Crazy anxiety/doubt after seeing results?

[JoPale93]

I posted for the first time on this website less than a week ago, and I learnt of TMS less than 10 days ago. Since then, I’ve felt a difference in my pain from a 8/10 to a 3/10 and started going for daily walks to learn more about TMS.

Since Monday, 3-4 days ago, my anxiety is through the rough. Jitters, lack of reality, can’t concentrate, feelings of not wanting to “bother”, even though I’ve seen improvements from 11 years of pain in less than a week. Am I reading too much? Is this a good sign? Is the anxiety to show me this is the wrong journey? I heard of symptom imperative and somewhat believe it to be true. But I’ve only had anxiety in my early teens. Literally over 15 years ago. I am an anxious sort of perfectionist. But never had SYMPTOMS. I want to believe extreme anxiety means I’m about to have a breakthrough. Any thoughts?

 

[Ellen]

It is very common for TMS symptoms to be replaced by anxiety in the initial stages of recovery. It happens to a lot of people. By learning about TMS, the distraction that TMS symptoms were providing is being challenged, and there is fear of "now what?". You and your brain are adjusting to this new reality. Hang in there. Be very kind and gentle and with yourself, and keep on doing what you're doing. You have already accomplished a great deal. For me, aerobic exercise, being outside, and staying grounded in the present are effective ways to cope with anxiety.

I wish you well on your healing journey.

 

[JoPale93]

It is very common for TMS symptoms to be replaced by anxiety in the initial stages of recovery. It happens to a lot of people. By learning about TMS, the distraction that TMS symptoms were providing is being challenged, and there is fear of "now what?". You and your brain are adjusting to this new reality. Hang in there. Be very kind and gentle and with yourself, and keep on doing what you're doing. You have already accomplished a great deal. For me, aerobic exercise, being outside, and staying grounded in the present are effective ways to cope with anxiety.

I wish you well on your healing journey.

I haven’t returned to physical excerise just yet. But I might next week.

 

[FredAmir]

Ellen’s advise is on the mark.

One thing that may also help is to write down all the progress you have made physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Try to write at least 3-4 in each category and read it several times a day.

By the end of each day add whatever else you noticed had improved.

In a few days you will have a long list of accomplishments you can feel good about and that good feeling will boost your confidence to help you move forward to your full recovery.

 

[JoPale93]

Ellen’s advise is on the mark.

One thing that may also help is to write down all the progress you have made physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Try to write at least 3-4 in each category and read it several times a day.

By the end of each day add whatever else you noticed had improved.

In a few days you will have a long list of accomplishments you can feel good about and that good feeling will boost your confidence to help you move forward to your full recovery.

I’m curious if anyone on this amazing community has found a harmonious balance from two methods. Doing the inner work/confronting emotions, journalling, therapy, to EASE the tension of the mind & body, as well as did physical therapy?

I know the main point of the diagnosis is to “look no further” and accept it as TMS and focus on physiological and not physical, but what if you actually have seen highly respected doctors/sports med who actually find problems in your biomechanics/muscles (one side stronger than other) (lack of range of motion vs another) (one muscle firing & another not) or does the TMS healing solve all of this? I totally believe tms is my twilight moment it’s just structurally it’s not just “pain” “somewhere on my back” it’s specific.

From only a week my pain has went down, and I’m grateful to sarno for that one week of “healing” but if the body can’t physically do a movement it should? Then what?

 

[FredAmir]

I’m curious if anyone on this amazing community has found a harmonious balance from two methods. Doing the inner work/confronting emotions, journalling, therapy, to EASE the tension of the mind & body, as well as did physical therapy?

I know the main point of the diagnosis is to “look no further” and accept it as TMS and focus on physiological and not physical, but what if you actually have seen highly respected doctors/sports med who actually find problems in your biomechanics/muscles (one side stronger than other) (lack of range of motion vs another) (one muscle firing & another not) or does the TMS healing solve all of this? I totally believe tms is my twilight moment it’s just structurally it’s not just “pain” “somewhere on my back” it’s specific.

From only a week my pain has went down, and I’m grateful to sarno for that one week of “healing” but if the body can’t physically do a movement it should? Then what?

Once I was doing my lunges and my knee started to really hurt. My personal trainer had me stretch my IT band. I did lunges again and no knee pain at all.

So there can be a physical factor. What you want to try is slow, steady progress. In this way you do not end up doing something that scares you and delays recovery.

For example, if you sit for 5 minutes today and do ok and tomorrow sit for 6 minutes and have a lot of pain, you know it cannot be from sitting an extra minute. You know it’s TMS.

 

[hawaii_five0]

@JoPale93: My feelings about this are, that for sure it's possible to have legitimate pain from a physical issue, including soft tissue imbalances as you describe above (if somebody stabs you with a knife you will feel pain). But by catastrophizing about it, obsessing about, etc. you can double or triple or quintuple the discomfort. Sarno himself commented that some doctor from the 1940s noted that soldiers on the battlefield in WW2 who got wounded oftentimes would not need morphine because very often they were pretty happy: the wound meant they were going to go home and the war was over for them. But that gunshot victims with the same kinds of injuries in New York City after the war desperately needed morphine; their mental state was different. So it wasn't that the WW2 soldiers didn't need rehab or everything was perfect for them, but rather that they were just in less discomfort.

So I feel like, if someone legitimately has a physical issue, it makes sense to address it in all fronts, physically, and at the same time learn to not obsess about it or make it worse with anxiety.

 

[JoPale93]

@JoPale93: My feelings about this are, that for sure it's possible to have legitimate pain from a physical issue, including soft tissue imbalances as you describe above (if somebody stabs you with a knife you will feel pain). But by catastrophizing about it, obsessing about, etc. you can double or triple or quintuple the discomfort. Sarno himself commented that some doctor from the 1940s noted that soldiers on the battlefield in WW2 who got wounded oftentimes would not need morphine because very often they were pretty happy: the wound meant they were going to go home and the war was over for them. But that gunshot victims with the same kinds of injuries in New York City after the war desperately needed morphine; their mental state was different. So it wasn't that the WW2 soldiers didn't need rehab or everything was perfect for them, but rather that they were just in less discomfort.

So I feel like, if someone legitimately has a physical issue, it makes sense to address it in all fronts, physically, and at the same time learn to not obsess about it or make it worse with anxiety.

I’m a little confused with your answer mate. I definitely know where you’re coming from but what I mean is, if you came into a therapists office and they say your neck pain is from a rotated rib cage/weak core and they ask you to do a plank and you
Can’t even do it, and they say you’re compensating with your neck muscles etc. Is that TMS? Because I’ve had many different therapists tell me different versions of that for 10 years and I’ve yet to have results fixing it. With lots of tissue work. Chiropractic etc. They all have a different reason why and some are even so obvious in their findings being like, of course you have pain, look at you! Look at the distinction.

 

[hawaii_five0]

OK, yeah I am not sure. I'll let others weigh in. There are others on here way more knowledgeable than me. It is great though that your pain level has gone down. Sending you positive vibes!