could my symptoms possibly be TMS?

M

matthewj7

Newcomer
so im a 17 year old male and this all started in december so a few months ago. i woke up and for like a week straight i had an insane urgency to use the bathroom. i went to the doctor and got it sorted out or whatever, but i was still worrying about it and if it would stay forever and never go away, that day was extremely stressful for me and i cried alot. but that same day i had a headache come on after a weird sensation (felt like a pop or crack i dont know if ill ever be able to explain it) in the back of my head, i’ve always been a headache person but the sensation was weird to me so i just slept it off. but when i woke up the next day, i had a terrible headache, the worst headache ive ever had. ever since tbat day the headache has dulled down ALOT but its still there 24/7 and ive had every single test and everythings clear. i also have neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, pelvic pain, stomach pain, all randomly and its never 24/7 and it all started after this. ill list why i BELIEVE it could be TMS

1. headache came on during a stressful time
2. symptoms are inconsistent (the headache has gotten better since, if it was something structural it’d stay the same or get worse)
3. have a history of anxiety and depression and TMS personality types
4. pain started without injury
5. and in my opinion the most important for me, sometimes when im EXTREMELY and i mean like 100% distracted i feel like it goes away, but this doesnt happen often and its maybe once or twice a month. also literally just today the neck pain started again, i closed my eyes and observed it neutrally and it went away INSTANTLY!

reasons why i have doubts

1. its 24/7, and sometimes stress makes it worse but sometimes it doesnt
2. it felt like there was a clear physical cause right before it started

let me know what you think as this is ruining my life
 
Just because symptoms are present 24/7 doesn’t mean they’re not TMS. Also the initial symptom of urgency to urinate could easily be TMS as well, the brain tensing up the pelvic muscles or nerves (in fact that was also my first obvious TMS symptom) and that first symptom is your scare event that you obsessed over and sent your nervous system into extreme fight or flight, not saying it’s your fault or anything, just is what it is.

I would say without a doubt it’s TMS, what’s more likely, all these issues occurring individually, simultaneously, or there being one underlying cause (your heightened nervous system)?

feel free to get a second opinion with a dr, but be wary of getting medicalized, and if first line tests show nothing, stop seeing them unless in dire need, the medical merry go round can utterly set you back and be ruinous.

and honestly congrats about accepting this as a possibility at 17, indicates incredible intelligent and intuition, I’m about twice your age and only got on this train a few months ago.
 
Welcome, @matthewj7, and let me echo this:
Rabscuttle said:
and honestly congrats about accepting this as a possibility at 17, indicates incredible intelligent and intuition, I’m about twice your age and only got on this train a few months ago.
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Because hah, I was 60 when I discovered the possibility of TMS after a lifetime of mild TMS symptoms that did not reach a crisis until I was faced with the "rage of age" as I call it.

If you haven't yet read a book by Dr John Sarno MD, we always recommend that as the first step. You can read about him and find information about his four books here: https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/John_E._Sarno,_MD (John E. Sarno, MD)
You only need to read one. They are available in all formats (especially the last three) and at many libraries.

Here are some other resources to get you started:

This is a self-assessment test from the PPD Association (the professional group of mindbody/TMS doctors, therapists and other practitioners):
https://ppdassociation.org/ppd-self-questionnaire (Symptomatic – Association for Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms) (Self Quiz — Psychophysiologic Disorders Association)

This is a forum thread with a link and description of the "ACEs Quiz" and its relevance to physical suffering:
https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/aces-quiz-online-printable-versions.27061 (ACEs "quiz" - online & printable versions)

Our Structured Educational Program is on the main tmswiki.org site here: Structured Educational Program - The TMS Wiki. It is free and does not require any kind of registration or signup. Be sure to read the recommended pre-program introductory information.
 
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Hi, @matthewj7

Welcome! You’re smart to get this far. Good for you! Your checklist for being TMS is great. I’ll try and address your two doubts.
matthewj7 said:
1. its 24/7, and sometimes stress makes it worse but sometimes it doesnt
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I have about 8 symptoms and they’re all 24/7. Most TMS is 24/7 until you get rid of it. It can subside or increase for its own reasons—often without any clear explanation (stress or not).
matthewj7 said:
2. it felt like there was a clear physical cause right before it started
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TMS almost always comes on after a legit physical problem because it’s looking for something you would be willing to believe is real (to distract you!)

Your remaining doubts will melt away as you get to work. And it’s work, don’t doubt that. It’s a journey. But you seem like a fast learner—and you’re determined. All good things! Check out the success stories. They’re inspiring!
 
hey guys so a bit of a update! my headache has been feeling better (idk but im pretty sure) but now i feel like this weird pain in my eyebrow. i do accept that this is TMS, but my question is HOW do i ignore it. pretty much every TMS related book i read says to ignore the pain and continue on with your life, i continue on with my life but im just not able tk ignore the pain as its right in my forehead and eyebrows. anytime i get other pain i always ignore it, not able to do much about this, any tips would be very helpful!
 
matthewj7 said:
every TMS related book i read says to ignore the pain and continue on with your life, i continue on with my life but im just not able tk ignore the pain
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Continuing on with your life while having pain is what is meant when the books tell us to ignore the pain. It doesn't mean that we don't have the pain anymore. That would be TMS recovery, which is possible, but you aren't there yet. It is possible to become so distracted by something that interests you, that you just don't notice it for a while, though. Just keep working the program. You'll get there.
 
