Day 1 Hello and phew....

Hi
I have read the book and felt so emotional reading it. I have suffered from back pain and sciatica for about 17 years on and off. I have always thought that the pain was due to tension, but didn't realise exactly how it could cause me so much grief. Reading the book I had so many ah ha moments, and as I said I felt very emotional as I recognised myself and I realised that this could finally be the answer to my misery. Its about 5 days later now since I started reading the book, I have finished it and watched a bunch of videos too. I am going to re-read it too. I feel more in touch with my self but I think I am obsessing about the pain still. It is so hard at 3am when I am in agony and not sleeping. I have a 12month old so sleep is precious as I am so often woken by him or the pain. I feel really sad and frustrated that my pain didn't clear up whilst reading the book. I know it can take time but I am doubting my belief. This programme sounds good for me. I am a scientist, so to have structure and a plan is a big help for me. I am in the UK and so much of what I have read and watched is from the US so I am wondering whether there are therapists over here? I can't really afford one so I don't know why I ask. I doubt anyone will read this far anyway, its more of a self cleaning exercise for me I guess. I am looking forward to engaging with people though. And the online chats and groups sound fab. i have such a sick feeling in my throat and mouth right now and my head is feeling fuzzy. I think my brain is realising this is the answer to our pain- emotional and physical!
x

 

Hi, Helen. Welcome to the TMS community. This is the right place to heal. Dr. Sarno's book, Healing Back Pain, is a real miracle book. Follow the SEProgram and you will heal. I don't think you need a TMS therapist. You can heal yourself. I suggest you try deep breathing to relax, and to get back to sleep when your baby awakens you:
Inhale through your nose to the count of 4, hold the breath to the count of 7, exhale through the mouth to the country of 8. Repeat 4 times, then breath slowly. Read the success stories in the subforums to gain confidence.

And refer to Dr. Sarno's 12 Daily Reminders about TMS. I like this longer version:

1. 
   Herbie’s Extended Version of Dr. Sarno’s 12 DAILY REMINDERS
   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.

 

Thank you Walt. Last night was awful so I shall be trying those breathing exercises tonight to relax. It is so hard in the middle of the night to not focus on the pain. Hopefully deep breathing will help. I have read another inspirational story and will read some more now. Thanks again for your reply. After the pain got even worse last night it was good to see your reply this morning.