Hello, I'm new!

Hi, I’m new here. Let me introduce myself - I’m lazydaisy.

I found this website yesterday. Ironically, I was searching for new trigger point treatments for my chronic TMJ. I saw a link to something called TMS and thought it might be about TMJ but with a difference initials.

So I clicked over, I read a bit, I watched a few videos. I read about the personality traits common amongst TMS sufferers. Yeah, I tick every one.

I downloaded the book, within about 10 minutes. I started reading the treatment guides, and today am doing ‘Day One’.

But I have a question - should I read the book before beginning the programme? Do both at the same time? Do the programme and then read the book?

For the first time in FIFTEEN YEARS OF CONSTANT PAIN* I finally think I might have found the answer. I almost think believing it is not a structural problem (which I totally do) may be enough on it’s own. But, you know, I’m a perfectionist, if it says I have to read the book, I have to read the book, but I also have to do it right (did I mention I’m a perfectionist?).

So, if someone could help me out with the order in which to proceed (book, then treatment; treatment then book; both concurrently; or shut up, it makes no difference), I’d be very grateful.





* Actually, I did experience two pain free hours when admitted to hospital with gallstones and given morphine. I’d like to say my wedding was the best day of my life. I’m afraid it actually comes second to those glorious few hours when I remembered what is was like to not be in pain.

 

Is it the Structured Education Program you've begun? I think it's fine to continue with it or any TMS program
while you read Dr. Sarno's Healing Back Pain. They go hand-in-glove.

You're off to a great start by believing your pain is emotionally caused from TMS repressed emotions and
not structural. If you need a quick and easy explanation of TMS, this video by Dr. Sarno is a must-watch:
http://tmswiki.org/forum/threads/8-weeks-no-relief-seeing-tms-doctor.4144/

 

Hi Walt, thanks so much for responding!

Yes, it is the Structured Educational Programme I'm doing. I shall start reading the book at the same time. I was just worried that I needed to do it in a certain order, but, what do you know, I think I'm just making excuses not to get started!

Thank you for the encouragement, it is just what I needed.

 

I'm so glad your TMJ web surfing led you to TMS and this wiki.
You'll find you're in good company with all of us. We care and we share healing knowledge.
You'll soon be posting your success story in that subforum.

 

Hi lazydaisy,
So glad you found us! Your positive attitude as you embrace TMS healing will take you far. You are at the right place and on the right path. Please let us know how you're doing, and feel free to ask questions or just reach out for support any time. We are all on similar healing journeys and are here to support one another.

 

Hi Lazydaisy

Welcome to the forum. . It's a wonderful feeling to have hope after years of agony isn't it.

For TMS healing to take place you need to fully accept that your pain is emotional in origin, not only consciously, but on a deep subconscious level too. It needs to become part of your "belief system". Once you begin to dismantle your belief of it being physical, you start to lose your fear of the pain, which breaks the vicious cycle of FEAR-TENSION-FEAR perpetuating your suffering. It then has no purpose so is redundant as a distraction and fades away.

The first stage of the SEP is to study TMS literature, so it's fine to read about TMS healing while following the programme.

Some reading I can highly recommend is as follows :

The Mindbody Prescription - Dr.John Sarno
The Great Pain Deception - Steven Ray Ozanich
The Meaning of Truth - Nicole J. Sachs
Self Help For Your Nerves - Claires Weekes
You Can Heal Your Life - Louise Hay
Deep Healing - Emmett Miller

Also have a look at some of the success stories to encourage you further.

There are some very kind and helpful people on the forum, we all know exactly how you feel and will support you all the way.

Bless you

 

Thanks so much Walt, Ellen, and Mermaid for your replies.

I am now 15% of the way through The Mindbody Prescription (gotta lot the Kindle telling you how far along you are). It is making perfect sense.

And, dare I say it (still, I still think I can jinx this), my jaw is feeling...different...already. I'm still in pain, but there is also a tingling sensation, almost a 'waking up'? I know this sounds crazy. I'm wondering if it's the oxygen starting to get back to muscles that have been deprived of it for so long? Anyway, whatever, it is giving me immense hope that emotions, and feelings, and the mind CAN affect me physically. I'm very excited to have found you all. Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome.

 

It always amazes me how we can say things like "I was worried sick", "Slow down you're going to make yourself ill" or "The stress of it was killing me", then have such a hard time accept TMS as a cause for pain. I don't understand how people can imagine that emotions don't cause physical sensations, what about blushing, laughing, crying etc. I think it's sometimes hard to acknowledge that we're "human", it's very sad.

You will heal just be patient, and treat yourself with loving compassion.

 

You might like to know (if you already don't), that TMJ is classified as a known TMS equivalent by almost all those knowledgeable in the field.

