Carlton that I knew how sweet and kind he is and that his daughter must be the first chronic pain case without childhood trauma, Carlton look down and almost cried and told me that when his daughter was little, there was a teenager in the neighborhood that was molesting little girls and his daughter was one of his victims. ** on a happy note, his daughter started seeing a therapist who specializes in trauma and chronic pain and she is now pain free.

    Every person above had an injury that started their chronic pain... which of course makes one think it is the body... when it is actually the mind.


    I have learned that the human body has amazing capacity to heal. And that when our body experiences physical pain, that pain is to signal danger so we can get help and heal. If pain continues to linger after the body has healed, it is because of emotional pain from past trauma or stress related.

    Childhood trauma creates neural pain pathways.
    So that later in life if a person who has had childhood trauma and pain pathways from that trauma gets into a car accident, or has a fall or something that injures the body, that because of the developed pain pathways, they may end up with chronic pain and mind body disorders. Our mind controls our autonomic system and our autonomic system, controls all our other systems. That is why irritable bowl syndrome and Fibromyalgia are now considered Mind-Body disorders.


    The more I learn about TMS and MBD the more I realize some of the people I know...both friends and family, as well as myself have TMS symptoms.

    TMS symptoms I have past or present:
    -anxiety disorder
    -Fibromyalgia (healed)
    -insomnia (healing)
    -TMJ and tooth grinding that has fractured my molars
    -chronic tension headaches that can turn into migraines if they last more than 48 hours. Usually 1-2 times a week.(no headaches for a month now)
    -hives caused by stress and anxiety
    -chest pain that feels like I am having a heart attack
    -stomach problems that can lead to vomiting or diarrhea when I get upset and stressed.


    What I am doing:
    -I have started EMDR therapy. This type of trauma therapy helps calm the autonomic system and helps a person process their past trauma. I am also able to stop my tension headaches in a matter of seconds now. In fact, after the last tension headache I woke up to, that I was able to immediately stop, I haven't had a single tension headache. (new note: I have gotten a tension headache during sleep and as soon as I wake up, I can make it go away)
    - Educating myself and documenting what I learn and being aware of how powerful my mind is.


    I had a lot of childhood trauma from physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Both parents alcoholics and my Mother also struggled with mental illness.

    I started therapy 7 years ago to be a better person and parent and to work on my ADHD and anxiety disorder. I didn't know anything about Trauma therapy because I was focused on being mindful and changing habits, being accountable and working on my ADHD. Once I knew more about TMS and started talking about past trauma in therapy, my therapist told me I needed trauma therapy.

    EMDR therapy is hard, however I am seeing more healing.


    How my son is doing:
    I found a good therapist who specializes in trauma therapy. My son really likes her and is going to therapy weekly. He hasn't yet accepted that what he has is a mind-body disorder, even though his medical tests are all showing his spine is fine. His pain is level 5-10. He doesn't want to be weak and I think admitting his pain comes from his past trauma and mind is extremely hard for him. He still thinks that there is something physically wrong with him that happened during his car accident. He just feels that the doctor's haven't found what's wrong yet and he just needs more tests.


    My son was severely abused by a baby-sitter when he was very little. I was also mentally ill, depressed, suicidal and when my son was just 7 and his sister was born, he took care of both of us. His Dad, my ex, was emotionally and physically abusive and we were in and out of domestic violence shelters. The list of trauma my son experienced is quite long. I just really hope that he starts being open to what is really going on so that he can start to really heal and live life. He was diagnosed with PTSD.

    I am still hoping that perhaps someone on this site reads my story and can relate to my son's pain. I think if my son could meet or befriend someone who had a car accident or other physical accident and chronic pain who discovered Dr. Sarno and is now pain-free, that it could really help my son.

    UPDATE:
    After 2.5 months of intensive trauma therapy (EMDR) my son's pain level went from 8, 9, 10 down to 0, 1, 2. He also no longer needs to use his cane to walk. He came to terms with his chronic pain being caused by past trauma. He and his fiancé have moved out and now live in Michigan. I wish they were closer to me and my daughter in NC.
    Even though my son's pain is much better, it's still fluctuates and since he's no longer in therapy, it's been easy for him to go back to thinking his pain is from his car accident. He became addicted to opioids when he was living home and admitted that he still "needed," to be on pain meds after the EMDR therapy helped to get his pain level down to zero. He needs to continue therapy and work on his opioid addiction and has basically stopped communicating with me. It's really hard knowing he is isolating himself and I know he's an adult and all I can do is let him know I am here for him when he needs me. And I have to let him make mistakes and heal in his own time.

    June 2019:
    I switched from EMDR therapy to IFS (Internal Family Systems). I really like IFS much better than EMDR. I think it's important to find the right therapist as well as explore different types of therapy that work.

    After 2 years of learning about chronic pain, I am still able to stop tension headaches. I have not gotten a single migraine headache since learning how to stop them. It's rare that I have insomnia.

    Through meditating I was able to get off of my anti anxiety meds. I also no longer need my ADHD medication.

    I use the phone app "Headspace," daily for guided meditation. On good days I do it when I wake up and before I go to sleep.



