Hello - New to this forum

Hello,

I've occasionally read and posted to the TMS Help forum and just found this forum, which looks like it may be a good place for me. As an introduction I've copied some of what I've written in that other forum below. I'm having a little relapse and hoping to get some inspiration from everyone. I seem to have a manifestation of TMS pain every 6 months to a year...last was May 2013 and fairly brief fortunately. Hopefully I can overcome this once and for all. Or gain some new techniques so in the good times I can continue with maintenance so the pain doesn't come back. My current issue is sciatica/glute/pelvic pain, which has been going on for 4-5 weeks. I starting out thinking it was TMS, then doubting and sought out physical treatments and now I'm back to believing it's TMS. I've been checked out and verified no muscle, etc. injury. I seem to never learn and go through this cycle every time. I recently read Nicole Sachs "The Meaning of Truth" and found it very inspirational. Her message and program resonated with me and I need to start the work. (I've also ready MindBody Prescription and the Great Pain Deception.) I'm a 49 year old woman with a husband and teenage son. My passion is long distance running. Thanks for reading!

From the TMS Help form posted March 2012: "I am new here, but not new to TMS and Dr. Sarno's ideas. I've likely suffered from TMS all my life, but didn't learn about it until Fall 2010 when I developed sciatic-like nerve pain in my left leg/foot. I'm generally an anxious person and as a child/young adult my TMS would manifest itself as GI problems - mainly upset stomach/indigestion which seems pretty mild in the grand scheme of things now. Lately it's the nerve pain and also skin rashes (which I had a bit as a child too.)

I think the nerve pain manifestation came about after an actual physical injury I sustained in 2008 when I slipped on some ice and really hit my hip hard. I look back now and realize that I was pretty much healed when it suddenly became worse. I'm sure now that was TMS. I was in pain for about a year. I hadn't read Dr. Sarno at the time, but I think I cured myself using a version of of his ideas that I came to on my own. I developed an "I'm not broken, I can beat this pain" mindset and over a period of 6 months or so I became pain-free. This included getting back to the activity I love - long distance running, which I couldn't do for most of 2008 and half of 2009.

But my pain came back in November 2010, manifesting itself in a slightly different way. Of course I thought I was injured again. It wasn't until March or April 2011 that I discovered Dr. Sarno and was convinced I had TMS. I was painfree by the end of June, but I recall now I had a bout of skin rashes right after this. But the pain came back after only 3 months and I've felt it on and off since then. Unfortunately, I'm not too bright and it wasn't until just recently that I started to think it was TMS again. I wonder if a lot of people go through this -- Get cured of TMS via Sarno's work, but when something new crops up go straight back to thinking it's physical."

 

Ok you know exactly what you need to do. Only think emotional and psychological never structural again ok. Now you have to think what are any current or past pressures that might be bothering me but im just trying to ignore it -- think of those scenarios and write them down then read over them again until you see what it is that you want to do but your not doing. That's it and this time never go back to thinking structural again but always get checked by an MD yes. But you have to loose this habit of structural thought and fear. Its fear and focus and you have both those, so we got that covered. Now answer the above with relaxations, meditations and letting go. Write me back tell me how this measures up to what you believe to be true ok. Thank You for writing. You 've already done it once -- You will do it again

 

Hi Sarah

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you're having trouble, I'm sure you can overcome it again. I too found Nicole Sachs book very helpful, she gives you permission to have a look at our "dark side" and realize it's just part of being human.

As always Eric has given excellent advice, so I've nothing to add, only to wish you well

 

Thank you Eric and Mermaid. Eric everything you say rings true. I'm going to work on your suggestions. I appreciate your support and encouragement! I need to get out of this cycle of ignoring the emotional/psychological. I went on a run yesterday evening after reading your words. I felt the pain but I tried to just acknowledge it but not wallow in it. And it was better. Also thought of what might have brought this episode on and came up with a few things. More work to be done. Thank you!

 

Sarah, yes, Herbie offers great advice. Keep thinking psychological and repressed emotions.

I do think that we can become pain-free from working on TMS, but then some pain can come back
in the same place or somewhere else. I think it's because of a new trigger that reminds us of a past repressed emotion
so we have to again believe the pain is caused by TMS.

You're a runner, so you know how important it is to put one step ahead of the other. That's not very brainy,
but you know what I mean... keep working on TMS and believing in it totally.

Tell yourself when you run that you're not in pain, or that you won't let it stop you.

 

Thank you Walt.

 

I spent a good part of the weekend journaling and watching success stories and Sarno interviews on youtube. Feeling noticeably better. Thank you for all the support. I'm going to keep working on this and not let it fall away this time like I usually do when I start feeling better.

 

I know I'm on the mend when my pain starts moving around! Sciatica, etc. which was on the left side was getting slowly better and then resolved 100% a few days ago, seemingly overnight. Of course now I have pain on my right side...more into my foot, where TMS has manifested itself in the past. But I'm standing strong with the thinking emotional/psychological and not structural. Gonna kick this thing....wish me luck!

 

I am so over estatic about your determination sarah. You have a feel as to how your protocol works. You connect with it, so important. Thanks You for your reply.

 

Yes its so important to get yourself reconditioned to not reacting to structural thoughts or focus on the body . Stay with a tight lid on your protocol and learn new lessons weekly. When you feel better -- I'm talking all the way better like you have already experienced movement toward ( that's so cool ) then stay with the protocol because healing from tms is a life change of sorts. Like we have to learn and apply a new paradigm ya know. Your doing awesome. Faith and hope are powerful tools so keep that determination to think in these emotions ok. Also never entertain your fears. The fear of anything is often worse than the actual event so swerve from that avenue ok. We loose fear with faith in love.
Bless You

 

Wow, a hundred percent jump is very good sarah. Yes you have got the tms on the run as we say. That means the mechanism knows you know now. So you have broken through a layer. Now you just need stay with your protocol everyday. Keep a handle on all your learnings. Write down exactly what your doing if its any bit different than sarnos base protocol. Like are you meditating with mindfulness. As you add tools to your toolbox make sure to write down your additions so you'll know to practice those tools till their sharp ok. Bless You

 

Sarah, Herbie has it right. Keep at your TMS repressed emotions.

I just read a support forum post from Anne Walker who suggests we look at this web site,
an interview with Dr. David Hascom, a back surgeon who says most people with back pain do not need surgery,
just realize the pain is a Mindbody symptom. Take a look here for what is essentially
Dr. Sarno's TMS theory that pain is caused by anxiety, emotional stress, anger.


As Herbie and Dr. Hascom suggest, meditation and mindfulness reduce pain by half.

Hascomb suggests we write down the causes of our anxiety, stress, anger, then tear them up.
Our unconscious mind gets the message.


Here is the web site:

http://www.drdavidhanscom.com/

 

A little late but thank you so much for your replies! TMS is definitely on the run! Now knee pain. The original sciatica pain I was feeling 2 months ago is gone. Same with the foot pain. Its so hard when it's something new. Difficult for my mind to say, yes this is TMS too. I feel like I'm bringing on the pain with my fear of it. What a vicious cycle. But I have been journaling and also vocalizing out loud (when I'm alone) what emotions/anxieties I may be repressing or ignoring. Plus telling myself to be kind to myself. But it can be tough sometimes. Thanks for being here.