Building up confidence in the diagnosis/TMS

[SunnyinFL]

Wondering what concrete techniques people have successfully used to build up confidence in the diagnosis of TMS?

As background, I'm working this program, feeling lots of emotions, thinking psychological - that part is fascinating and relatively easy to do. I fully accept the diagnosis for my neck/shoulder/back pain. For some reason that seems sensible/intuitive to me and I am having success in those areas. But, I am still struggling to believe the diagnosis for my foot pain. For some reason, I don't intuitively connect my foot pain that to TMS. Another sticking point for me is that a foot specialist (who I don't like or trust) said to me, "I don't think this will resolve without surgery." Of course, that alarmed me. My primary doc (who I like and trust) said it's just mild tendonitis and isn't a big deal.

If you have techniques you've successfully used to increase your confidence in the diagnosis, please share if you have a chance!

 

[AndrewMillerMFT]

Hi Sunny,

One of the biggest options you have is building an Evidence List. For any symptom you suspect is TMS, begin a list of all the reasons you believe it to be TMS. Often, as we build this list, we begin to notice even more reasons our symptoms are TMS - and we add them to the list. This list is great to have around when the doubt creeps in. I've even had clients make a list and have the symptom change as they're doing it - a sure sign that the symptom is psychosomatic in nature!

Best-

 

[SunnyinFL]

Hi Andrew! Thank you so much for your reply great idea. If you happen to have an anonymous sample evidence list you could post, it would help me generate more ideas. Just happened to watch one of your interviews on YouTube - it was so helpful! It led to a big ah ha moment for me. I'm sure that many others have benefited from your support, too - so thank you very much for all of the support you've given to this community!

 

[AndrewMillerMFT]

Hi Sunny, I don't have a list per se but some things to keep an eye on: symptom switching, symptoms coming on at intermittent times, any time you use a book intervention and your symptoms change, etc...

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Sunny. I like the replies. For me, it's simple. If a medical checkup finds no structural abnormality, it has to be TMS.
But I also believe what Dr. Sarno writes... that even if an Xray or MRI shows something structurally wrong, it may not cause pain and
the pain is from TMS. So it simply boils down to believing 100 percent in TMS. That wasn't easy for me two years ago when I began
having severe back pain, but when I finally got rid of the 5 percent doubt, I healed.

 

[SunnyinFL]

Hi, Sunny. I like the replies. For me, it's simple. If a medical checkup finds no structural abnormality, it has to be TMS.
But I also believe what Dr. Sarno writes... that even if an Xray or MRI shows something structurally wrong, it may not cause pain and
the pain is from TMS. So it simply boils down to believing 100 percent in TMS. That wasn't easy for me two years ago when I began
having severe back pain, but when I finally got rid of the 5 percent doubt, I healed.

Thanks so much, Walt. I like the replies, too. My case is sort of messy because I had such a bad - horrific - experience with a specialist who alarmed and scared me and told me I needed surgery. And he did find things wrong on my MRI. I'm sure many people have had the same experience. And I do have chronic tendonitis, as confirmed by two doctors. I emailed a TMS doctor about it, and he was very helpful. So, although I 100% believe in the TMS concepts, but my pain is not 100% TMS according to ALL doctors. So that's the tricky part. It seems that I have a legitimate medical issue, but my mind/body is overreacting to it - i.e., I am in much more pain than the medical issue merits. It's obvious to me that that portion is TMS. I also have pain in other areas and I have no doubt that the other areas are 100% TMS.

 

[IrishSceptic]

Hi Sunny,

One of the biggest options you have is building an Evidence List. For any symptom you suspect is TMS, begin a list of all the reasons you believe it to be TMS. Often, as we build this list, we begin to notice even more reasons our symptoms are TMS - and we add them to the list. This list is great to have around when the doubt creeps in. I've even had clients make a list and have the symptom change as they're doing it - a sure sign that the symptom is psychosomatic in nature!

Best-

Superb advice