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Any tips of being sucked back into the medication/treatment craze?

Guava

Guava

Peer Supporter
EDIT: Title should read: Any tips of AVOIDING being sucked back into the medication/treatment craze?

Wondering if anyone has tips on avoiding this, especially when relapses happen after pain has been reduced for a while!

I find that whenever it gets bad, I search for the whole treatment thing again- doctors, acupuncture etc as a support. Urrrgh! And my mind knows it prob won't work, but keep thinking what if? When I shouldn't be!
 
Guava, here is my advice. I realized I was putting extra tension and stress on myself trying to make sure I did everything correctly to recover from TMS. If I was in a panic and felt like I needed to see my doctor, or get a little extra support by getting a massage or acupuncture, that I was somehow failing. The big one is I kept reading YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT YOUR TMS DIAGNOSIS 100% OR YOU WILL NEVER RECOVER. Boy, I really beat myself up everytime I was feeling any doubt. And when the pain increased, I really felt like I had done something wrong. Now I am really taking to heart what it means to be kind to oneself. So I went to the doctor a few times, so what? I learned quickly enough that I wasn't going to get a different answer from all the other times I went and then I was able to move forward. Its okay. Its a process. I can feel that I am getting closer. I am feeling much more confident that I will recover and be painfree. And most importantly, I know I am going to have a richer and much happier life than I ever have before. I still have some pain and lots of anxiety, but I am already so much happier. Its happening. Some people may be able to strong arm themselves into believing 100% right away, and immediately stop thinking about physical causes and looking for emotional support and comfort in treatments. But that didn't work for me. What is working for me is to breathe, tell myself I am not in danger and it is going to be okay regardless. Maybe it will take me a little longer, but maybe not. The kinder I am to myself over doing this perfectly all the time, the less outside support I am feeling compelled to seek. I know its hard and disappointing when the pain increases. That just means you need to keep digging, doing the work. That does not in any way mean its not going away.
 
I think you're smart to be proactive about this. It will save you a lot of pain and money in the long run!

One thing is you could review Dr. Sarno's 12 daily reminders each day. We made a new video for them because the old video is no longer available:
BTW, if you watch the video, let me know if you have any ideas for improving it. I'm considering speeding it up, for example.​
​
Another idea would be using an evidence sheet and keeping it hand, perhaps putting it on your fridge or taping it up in your workplace. Alan Gordon explains how to do this in the section of his recovery program about Accepting the TMS Diagnosis. There is a forum thread where people discuss how this has worked for them.​
​
More generally, you could just come up with a list of affirmations that your symptoms are purely physical and that route to health is thinking psychological rather than physical. See TMS Affirmations for tips. You could also record the affirmations so that it is easier to do them: recorded TMS Affirmations .​
​
Hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. My gut says that having some affirmations that you review every day could really help you stay focused.
 
Great post, Anne! I think that we were probably writing ours at the same time, but it sounds like you are in a great place. Self compassion is a beautiful thing (and very helpful!).
 
Hi Guava.

I really, really struggle on this one, including right now,
following a madly intense 2 weeks of self administered trigger
point therapy. Initially I integrated it with psychological thinking
but eventually that gave way to an overwhelming structural
diagnosis mania. And from there I just spiral down into
a frenetic haze fed on google, medical books, return visit to
physiotherapist, new exercise regime, diet changes, endless self
talk and note-taking.

It just goes on and on, only to find myself exhausted.

And today, bedridden.

And the slow return to TMS.

Pete
 
PeterO said:
Hi Guava.

I really, really struggle on this one, including right now,
following a madly intense 2 weeks of self administered trigger
point therapy. Initially I integrated it with psychological thinking
but eventually that gave way to an overwhelming structural
diagnosis mania. And from there I just spiral down into
a frenetic haze fed on google, medical books, return visit to
physiotherapist, new exercise regime, diet changes, endless self
talk and note-taking.

It just goes on and on, only to find myself exhausted.

And today, bedridden.

And the slow return to TMS.

Pete
Click to expand...

Hmmm..with me I have completely accepted that it is non-structural. But I have decided to make a big decision and try to go back to university and I guess i'm looking for something I can use as a crutch in case of problems. I haven't tried all the options doctors have given me, because i just gave up at that point and committed myself to TMS. But I saw another private doc recently and he said i hadn't really used one key approach and he said to try it and that he is sure the pain will go. This involves more medication and physio however so I am skeptical, but a part of me is saying to just try it and see. What i'm worried about is if this is disruptive to the TMS way of life I have chosen to go down. I do not see it as physical however, so i'm wondering whether i could just do the two simultaneously- so not totally relying on the meds/physio in the way that i was before (before I viewed them as fixing a structural problem with my muscles /spine). I'm not so sure...if any one has any advice i'd appreciate it! :)
 
Forest said:
I think you're smart to be proactive about this. It will save you a lot of pain and money in the long run!

