Doubt

[ellie freegan]

I made the mistake of telling people I barely knew about Tms the other day. One said it sounded like Freudian bullshit. When I explained that lots of people including myself have pain but no structural abnormalities another said Maybe technology is not advanced enough to see certain structural abnormalities rather than
they're not there. Unfortunately this planted some seeds of doubt in my mind so would appreciate some reassurance thanks so much

 

[mike2014]

Hi Ellie,

I've found the worse thing that you can do when trying to overcome TMS is to discuss it with others who don't understand. It will only cause doubt etc. You almost need to process / progress the journey yourself. I'd say, it's not until a person is ill themselves do they start exploring all avenues or means of healing.

That said, if you have any doubts, read the success stories or one of Dr Sarnos books.

The very emotions that gave you TMS are the very ones that are holding you back from your recovery.

Best regards

 

[Zumbafan]

It is common for people to resist TMS, like you said, they don't understand. I remember reading somewhere that emotional difficulties seem to fall into the same category as racial and religious prejudice.
As Mike suggested, read the success stories on the forum and be encouraged.

 

[Boston Redsox]

Hi Ellie,

I've found the worse thing that you can do when trying to overcome TMS is to discuss it with others who don't understand. It will only cause doubt etc. You almost need to process / progress the journey yourself. I'd say, it's not until a person is ill themselves do they start exploring all avenues or means of healing.

That said, if you have any doubts, read the success stories or one of Dr Sarnos books.

The very emotions that gave you TMS are the very ones that are holding you back from your recovery.

Best regards

Mike

You have been giving great insight and advice to new combers and people who have been dealing with tms for awhile like myself .
I would like to thx you for this

 

[mike2014]

Thanks Marco, we are all in this together my friend.

Cheers. To good health!

 

[Boston Redsox]

Watch the connection this morning pretty good gives all of us hope ....BELIEF IS THE CURE

 

[David88]

Unfortunately this planted some seeds of doubt in my mind so would appreciate some reassurance thanks so much

Yes, there is a lot of skepticism from people who have not had the experience themselves. It's in American culture to reject the mindbody connection. If it is a headache or upset stomach, people accept it as stress, but they don't want to see how pervasive mindbody symptoms can be.

Maybe it would help you to read the stories here, especially the success stories. I was bedridden for years with back pain that turned out to be TMS. I still have my struggles, but I'm out of bed and having a life again, with much less pain and fear of the pain. There was no magic cure, just the understanding that the real source of the pain was my repressed feelings, just as Sarno said. In my case those feelings go back to a traumatic childhood, so they've been difficult to face. But it's been worth every effort that I put into it.

 

[mike2014]

Yes, there is a lot of skepticism from people who have not had the experience themselves. It's in American culture to reject the mindbody connection. If it is a headache or upset stomach, people accept it as stress, but they don't want to see how pervasive mindbody symptoms can be.

Maybe it would help you to read the stories here, especially the success stories. I was bedridden for years with back pain that turned out to be TMS. I still have my struggles, but I'm out of bed and having a life again, with much less pain and fear of the pain. There was no magic cure, just the understanding that the real source of the pain was my repressed feelings, just as Sarno said. In my case those feelings go back to a traumatic childhood, so they've been difficult to face. But it's been worth every effort that I put into it.

Hi David, yes I get fed up when people mention stress on a very superficial level, but don't really fully understand the mechanics behind how emotions trigger the fight or flight process and over time can weaken ones immune system.

 

[ellie freegan]

Thanks so much everyone. if anyone is able to give a specific reply about the point that there maybe structural abnormalities that technology is not advanced enough to see yet that will be really helpful thanks again

 

[Ozzy]

My view is this Ellie: Science can already identify some structural abnormalities that cause no pain in some people and then doctors say these abnormalities must cause pain in other people. For example prolapsed discs or some cysts. So science is doing a good job already with identifying. What medics didn't get right with me was the cause of the pain. Pain starts in the brain not in the body part which is why amputees can feel pain in their amputated limb. I was creating the pain using my mind and projecting onto a healthy body part. The body part was not in 100% pristine shape but that does not mean it caused me pain. Three months of diagnostics, specialists and confusion was followed by two weeks of clarity. Within three days my pain was 90% gone. Within 2 weeks completely gone. Just with education. TMS is real but I don't expect anyone who has not cured themselves from it to believe in it.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Great responses from our wonderful members.

if anyone is able to give a specific reply about the point that there maybe structural abnormalities that technology is not advanced enough to see yet

Heh - my specific reply is that this is magical (wishful) thinking. These are the people who say "I want them to find out what's wrong so they can fix it". We have to fix ourselves.

You can still watch "The Connection" for free for another 24 hours or so - this is a 1-year anniversary gift from the producer and it is well worth taking the small amount of time (little over an hour) to watch. I have the DVD, it's an excellent film about the mind-body connection, by an Australian journalist who healed herself from an auto-immune disease (lupus or something like it).
https://www.theconnection.tv/

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Mike
You have been giving great insight and advice to new combers and people who have been dealing with tms for awhile like myself .
I would like to thx you for this

I couldn't agree more, Marco - and check out Mike's new label that he just earned! Whooeee!

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Marco is right, 100 percent belief in TMS is the cure. It isn't easy for some... I withheld about 10 percent belief... but when I began telling myself my back pain was 100 percent, I healed.

A positive mantra helps... "My pain is from emotional repression, not structural."

 

[Mtngal]

I've pretty much given up on telling people about TMS. One girl at work is getting physical therapy for her neck chest and shoulder pain. X-rays normal. Diagnosis was fibromyalgia. She said "but I don't believe in that". I showed her the 20/20 segment with John stossel and dr. Sarno. She wasn't convinced. She's still going to therapy but still has pain. Another girl who is only 21 is "excited" about her upcoming disc surgery for neck pain with arm symptoms caused by a car accident some years ago. She seems fine at work but says she's in constant pain. Yet no limitations always laughing etc. I think it's weird. I didn't even bring up TMS with her. Everyone wants a quick fix and most people will reject TMS. As dr Sarno and SteveO say. People would rather go under the knife than admit that any symptom is psychologically based.

 

[Hopeful_Alexandra]

I have structural abnormalities and most of the time have zero back pain. If the abnormalities (degenerating disc, bulging disc) were causing the pain then I would be in pain most of the time, yet I am not. The discs didn't un-degenerate and my bulge didn't fix itself. What another member wrote about the brain's role in creating and perpetuating pain was spot on. It seems fanciful that the brain would "choose" areas of abnormality to locate the pain, yet it seems that it does just this. Either that or I had a minor injury at one point that has healed, but the pain pathways are re activated by stress and painful emotions.

I really like the book The Hidden Psychology of Chronic Pain for this topic especially.

 

[Tennis Tom]

The proof of Dr. Sarno's TMS, Mindbody Syndrome, are the thousands of patients he cured in his clinical practice over his long career and the many SUCCESS STORIES here.