Day 1

Hi all,

Just wanted to introduce myself and share a bit of my story. I'm really excited to work through the structured educational program. I began the program yesterday after after reading Sarno's books Mindbody Prescription and Healing Back Pain and feeling convinced I have TMS. I am also reading Schubiner's Unlearn Your Pain right now. The first I read was Healing Back Pain and I had a major epiphany. All of a sudden I was able to tie my several chronic pain conditions together.

For years I have had GI problems and chronic neck and back pain that came and went. Most recently, I have had severe pelvic and bladder pain and then that subsided a bit and I developed severe low back pain and sciatica. I had an MRI that showed a herniated disc and I got a cortisone injection, but all of the online information gave such a bleak outlook on disc herniation and the pain associated with it. At that point, I was thinking, WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH ME?! I wouldn't accept I couldn't get better. It just made no sense. That's how I found the Sarno book, researching late one night on Google. I typed in "how I successfully overcame pain from disc herniation" and there it was in an article. I downloaded it that night and read it all by the next night.

I would say I have the classic TMS personality, perfectionist, very hard on myself and when my stress levels go up, my pain increases. And I have had a whole lot of stress over the past 10 years. Since accepting I have TMS the pelvic pain is mostly gone, but then my lower back and leg pain started to flare up again. I immediately panicked because in the back of my head I am worried that the herniated disc I was diagnosed with is the cause of my pain, but then had to remind myself my symptoms aren't really super consistent with just a herniated disc.

Basically when I start to feel the fear I tell myself it's just the TMS, it will pass. "It's psychological, not physical" I also say to myself and then I purposely continue with my normal routine. I do still take OTC pain killers at times and am now trying to figure out the best total body strength and relaxation techniques to take the focus off my back and have a goal of total body fitness, health and relaxation.

It's funny as soon as I started reminding myself it was the TMS when my lower back acted up yesterday, my shoulders and neck tension started acting up. My pain just moves around, sometimes within minutes! My mind is a tricky place, but I am working hard to undo all of it.

 

Hi Calilady! Welcome! I too had an epiphany after reading Healing
Back Pain. I found the SEP to literally be a lifesaver. Glad you've discovered it.
Blessings on your journey.