2nd time lucky..

Hi

I'm not sure that I'm posting in the correct place?
This is my second attempt at over coming TMS. I'm not new to the concept and have experienced a degree of success in the past but never fully embraced the techniques and consequently I'm sill experiencing pain on an daily basis and flares which leave me unable to function. Been a tough year but I still have a passion for life and desperately want to be free of this crippling syndrome. So here goes again, with renewed motivation...

 

Hi, postergirl. That's the spirit... you know about TMS and it's helped you in the past.
Just go into the healing process again. If you have Dr. Sarno's HEALING BACK PAIN,
read it again. I'll give you the 12 Daily Reminders he suggests, and also a link to
a new video on TMS that Herbie put together.

12 DAILY REMINDERS….DR. SARNO

1. The pain is due to TMS.
2. The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation.
3. TMS is a harmless condition caused by my REPRESSED EMOTIONS.
4. The principle emotion is my repressed ANGER.
5. TMS exists only to DISTRACT my attentions from the emotions.
6. Since my body is perfectly normal, there is nothing to fear.
7. Therefore, physical activity is harmless.
8. I am resuming all normal physical activity.
9. The pain is unimportant and powerless.
10. My attention is on the emotional issues.
11. I am in control of all of this.
12. I’m thinking PSYCHOLOGICALLY AT ALL TIMES.

Herbie’s video on TMS:

http://tmswiki.org/forum/threads/what-to-know-to-heal-from-pain-pt-1.5482/

 

Thanks Walt, that's very kind of you. I should write the daily reminders on post it notes and stick them around my house...

Yes, I've probably every book ever written on the subject. But for reasons only known to my subconscious, I've never fully integrated the concept that the pain is not a result of some pathology.

Truth is, I've been so beaten down by the pain, I've lacked the motivation to be consistent in applying the tools. My own subconscious sabotaging my efforts. And sometimes felt overwhelmed by the effort required to beat this thing.

Time to try again.

Thanks for the support.

xx

 

Hi there postergirl and welcome back.

After three years I find that I still experience symptoms on a regular basis, due, I believe, to lifelong anxiety (which is also TMS - but as we know, anxiety also causes more TMS, which causes more anxiety, etc...) I accept that the anxiety may be with me for life, but I am really happy to say that I have a different relationship with it now, and I'm having better and better success at banishing it before it takes over.

The three things that I use regularly to overcome the various TMS symptoms that often plague me are:
- Knowledge that my brain is capable of creating any physical symptom in order to distract me from emotional distress
- Belief that there is nothing actually wrong with my body
- Faith that I can change my brain and achieve mental and physical well-being - even if it's temporary, that's okay, because I find I can recreate the process every time it's needed - as long as I am committed to it - and it's easier each time.

In addition to Dr. Sarno, the things that helped me the most were "Hope and Help For Your Nerves" by Dr. Claire Weekes, "When The Body Says No" by Dr. Gabor Mate, and, oddly enough, learning about phantom limb pain, really looking at the true power of the placebo effect, and studying what neuroscientists are learning about our primitive brains. Some of these things go far beyond Dr. Sarno, but each one has given me a little extra layer of knowledge along with an "Aha!" moment that took me to the next level of control.

It's fascinating stuff. Hang in there, okay? You can do it!

~Jan