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Dr. John Sarno on Fear
- Thread starter Forest
- Start date
Forest
Beloved Grand Eagle
Every time I read this quote I realize how utterly brilliant Dr. Sarno is. What kept me from being active and living a full life, was not the pain itself, but my fear and obsession with my symptoms. Yes, when my symptoms caused so much pain I could not walk long distances for type on a computer. But my fear kept me from doing these things even when my symptoms were not present. Addressing my fear helped me overcome my TMS, and regain my life back.
Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)
Beloved Grand Eagle
What happened to me and my darling dog Annie this morning fits here as a reply about fear.
I was letting her out the front door so we could take a walk with a neighbor and his two dogs.
They love each other, and Annie was eager to get out of the house to be with them.
But she slipped in the doorway and fell.
She's fallen a few times lately and I thought it might be arthritis or worse. She is 12 and a big
black English Lab. I feared the worse and thought I better have our vet look at her.
My car wouldn't start, so a friend drove us to the animal hospital. The vet who has treated
Annie all her life did some tests and concluded that her falling now and then is just aging.
But he said also that a lump near one of her rear legs is causing her to walk differently and
that can cause her to fall sometimes. She only falls on hardwood floors, not carpeting.
He suggested I lay down more carpeting where she walks most in the house.
So she has no fatal illness, thank heaven. I worried about that. Big time.
She also is not always able to jump onto the couch where she loves to nap and sleep
overnight and look out the window to our street. I put down some cushions for her
to use for steps up onto the couch but they're not secure enough for her so she avoids them.
I'm going to build her a carpeted wooden ramp which should make it easier for her to
get onto the couch.
Long story short, I feared the worst but then told myself it wasn't going to be fatal news
from the vet. It was going to be about arthritis or something not too serious.
I practiced TMS mindfulness on myself, telling myself it was not fatal, and she and I
would be back home soon and she would not fall on the floor anymore with more
carpeting to walk on.
Yes, I put in a very stressful morning. But my positive thinking and affirmations and
believing Annie would be okay got me through. One day the news may not be so good,
but I will have to put TMS healing techniques into action then. I know what they are
and how to use them to relieve fear and anxiety.
I also prayed before we left the house and asked God to help Annie and He did.
Thanks for reading. Fear can come in may ways for many reasons. We have to learn
how to tell it to go away.
I was letting her out the front door so we could take a walk with a neighbor and his two dogs.
They love each other, and Annie was eager to get out of the house to be with them.
But she slipped in the doorway and fell.
She's fallen a few times lately and I thought it might be arthritis or worse. She is 12 and a big
black English Lab. I feared the worse and thought I better have our vet look at her.
My car wouldn't start, so a friend drove us to the animal hospital. The vet who has treated
Annie all her life did some tests and concluded that her falling now and then is just aging.
But he said also that a lump near one of her rear legs is causing her to walk differently and
that can cause her to fall sometimes. She only falls on hardwood floors, not carpeting.
He suggested I lay down more carpeting where she walks most in the house.
So she has no fatal illness, thank heaven. I worried about that. Big time.
She also is not always able to jump onto the couch where she loves to nap and sleep
overnight and look out the window to our street. I put down some cushions for her
to use for steps up onto the couch but they're not secure enough for her so she avoids them.
I'm going to build her a carpeted wooden ramp which should make it easier for her to
get onto the couch.
Long story short, I feared the worst but then told myself it wasn't going to be fatal news
from the vet. It was going to be about arthritis or something not too serious.
I practiced TMS mindfulness on myself, telling myself it was not fatal, and she and I
would be back home soon and she would not fall on the floor anymore with more
carpeting to walk on.
Yes, I put in a very stressful morning. But my positive thinking and affirmations and
believing Annie would be okay got me through. One day the news may not be so good,
but I will have to put TMS healing techniques into action then. I know what they are
and how to use them to relieve fear and anxiety.
I also prayed before we left the house and asked God to help Annie and He did.
Thanks for reading. Fear can come in may ways for many reasons. We have to learn
how to tell it to go away.
Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)
Beloved Grand Eagle
Another thing that gave me fear about Annie was that the neighbor who came with his
two dogs to join us on a walk looked at her when she fell and said she may have suffered
a stroke. That really scared me. He meant well, but gave me a very fearful diagnosis about
my darling that I hadn't even thought of. People can we well-meaning, but they can make
us think even far worse than we can ourselves.
two dogs to join us on a walk looked at her when she fell and said she may have suffered
a stroke. That really scared me. He meant well, but gave me a very fearful diagnosis about
my darling that I hadn't even thought of. People can we well-meaning, but they can make
us think even far worse than we can ourselves.