 

Hi Mermaid! I've recently been having CBT to reduce my teeth-grinding, and that has been so helpful. For one it has shown me that thoughts can cause physicals reactions - in fact blushing, as you said, is the exact example my therapist used when explaining it to me. Worried sick makes perfect sense as well - that feeling of dread which one gets when worried (oh we all know that so well!).

And Bruce, I immediately did a search for TMJ when I got here. I had some trouble with the search function (TMJ is too short as a search term), but with google's help I did find that. Very interesting!

Incidentally, one of the many practitioners I have seen (I think this one was Rossiter therapy) told me that TMJ was "Something nice people get", and told me to make sure that there wasn't something I wanted to say that I hadn't said. She was really on to something.

Of course, I didn't like that, so I stopped seeing her!

 

Here's what Steve Ozanich has to say about TMJ in his TMS recovery autobiography The Great Pain Deception (2011) p. 355:

"TMJ (or TMD) (Temporomandibular joint syndrome, or jaw pain) - This is caused by tension in the jaw that is often triggered by oeverextending the jaw (but not always). It can also be triggered by grinding of teeth from unconscious anxiety and anger, but not always. It often just suddenly begins, as in Phase 1 TMS."

He lists TMJ as a "TMS equivalent" in Appendix A of his book.

What's Phase 1 TMS you ask? Well, Steve says Phase 1 is what he calls "Acute Threshold TMS: Current high tension levels-No Physical Incident, Acute Rapid Onset. This is the most easily understood manifestation of tension, which is characterized by sudden onslaught of pain during times of over-stimulation and high anxiety, rejection, or personal loss (separation), with no apparent physical trigger (like an accident or fall) for the initiation of pain" p. 19.

Anyway Steve classifies TMJ as an equivalent of TMS that should resolve itself if you use Dr Sarno's methods such as knowledge therapy.

After I had a so-called "herniated disk" in 2001, when it resolved after physical therapy, I had a bunch of tooth problems like jaw pain and tooth grinding. These could have been due to what is referred to as the symptom imperative where you take care of one set of TMS symptoms and then new similar symptoms appear elsewhere. See symptom imperative and symptom substitution for all the gory details. Should be tons of information on those if you run a search on the Forum.

 

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for all that info. This part particularly resonated with me:

"No Physical Incident, Acute Rapid Onset. This is the most easily understood manifestation of tension, which is characterized by sudden onslaught of pain during times of over-stimulation and high anxiety"

My jaw problems started during my final exams in high school, and the dentist immediately told me it was stress related. It came on very suddenly - I literally woke up one day unable to open my mouth. Luckily I could cut food down and kind of 'post' it in the tiny gap, but I didn't eat a banana for over a year until a physio physically forced my jaw open (sounds horrible, but actually I was really glad he did it).

Last night as I was really letting Dr Sarno's theories sink in, I awoke a few times. And the pain was so much less already! I can honestly say that in less than 24 hours, this pain that has plagued me for 15 years has subsided by over 50%.

Of course, now I have a cough, and I feel like there is something in my eye. There isn't, and the cough has been looked at by my doctor last year and there is nothing physical there. Each time I tell myself, 'There's nothing in your eye, it's just the TMS trying to distract you', the pain and discomfort melts away.

This sounds crazy. Did you all feel like that at first? Like your mind has been playing tricks on you all this time, and that makes you a bit of a nutcase?

 

Also, I'm feeling kind of guilty that this has worked so well. I have been reading the forums and I know there are many people who haven't found such quick relief. Did anyone else, who's symptoms subsided quickly, feel this guilt?

And I have a theory as to why it's working quickly: I have seen hundreds of specialists about my jaw. Physical problems were ruled out long ago, and I have known for years that my pain is MUSCULAR rather than being related to the joint. All of my treatments in the last few years have been aimed at relaxing the muscles - trigger point therapy, Rossiter therapy, muscle relaxants, CBT to reduce teeth grinding which is making the muscles ache. So it is easy for me to accept that there is no structural problem, because I have believed that for a long time.

Thanks so much for your support everyone.

 

Having suffered for 15 years with these symptoms, lazydaisy, there is no need for you to feel guilty. However you might want to explore this further to find out where this guilt actually coming from, perhaps through journalling if this is your thing. What you now have is the capacity to feel compassion for others going through a similar experience and you can use your success to encourage others to achieve their own.

 

Thanks yb44. The guilt is definitely something I need to look at, and don't worry, I will be taking it straight to my journal. Reading your words, "Having suffered for 15 years with these symptoms, lazydaisy, there is no need for you to feel guilty", brought tears to my eyes. That's how I know you've touched a nerve and guilt is something I need to look at now.

I cannot thank you all enough for your acceptance, wisdom, and help.