calmandserene
New Member
hello everyone, this is my first post here. I am very excited to have found this forum, read other peoples stories and advice. I have recently read Dr John Sarno's "The Mindbody Prescription" and feel finally I have hope, which I haven't felt for sometime. I have had odd symptoms that have come and gone over many years till probably the last 4 years it has become unbearable. Four years ago it started with chest and upper back pain, then I developed reflux that I was never able to get relief from. No medication helped and all my medical tests were normal. Previous to this I had been stressed for many years and the months leading up to this were particulary stressful. But physically I was very healthy and I couldn't understand why I developed these symptoms so my stress grew and grew. My doctors had no answers just meds that never worked and after going from trying chiro's , natropaths , and finally physio. I had this for about a year and the reflux began to settle, then I started to have aches in my right knee and leg it was constant and then I developed anxiety and horrific insominia . I truly felt like I was having a breakdown. This too lasted about a year , although I still have anxiety . As the insomnia started to settle, my aches and pains came back and worse as well as hip bursitis My anxiety lead me to develop many fear avoidance behaviours. I associated certain movements or simple things like walking up and down stairs , chairs I sat on to be a reason for my pain, and many more . Last year I saw a surgeon , who ordered many tests ,and everything was normal. He told me I had to live with this pain and to see a psychologist. This was a turning point for me , although I did not think my stress was the cause of this pain. I went away and began to say to myself that nothing was wrong and I took up swimming , and my pain levels dropped. But then a couple of months later someone very close to me died and not long after all my aches and pains came back . No matter how much I told myself nothing was wrong my pain didn't budge. Somehow I came across Dr John Sarno and his book was me to a T. I am a perfectionist , a goodist, overthinker and yes I believe sitting on a lot of repressed anger. Though everyone would think I am calm and serene especially under pressure . Since the surgeon had examined me with many many tests, I know I have TMS. Over many weeks I am trying to do more and more normally again. And my pain is starting to calm down. But my biggest stumbling block is my fear . My fear avoidance is so strong I am having difficulty with how to over come it. Particularly stairs my knee feels so weak and can still overthink the pain . I have started to SEP on this forum which I find very helpful. I live in Australia and I don't believe there is any TMS doctors or therapists here . But I am thrilled to join this forum .
