Hi - I’m here because since I recovered from COVID mid-September, I have been struggling from the most baffling symptoms: dizziness, a feeling of being off balance 24-7, my head feeling like a “fishbowl” where it’s heavier on one side than the other, I feel pulled by gravity to the ground, this feeling of walking on a trampoline when I walk, tinnitus, this feeling of being drunk 24/7, derealization, brain fog, and trouble with my vision where I can’t track people moving without getting dizzy. This is constant. It’s consuming. This makes my job as a personal trainer very difficult, and it has completely destroyed the last 3 months of my life. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life and have never cried so much.
Here’s a list of what I’ve tried:
The anxiety, despair, and stress building up from not knowing what was going on peaked two weeks ago. I was at work when my vision went blurry and I fell from being dizzy. I was rushed to the ER, and my blood pressure was 180/110. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with me after doing scans and tests, and told me I needed to lower my anxiety as no 32 year old should have this high of blood pressure.
I had the hardest, longest, saddest cry of my life in that room as I felt utterly hopeless. I made sounds I’d never heard before out of my mouth. I couldn’t work, I couldn’t be with friends, I couldn’t be a good partner in my relationship, it has been months since I felt any ounce of joy or happiness.. I felt hopeless of every having a normal life again. I honestly don’t know how I made it through that day.
I started desperately browsing YouTube for anyone who might have been going through the same, when I found The Steady Coach and Dan Buglio. I binged their videos. They both talked about Dr Sarno and I immediately put their practices into my day (even though I was skeptical at first). I listened to the same success stories on repeat every day.
It’s taken me a minute of coming to acceptance that while this may have started as a post COVID infection.. it has now jolted my nervous system into a cycle of panic and anxiety which is TMS. I now believe firmly this is TMS and I have hope for the first time that I will get better.
You know what else is crazy? I pieced something together a few days ago - Two years ago I had a back injury (disc herniation at L5-S1) that took me out of work and working out for 2 whole years. I couldn’t do my job properly, I lost part of my identity, I lost a hobby I deeply loved and made me happy, and I was cautious about everything in life so that I wouldn’t feel the pain again. I went through the whole cycle of doctors with no answers. I’ve been through this cycle before but had no way out so I have just been living as a cautious anxious person since.
It’s no wonder to me that my nervous system has had a full blown meltdown after all these years and stress. I really think going through this program and following Dr Sarno’s teachings will truly be a life changing experience for me, for both my dizziness and my lower back, and will get me back to a better, new life. I have hope.
Here’s a list of what I’ve tried:
- Primary doctor: Told me to take antihistamines because I had fluid in my ears from COVID. Two weeks later, no changes.
- ENT: Earliest appointment was 3 months from when I called. When I did finally go to the appointment, they said Long COVID, as my ears and my hearing looked fine.
- Vestibular Therapist: Gave me vestibular rehabilitation exercises (which helped a bit, but not enough to make the symptoms go away completely). She was the only one who had compassion listening to me and said she saw a lot of people struggling with this post COVID.
- Acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care.. nothing gave me relief.
The anxiety, despair, and stress building up from not knowing what was going on peaked two weeks ago. I was at work when my vision went blurry and I fell from being dizzy. I was rushed to the ER, and my blood pressure was 180/110. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with me after doing scans and tests, and told me I needed to lower my anxiety as no 32 year old should have this high of blood pressure.
I had the hardest, longest, saddest cry of my life in that room as I felt utterly hopeless. I made sounds I’d never heard before out of my mouth. I couldn’t work, I couldn’t be with friends, I couldn’t be a good partner in my relationship, it has been months since I felt any ounce of joy or happiness.. I felt hopeless of every having a normal life again. I honestly don’t know how I made it through that day.
I started desperately browsing YouTube for anyone who might have been going through the same, when I found The Steady Coach and Dan Buglio. I binged their videos. They both talked about Dr Sarno and I immediately put their practices into my day (even though I was skeptical at first). I listened to the same success stories on repeat every day.
It’s taken me a minute of coming to acceptance that while this may have started as a post COVID infection.. it has now jolted my nervous system into a cycle of panic and anxiety which is TMS. I now believe firmly this is TMS and I have hope for the first time that I will get better.
You know what else is crazy? I pieced something together a few days ago - Two years ago I had a back injury (disc herniation at L5-S1) that took me out of work and working out for 2 whole years. I couldn’t do my job properly, I lost part of my identity, I lost a hobby I deeply loved and made me happy, and I was cautious about everything in life so that I wouldn’t feel the pain again. I went through the whole cycle of doctors with no answers. I’ve been through this cycle before but had no way out so I have just been living as a cautious anxious person since.
It’s no wonder to me that my nervous system has had a full blown meltdown after all these years and stress. I really think going through this program and following Dr Sarno’s teachings will truly be a life changing experience for me, for both my dizziness and my lower back, and will get me back to a better, new life. I have hope.