Pingman
Well known member
Walt, this is so true and one of the reasons for my TMS. All of my somatic symptoms began with a mis-diagnosis by a GP who casually concluded I had a facial condition called Rosacea when in fact all I had was some dermititis. He was in no way skilled enough to make that call and even prescribed me a cream that made my skin worse back 4 years ago. Went to a Derm who recognized his mistake and with the right cream the issue went away.
Fast forward to now and my father made a comment about Multiple Sclerosis and how terrible it was for a family member when I was afraid I might have it. I know he wasn't thinking but it introduced fear into me.
What Forest said is so true for me too. Fear is my main challenge/ Even though I am getting better and at times when I am into a TV show or work I forget all about my pain I am obsessing about about my symptoms. I know if I could just get my mind off my eyes like I did with my leg it would all fade away.
Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)
Beloved Grand Eagle
Hi, Pingman. Your father meant well, like my neighbor, but they don't realize how much fear than can cause us.
Try not to think about your eyes and keep taking your mind onto distractions like a tv show or work.
We need to put our fears off to another day. Hopefully what we feared won't ever happen.
Try not to think about your eyes and keep taking your mind onto distractions like a tv show or work.
We need to put our fears off to another day. Hopefully what we feared won't ever happen.
Pingman
Well known member
Walt - I know, and I believe my old doctor mean't well too. With my father, that is a part of him...he always jumps to the worst conclusion so he probably harbors some sort of health anxiety as well I believe. He is forever experiementing with his sugar in-take, coffee amounts, vitamins etc..... to ward of his joint and pains.
I am doing better at not thinking about these stupid eyes of mine. I went outside today to fix my air compressor gauges in my garage. The sun was out and shining bright on the white snow so I put my sunglasses on. Finally I took them off and stepped into the driveway. My eyes didn't hurt.
I know its all a mental thing for me. I still have some tension in my neck and can feel that occipital bone on the left side of my head feel sore. It connect to the neck muscles and by chance its my left eye that throbs a little still. Its all connected.
Walt my friend, lets put the fears away and have a good weekend. Snuggle with your dog tonight and watch a good movie. I'm gonna give my boy a big hug when he gets home.
I am doing better at not thinking about these stupid eyes of mine. I went outside today to fix my air compressor gauges in my garage. The sun was out and shining bright on the white snow so I put my sunglasses on. Finally I took them off and stepped into the driveway. My eyes didn't hurt.
I know its all a mental thing for me. I still have some tension in my neck and can feel that occipital bone on the left side of my head feel sore. It connect to the neck muscles and by chance its my left eye that throbs a little still. Its all connected.
Walt my friend, lets put the fears away and have a good weekend. Snuggle with your dog tonight and watch a good movie. I'm gonna give my boy a big hug when he gets home.
Sanghagirl82
Peer Supporter
Forest, your post was timely for me. I am noticing more and more fear as I become aware. It's been there all along but I was so used to it that I actually did not consciously notice it. So now it is coming out strongly. I am accepting it, allowing it to be there for a bit and then letting it go. Trying to ignore it is not helpful. Sometimes I think the fear is worse than the physical manifestations. Then there is also the fear of the fear. It's all good and I am grateful that it is now manifesting out in the open so I can let it go. Thank you for your post.
Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)
Beloved Grand Eagle
Thanks, Pingman. I did what you suggested for tonight. Your boy will appreciate the hug.
Sanghagirl, you have the right approach to fear. Let it be there for a while, then let it go.
Tell yourself you are stronger than it is. You are, you know.
Keep using the affirmations and the positive mantras will overpower the fears.
Sanghagirl, you have the right approach to fear. Let it be there for a while, then let it go.
Tell yourself you are stronger than it is. You are, you know.
Keep using the affirmations and the positive mantras will overpower the fears.
Forest
Beloved Grand Eagle
This is so true. I don't think ignoring your fear is a great approach. The key is to recognize when your fear is getting out of hand. Then, as you mentioned, you can accept it, allowing it, and then let it go. We have fear because we focus on the future, and about what will happen.
Combating this requires that we turn our attention to the present, and part of any present based approach involves recognizing and allowing any emotion that you are feeling. So often, we don't even recognize when our fear is getting out of control, and once you do identify the emotion you can then begin to Think Psychologically about it.