Ellen said:
Continuing on with your life while having pain is what is meant when the books tell us to ignore the pain.
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This is the ultimate challenge. But I think @Ellen is right. You have to do things that interest you. You have to have fun anyway. It definitely takes discipline to get up and over your fear and self-absorption, to face any physical pain obstacles —and get to the good stuff of life. I have not mastered this on a full-time basis yet.
 
ok thank you guys so much! my last question is how do i overcome my fear of pain? thats also another big issue currently ongoing. i have no fear of the pain being something fatal/misdiagnosed, but i am fearful of the pain and if it’ll ever go away. i obviously know this’ll take alot of time, but if you have any tips that could help me id be very grateful!
 
matthewj7 said:
ok thank you guys so much! my last question is how do i overcome my fear of pain? thats also another big issue currently ongoing. i have no fear of the pain being something fatal/misdiagnosed, but i am fearful of the pain and if it’ll ever go away. i obviously know this’ll take alot of time, but if you have any tips that could help me id be very grateful!
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Fear of it EVER going away is the easiest. You read a lot of success stories. And you say to yourself every day what Sarno said, “everyone who does the work gets better.” You think of your friends here on the forum and how they overcame, step-by-step, and you will too.

Overcoming current pain, and/or avoiding it, is the hardest. I think this is a mental challenge more than anything. Our minds are our strongest element. If we decided we wanted to climb a mountain, we could. Think of all the things humans have done out of sheer determination. The trick here is NOT to baby yourself. Not to give in to the pain. For me, it’s painful to walk and stand. I avoid it. And, if I’m honest, it’s not excruciating. It’s doable. But why do I cringe from it? Because it reminds me of everything I hate about having TMS. And, because it’s uncomfortable. It’s hard.

I need to scrub my mind. I need to get more no-nonsense. The pain is my door out. If I stood more, I would get better. The more I face the pain, the sooner I’ll get better. So, it all comes down to tough love. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and get our butts out there.

Have you ever read, The Great Pain Deception, by Steve Ozsnich? He’s the quintessential example of someone who determinedly walked through pain to get to freedom from TMS.
 
"how do i overcome my fear of pain?"
Like most TMS work, this comes down to each individual.
At first, I would ask "what am I feeling in this moment" and take a second to pause and check for emotions, or say to myself "You have inner rage, and it's manifesting as sensations, that is all" and continue with what I was doing.

After a few weeks I got the the point I constantly, and I mean minute by minute had to tell myself that I was OK. My mantra was "I'm Not Dying" (I was bedridden and could barely walk, had seizures, and many many other symptoms) and then carry on with what I was doing. By this time I was able to walk a bit and stand for a few moments at a time, bathe and use the facilities by myself.

At this point I read Claire Weekes Hope and Help for your Nerves, and began following her advice. I focused less on self talk and more on her "floating" method - which is essentially to recognize the fear thoughts as just thoughts. Thoughts are not real. When I had catastrophic thinking, I simply just told myself to stop and I'd start thinking about something else. Now, understand this book was written a long time ago by a little old lady so it's kinda oldfashioned sounding and she uses words like "nervous" to mean anxiety but her advice is great and has helped a lot of people with TMS.

The hyper focus on the symptoms AND on the fear are OCD like thinking. These are symptoms that can absolutely be reversed and are only psychological symptoms of TMS. Recognize that you are actually fearing the physical manifestations of fear. Just as you begin practicing to feel other emotions eg. anger, joy, guilt etc. and allow the physical sensations in your body without pushing them away, so you can begin to experience fear. Notice what fear feels like in your body, and as you are feeling it, just say "it's only fear" - you don't need to go wild on this, just try occasionally for awhile. Your brain will soon learn that you aren't reacting to the fear so much. Basically you need to dial down the fear to get your nervous system to stop being stuck in freak-out mode.

Dr. Sarno reminds us that TMS is benign - meaning it can't hurt you.

As I was doing this self -talk, I would continue engaging more and more in any kind of activity that took my mind away from the fear thoughts. Do the stuff you have to do, and make sure you sprinkle fun stuff in there too.

As with everything in life, these little lessons in teaching your yourself to change your habits don't need to be perfect. You just need to do them a few times a day to begin re-training your mind.

You might find that you need to do this for while, or you might find that all of a sudden, you don't see to focus on the fear so much because your brain can learn pretty quick. Just don't pressure yourself about it.
 
Cactusflower said:
"how do i overcome my fear of pain?"
Like most TMS work, this comes down to each individual.
At first, I would ask "what am I feeling in this moment" and take a second to pause and check for emotions, or say to myself "You have inner rage, and it's manifesting as sensations, that is all" and continue with what I was doing.
Click to expand...
I'm going to use this line on myself! It's short and sweet!
 
matthewj7 said:
my last question is how do i overcome my fear of pain?
Click to expand...

In addition to all the good advice given above, I'll add that you emphasize and build on your success. You notice, Hey, I was pain free for a while yesterday for the first time in a while. This is possible. Next time, maybe it's longer, and so on. Just don't focus on the actual time too much or "calendar watch"....keep it general. I have a saying "TMS only leaves when you aren't watching." Put the focus on other parts of your life.
 
so a little bit of an update, ALL my symptoms have gone away. and i had i wanna say a week or so without the headache (i just thought it was at a really really low level, but the headache came back today so now ive realized it was literally gone until it came back today, its still here but better than any other day). but sadly my eyebrow pain is still there but it’s gotten a little bit better. im pretty much now fully into TMS! and i know even though its hard right now its a matter of time until everything goes away!
 
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