    1. EdenNC
      EdenNC
      It's been a very long time since I've been on this site. I'm glad to be back on.
    2. Winning
      Winning
      I found this forum because I used to suffer chronic lower and middle back pain and heard about Dr. Sarno's book on 20-20 John Stossel report. Changed my life in 3 weeks.

      Lately, I have been suffering gastritis, and I am convinced there is a link to TMS. Gastritis is terrible for 3 months so far.
    3. Winning
      Winning
      How is your insomnia doing? I fall asleep easily, but always wake up in 5 hours usually. On good days, I get back to sleep, other days I can't fall back to sleep. I have completely gotten over the fear of insomnia, that was a big hurdle, but not I just lie awake after 5 hours often. Sometimes I take a melatonin, .07mg and I fall back to sleep. Just depends on the day I guess.
  • Loading...
  • Loading...
  • My Story

    Gender:
    Female
    Birthday:
    Aug 1, 1969 (Age: 54)
    Location:
    Apex, NC
    Occupation:
    self-employed
    Diagnoses:
    TMS symptoms I have past or present:
    -anxiety disorder (healed)
    -Fibromyalgia (healed)
    -insomnia (healed)
    -TMJ and tooth grinding that has fractured my molars (healing)
    -chronic tension headaches that can turn into migraines if they last more than 48 hours. Usually 1-2 times a week.(it's been 2 years since I had one)
    -hives caused by stress and anxiety
    -chest pain that feels like I am having a heart attack (healed)
    -stomach problems that can lead to vomiting or diarrhea when I get upset and stressed. (healing) It's rare that this happens now.

    When my adult son, Patrick moved back home with me and my daughter Logan, his back pain became worse and his left leg became so weak that I had to get him a cane to walk. His weakened leg would give out and he would fall a lot.


    My own stress level has been the highest it's ever been. Constantly working and not taking breaks, worrying about Patrick and feeling worn out from the stress of it all. Feeling anxious, having major insomnia and panic attacks... Thankfully this whole time I have had health insurance and have had therapy every week to help me get through the stress and heal and continue my own path to mental health. The stress I have been through was also effecting my body during this time. However it's also been a blessing to teach me how powerful the mind-body connection truly is.

    Patrick couldn't work and didn't have health insurance so of course I've had to increase my work load and work too many hours to be able to take care of him and my daughter, Logan. My son's fiancé moved in with us and is by his side 24/7. I was hoping she would be able to work so I wouldn't feel so over-worked and exhausted all the time, however her being by my son's side gives me peace knowing he is safe and cared for when I am working.

    I had to explore any and every option available that could help Patrick and find out what was wrong with him.

    I found a clinic in Apex, with a very good doctor that offered sliding scale fees and also had resources to UNC/Rex Charity programs so that I could get as many tests as possible to find out what was wrong with my son and to help him get better.

    Once Patrick was accepted into the UNC/Rex Charity program, there was a waiting list before he could be seen.

    First he got complete MRI's and X-rays of his entire spine.
    I also found a physical therapist who specialized in spinal injuries.
    Then he saw a neurologist and she did a bunch of tests and lastly one more neurology test that he just got in May 2017--- and now we are waiting for the results and the wait to see the neurologists to go over the last tests results.


    So far, all the tests he has had show the same thing: that Patrick's spine has healed from the car accident he was in 8 years ago, and that he should not be having pain or leg weakness.

    When Patrick and I were at the doctor's office and got the results from the MRI and x-rays, we were both surprised and shocked that his spine had healed and that it showed no damages. His doctor told us that pain is complex and one thing to be aware of is that people with childhood trauma are predisposed to have chronic pain as adults.

    This knowledge helped me focus on learning more about chronic pain, how it works and how it can be cured.

    How I found Dr. Sarno's books:
    I became obsessed with finding answers to my son's pain:
    Why did people with past child-hood trauma become predisposed to have chronic pain...as well as a variety of chronic pain syndromes?
    If I was not working, I was doing on-line research on chronic pain and learning more and more about it until I knew I was on the right path to help my son heal and to also heal my own pain and my own MBD (Mind Body Disorder).


    It also seems that the Universe and my higher power gave me powerful messages to let me know that indeed I was on the right path to healing. Powerful messages through talking to friends who either have chronic pain or have someone close to them who suffered from chronic pain. As well as learning chronic pain comes from the mind, not the body. It was powerful for me to learn how to make my tension headaches go away in seconds. It verified what I was learning and that indeed I was on the right path to healing.

    My friends with chronic pain
    -John: who's wife has suffered from chronic pain for many years was physically and emotionally abused by her father.


    -Lana: Injured her neck whilst working and for nearly a year couldn't move her neck and was in excruciating pain. She was neglected and emotionally abused by her mother and sexually abused by her older brother. Her neck pain is now gone through going to therapy.

    -Lisa: Fibromyalgia and was severely abused by her Father.

