Day 1 Day 1

I accidentally saw the youtube 20-20 video about Dr Sarno. Having had back pain for 30 years I downloaded Dr Sarno’s book Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body connection. The book freaked me out a little. It was all about me and I could not stop reading. I was skeptical though. It would not be the first time I thought I had found an answer, so I downloaded and read Steve Ozanich’s Book Pain Permanent Healing. After that, most of my sitting pain was gone and the walking pain in my hip reduced to half a day. I was glad to find something that helped, but I was angry about all the medical treatments I had gone through over 30 years. I was stunned when I remembered my IBS which preceded the low back sitting pain. All the invasive tests (that showed nothing). My neck surgery, all the stretching and exercising, the gadgets, I have a back pillows everywhere.


Beyond angry, stunned and sad, I am a little scared. I had psychotherapy for PTSD and depression all through my 20’s. It is no surprise to me that I have repressed emotions, I’ve had amnesia. I just had no Idea I could do this to myself.. The Idea of letting emotions out is a little disturbing. I learned 40 years ago never tell anyone you are seeing a shrink or have an emotional problem, they will treat you different after that.

 

Hi MrPositive,

I am glad you're not telling anyone about your inner experience. It is dangerous!

Welcome to this community and Wiki. I hope you are patient and just plug along with no particular urgency, allowing the work to go Deep, which it will with repetition and time. You are seeing so many truths and connections to Dr. Sarno's work. This seeing is the foundation of this program: seeing how this syndrome is the actual cause of your symptoms, nothing more.

I understand your fear. In my experience, and as you're seeing, simply contemplating the real causes of your pain is giving you success. The depth of your work need not be the end-all be-all, nor should you be afraid. Of course we're all afraid of really feeling, and being truthful with ourselves. For most folks, the path opens in the right amount of depth and courage. Believing that you must go deep and find your demons in order to get perfect relief is just a belief, after all. You are already skilled at knowing and naming what you're experiencing. Good luck!

Andy B

 

Hi, MrPositive. Andy is right. It's not a good idea to tell anyone you're seeing a shrink. Most people could benefit from one, but they don't want to admit that anything psychological might be wrong with them.

It's wonderful that you found some relief in your pain after reading Steve's book. It's proof that your symptoms are from TMS, your emotions.

Try not to be scared of the pain or the reasons you have some. Keep positive and focused on living in the present moment.

Keep Dr. Sarno's 12 Daily Reminders in mind. Here's a very good extended version from another TMS community member.

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   Herbie’s Extended Version of Dr. Sarno’s 12 DAILY REMINDERS

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   1. The pain is due to TMS. This is real pain or anxiety but it is caused by subconscious tensions and triggers, stressors and traits to your reactions and fears, and also when at boiling point your conscious tension can and does cause real pain too.
   2. The main reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation. This means that when you get in pain or in anxiety then the blood is restricted from going to a place such as the lower back. The blood being restricted causes oxygen deprivation which causes the pain. Remember, where there is no oxygen then there is pain in the body. Also, the pain stays because of fear and focus to physical organic symptoms and repressions.

1. TMS is a harmless condition caused by my REPRESSED EMOTIONS, so even though you think you can harm yourself from the years of pain you have felt and how you feel in general -- so far no reports have been heard from TMS healing knowledge causing damage to anyone. TMS knowledge only helps.

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1. The principle emotion is your repressed ANGER. This means under your consciousness lies something that happens automatically to everyone. TMSers have repressions that are stored because of our personality traits,traumas, stressors, fears, strain, etc... When these stored repressions build and build then eventually they cause the brain to send pain into your body to keep you from having an emotional crises. The mind-body thinks it is helping you.

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1. TMS exists to DISTRACT your attentions from the emotions, stressors, tensions and strains of your personality traits because if you can get distraction then you won't have to be in emotional turmoil. When you don't face and feel your emotions and they get repressed because you didn't want to deal with something -- they are just adding up in this beaker, ready to pour over and create real pain and anxiety in your body.

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1. Since my body is perfectly normal, there is nothing to fear. So in reality when I fear the pain or anxiety I just cause myself undo strain and tension adding to the beaker of pain. If I fear then I feed the pain. If I fear It is impossible to recondition. Fear keeps the pain and anxiety alive in the body through focus.

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1. Therefore, physical activity is harmless. If I want to work against the pain, I could, but it is better to lose some of the pain.

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1. I am resuming all normal physical activity. I don't fear moving anymore. I believe in my body's ability to heal now. I can move how I want. I will not fear moving with a bent back anymore. I will also practice going out and acting normal again, not in fear of what pain might do to me.

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1. The pain is unimportant and powerless. Its only power is how it is hidden -- it's illusion; it's fear.

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10. I will keep my attention on the emotional issues. I will think about my emotions and feel my emotions throughout the day. I will not judge, criticize or fear my emotions. I will not run from my emotional issues but face everyone of them. I will feel my emotions fully and cry if I need to. Then I will release the emotion and get my mind and thoughts back to my life and living in the present, in flow.

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   11. I am in control of all of this. This is how I recover.

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12. I will be thinking PSYCHOLOGICALLY AT ALL TIMES. This means I will keep my thoughts on psychological issues like happiness, fear and anger -- traits and triggers, conditioning and journaling. The science behind mind- body/TMS healing, etc.... This way I will not feed my thoughts to the body -- that is a trick of TMS. TMS will always try to get me to focus on the body caused by the pain until I break its show and flair. When I get my attention off psychical symptoms and on emotional issues and psychological issues then I will not feed the fear of the physical issues anymore, ` thus making the tms of no effect. This will in return, give you the cure.

 

Thanks for the Extended Daily Reminders and advice. I'm going to the Gym today, one of the things I gave up, exercise.

 

Thank you for your post. I like what you say about going back to the gym. I have been frightened of walking because when I do I suffer the next day, but you have given me the courage to start again. So I'm going to start walking a little more every day. So what if it hurts a little it's got to go!!!

 

Oh and thank you Walt for the Extended Daily Reminders?