One thing is you could review Dr. Sarno's 12 daily reminders each day. We made a new video for them because the old video is no longer available:
BTW, if you watch the video, let me know if you have any ideas for improving it. I'm considering speeding it up, for example.​
​
Another idea would be using an evidence sheet and keeping it hand, perhaps putting it on your fridge or taping it up in your workplace. Alan Gordon explains how to do this in the section of his recovery program about Accepting the TMS Diagnosis. There is a forum thread where people discuss how this has worked for them.​
​
More generally, you could just come up with a list of affirmations that your symptoms are purely physical and that route to health is thinking psychological rather than physical. See TMS Affirmations for tips. You could also record the affirmations so that it is easier to do them: recorded TMS Affirmations .​
​
Hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. My gut says that having some affirmations that you review every day could really help you stay focused.
Click to expand...

I watched the video. I think it was good at the pace it was. Letting the statements sink in a little before moving on. It wasn't too slow...

I was wondering. What do you think about the idea of using medication/physio etc, but not in the sense for a physical cure (as I mentioned in my above post). I'd be focussing on the TMS, but just utilising these in the background as well. I definately believe it is NOT a structural problem. ? Thank you.
 
Hi Guava.

I had thought the same thing.

With me, there seemed to be a difference in the thinking
& the doing. As much I told myself that I am only treating
the symptoms (trigger points) & still maintaining my
psychological thinking, my doing was in fact re-integrating
with a physical therapy approach. I thought I could have it
both ways but for me this didn't work out. My mind
eventually fell back into former patterning.

I would be reluctant to advise you as it is your journey.

It is a difficult decision to have to make.

Perhaps as I read in a recent post, the focus must shift from
'how do I get rid of this pain' to a more expansive 'how do I
need to be.'

Pete
 
I guess i'm looking for something I can use as a crutch in case of problems.
Click to expand...

Guava, it sounds like you suffer from anxiety - I can say this from experience, as someone who has spent a lifetime (62 years) worrying in advance about possible problems. It feels like I say this all the time, (maybe because I resonate more with the posts of people like me): anxiety is a huge component of TMS - although it's kind of a chicken-or-egg thing, because we often ask which came first: the anxiety or the TMS? Is anxiety simply another TMS symptom or does it cause TMS symptoms? Or does it matter?

The thing is, you can't try convince yourself on the one hand that "it's not structural" and on the other follow a new proposed regime with a structural doctor "just in case" you have problems.

If you're not ready to give up the structural diagnosis, that's okay - that's where you're at right now. And even though we're probably not going to give you the answer you want, we're still here for you.

In the meantime, you might want to address the anxiety issue. We have a TON of resources about anxiety! use our new Search engine to find articles and forum posts.


Hang in there, okay?

Jan
 
JanAtheCPA said:
Guava, it sounds like you suffer from anxiety - I can say this from experience, as someone who has spent a lifetime (62 years) worrying in advance about possible problems. It feels like I say this all the time, (maybe because I resonate more with the posts of people like me): anxiety is a huge component of TMS - although it's kind of a chicken-or-egg thing, because we often ask which came first: the anxiety or the TMS? Is anxiety simply another TMS symptom or does it cause TMS symptoms? Or does it matter?

The thing is, you can't try convince yourself on the one hand that "it's not structural" and on the other follow a new proposed regime with a structural doctor "just in case" you have problems.

If you're not ready to give up the structural diagnosis, that's okay - that's where you're at right now. And even though we're probably not going to give you the answer you want, we're still here for you.

In the meantime, you might want to address the anxiety issue. We have a TON of resources about anxiety! use our new Search engine to find articles and forum posts.


Hang in there, okay?



Jan
Click to expand...

Yes, you are right. I do suffer with a lot of anxiety. I've tried CBT and some other methods, which has helped a bit. But still many of my decisions concern worrying in advance of possible problems. Its horrible for decision making. Dreadful. It just leaves me in a position where I don't make a decision at all and let all the pros/cons, good/bad situations run over and over in my head. And then what do you know...the time has gone by so fast and you have ended up doing nothing. I'll look for more resources on here!


I see what you mean. I guess im still thinking in terms of all/nothing when I think about it. Even if I make a mistake, that doesn't mean I can't go back to working on TMS. But I keep thinking - oh if I do this thing, then that may undo all my TMS progress. It probably doesn't work like that. I shall keep on my journey :) Thanks.
 
Since my doctoring early this year did succeed in banishing my GERD by unmasking it as nothing, I must give it nod. But my doctoring for the knee/wrist/ankle/back pain was all so ambiguous, it hasn't yet knocked it out. But yesterday I heard about one last blood test (OK as it turned out), and that's it. No more doctoring, unless for something unrelated. My hope is that the TMS has been holding onto the medical thing, and now is denied that cover. It's a theory, anyway.
 
I've been taking Dr. Schubiner's suggestion and repeating "I have MBS (or TMS) and I can cure myself." It helps me.
 
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