    -Carlton: super sweet friend of mine and when he told me his daughter had chronic neck pain for close to a decade, I thought that his daughter was the first case of chronic pain that did not have childhood trauma.. and when I told Carlton that I knew how sweet and kind he is and that his daughter must be the first chronic pain case without childhood trauma, Carlton look down and almost cried and told me that when his daughter was little, there was a teenager in the neighborhood that was molesting little girls and his daughter was one of his victims. ** on a happy note, his daughter started seeing a therapist who specializes in trauma and chronic pain and she is now pain free.

    Every person above had an injury that started their chronic pain... which of course makes one think it is the body... when it is actually the mind.


    I have learned that the human body has amazing capacity to heal. And that when our body experiences physical pain, that pain is to signal danger so we can get help and heal. If pain continues to linger after the body has healed, it is because of emotional pain from past trauma or stress related.

    Childhood trauma creates neural pain pathways.
    So that later in life if a person who has had childhood trauma and pain pathways from that trauma gets into a car accident, or has a fall or something that injures the body, that because of the developed pain pathways, they may end up with chronic pain and mind body disorders. Our mind controls our autonomic system and our autonomic system, controls all our other systems. That is why irritable bowl syndrome and Fibromyalgia are now considered Mind-Body disorders.


    The more I learn about TMS and MBD the more I realize some of the people I know...both friends and family, as well as myself have TMS symptoms.

    TMS symptoms I have past or present:
    -anxiety disorder
    -Fibromyalgia (healed)
    -insomnia (healing)
    -TMJ and tooth grinding that has fractured my molars
    -chronic tension headaches that can turn into migraines if they last more than 48 hours. Usually 1-2 times a week.(no headaches for a month now)
    -hives caused by stress and anxiety
    -chest pain that feels like I am having a heart attack
    -stomach problems that can lead to vomiting or diarrhea when I get upset and stressed.


    What I am doing:
    -I have started EMDR therapy. This type of trauma therapy helps calm the autonomic system and helps a person process their past trauma. I am also able to stop my tension headaches in a matter of seconds now. In fact, after the last tension headache I woke up to, that I was able to immediately stop, I haven't had a single tension headache. (new note: I have gotten a tension headache during sleep and as soon as I wake up, I can make it go away)
    - Educating myself and documenting what I learn and being aware of how powerful my mind is.


    I had a lot of childhood trauma from physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Both parents alcoholics and my Mother also struggled with mental illness.

    I started therapy 7 years ago to be a better person and parent and to work on my ADHD and anxiety disorder. I didn't know anything about Trauma therapy because I was focused on being mindful and changing habits, being accountable and working on my ADHD. Once I knew more about TMS and started talking about past trauma in therapy, my therapist told me I needed trauma therapy.

    EMDR therapy is hard, however I am seeing more healing.


    How my son is doing:
    I found a good therapist who specializes in trauma therapy. My son really likes her and is going to therapy weekly. He hasn't yet accepted that what he has is a mind-body disorder, even though his medical tests are all showing his spine is fine. His pain is level 5-10. He doesn't want to be weak and I think admitting his pain comes from his past trauma and mind is extremely hard for him. He still thinks that there is something physically wrong with him that happened during his car accident. He just feels that the doctor's haven't found what's wrong yet and he just needs more tests.


    My son was severely abused by a baby-sitter when he was very little. I was also mentally ill, depressed, suicidal and when my son was just 7 and his sister was born, he took care of both of us. His Dad, my ex, was emotionally and physically abusive and we were in and out of domestic violence shelters. The list of trauma my son experienced is quite long. I just really hope that he starts being open to what is really going on so that he can start to really heal and live life. He was diagnosed with PTSD.

    I am still hoping that perhaps someone on this site reads my story and can relate to my son's pain. I think if my son could meet or befriend someone who had a car accident or other physical accident and chronic pain who discovered Dr. Sarno and is now pain-free, that it could really help my son.

    UPDATE:
    After 2.5 months of intensive trauma therapy (EMDR) my son's pain level went from 8, 9, 10 down to 0, 1, 2. He also no longer needs to use his cane to walk. He came to terms with his chronic pain being caused by past trauma. He and his fiancé have moved out and now live in Michigan. I wish they were closer to me and my daughter in NC.
    Even though my son's pain is much better, it's still fluctuates and since he's no longer in therapy, it's been easy for him to go back to thinking his pain is from his car accident. He became addicted to opioids when he was living home and admitted that he still "needed," to be on pain meds after the EMDR therapy helped to get his pain level down to zero. He needs to continue therapy and work on his opioid addiction and has basically stopped communicating with me. It's really hard knowing he is isolating himself and I know he's an adult and all I can do is let him know I am here for him when he needs me. And I have to let him make mistakes and heal in his own time.

    June 2019:
    I switched from EMDR therapy to IFS (Internal Family Systems). I really like IFS much better than EMDR. I think it's important to find the right therapist as well as explore different types of therapy that work.

    After 2 years of learning about chronic pain, I am still able to stop tension headaches. I have not gotten a single migraine headache since learning how to stop them. It's rare that I have insomnia.

    Through meditating I was able to get off of my anti anxiety meds. I also no longer need my ADHD medication.

    I use the phone app "Headspace," daily for guided meditation. On good days I do it when I wake up and before I go to sleep.