Daniel L. hemorrhoids

Ferndale37

Ferndale37

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Question
Hi

I have been diagnosed with TMS by a professional that im lucky enough to have in area, I saw her 1:1 and also went to a 2 day pain recovery programme. I managed to get over my back pain using the knowledge that it isn't anything serious or structural and that it was 100% TMS. I started to work out fully and my back pain is completely under control, which is amazing because I was being told it was due to having a meningocele repair at birth.

I managed to get over this using knowledge alone, but I know this isnt enough to address TMStotally and that I have a lot of work with journaling etc to do, which im attempting at the moment.

Since my back pain stopped I developed pain in my feet again (I have arthritis of both big toe joints), I wasn't too worried about this and started to apply some of the principles, which is when I developed a Hemmaroid, totally out of the blue and despite my healthY lifestyle (exercise 6 times per week, plenty of fibre, healthy toilet habits etc)

Im sure this is TMS, but im struggling to apply the principles like i did with the back and feet pain. I cant exactly go on as normal, because I have to be careful in the toilet, apply creams and modify my weightlifting routine etc. So im effectively telling myself its a problem and i have to live my life differently etc. I just wondered if you have any advice on how I could treat the hemorrhoid as TMS?

Im going on holiday in a few weeks which is adding to the stress of having a hemorrhoid. I have anxiety and witnessed my mum being stressed about holidays when I was younger, so holidays always have to be perfect for me and i always have to be in perfect shape when i go on holiday, which is probably why the hemorrhoid appeared so close to my holiday.

I know I need to journal about this, but I dont think that will be enough on its own, as im having to modify my life to stop the hemmaroid getting worse, but this seems to be feeding into my fear and suggesting that I have something wrong with me.

any tips would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
 
Answer
First of all, congratulations on overcoming back pain – you should take great pride in the work you’ve done!

Secondly, hemorrhoids are a little bit different than your standard TMS issue. Hemorrhoids are absolutely encouraged by stress and anxiety, but when they manifest, there is physical healing that needs to take place.

The pattern in my own life is that I get canker sores whenever I’m stressed, overworked, or haven’t been sleeping enough. I’ll get three of four of them in my mouth at a time. It’s rather unfortunate and is quite painful (especially because I love to eat spicy food), but the reality is that they are an excellent barometer for how I’m treating myself. I often don’t realize that I haven’t been sleeping enough or that I’ve been pushing myself too hard, and so when I notice I have a canker sore (or four), then it’s my body’s way of telling me to slow down. At that point I make sure to get as much sleep as possible, eat as healthy as I can, meditate, and say no to stressful things as much as possible.

That’s exactly what’s going on for you – hemorrhoids are your canker sores. You’re getting them because you’re pushing yourself too hard and expecting too much of yourself. Time to slow down, let go, and just focus on doing things that make you feel good.


Recognize when you scare yourself about the hemorrhoids and remind yourself that you’re safe. The hemorrhoids will heal, and you need to give them space to heal. Worrying about them will only make it worse. You’re going to be fine.

If you get scared, re-read that last paragraph to yourself a thousand times. :)

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The general advice and information provided in this format is for informational purposes only and cannot serve as a way to screen for, identify, or diagnose depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions. If you feel you may be suffering from any of these conditions please contact a licensed mental health practitioner for an in-person consultation.

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I addressed hemerrhoids to my TMS therapist and over a year later I'm convinced that it's TMS. Because they don't come up all the time, so why would they come up randomly? But as a way to alleviate them, quadruple your water intake!!!!!!!
 
Daniel, thanks for providing such a clear answer on an issue that too many tms sufferers needlessly tussle with. And I don't mean hemorrhoids. There is a difference between tms and stress-induced health problems and it is incredibly important to realise this so that you can take the appropriate action.

Sarno repeatedly asserts that stress and tms are not the same, and any one seeking clarity ought read 'The Divided Mind' again, particularly with reference to the distinction he draws between disorders directly induced by unconscious emotions and diseases where unconscious emotions play a role but are not the only factor (the emphasis is Sarno's). Ultimately as well-meaning as any other tms author is Sarno is the primary source and it is to him that we should look in the first instance.

Oldtime forum members may recall I locked horns with people over this in the past. I couldn't understand why they didn't respect the distinction Sarno makes on page 4 of The Divided Mind. I had to take my leave in the wake of this.

For me this distillation has taken much time, including a long period away from the tms arena so that I could get my little ducks in a row. I do recommend a break from forums, reading etc at some point so that you can map your teritory. Only you really know how your heart and mind speak through your body. Once you grasp this it is easy to see where you must embrace nurturing lifestyle factors (a good diet, rest and sleep, stress management techniques etc), and where you must focus on your emotions and psychology. If you throw them all in the tumbler without checking you run the risk of tms colouring all your other healing protocols in much the same way as a rogue pair of red panties will colour your white wash pink.

This is why I labour the importance of unthreading your issues, (something journalling is particularly helpful in doing). Hopefully in so doing you'll begin to see why certain things are not working as they 'should' and this will encourage you to 'switch wires' as needed.
 
Thanks very much for getting back to me, I suffer with GAD, which has flared up since I got over the back pain. I know know the back pain was a good distraction from anxiety. I think the journaling is obviously stirring up some emotions which has made me anxious and the hemmaroid has followed. It's very weird that I always get hemmaroids before a holiday and that my mum always used to get stressed about holidays when I was young. I followed in her footsteps and always need to be perfect for the holiday and for the holiday to be perfect for others. So I encounter a lot of stress when it comes close to holiday time (I was unaware of this until recently). The closer it gets to the holiday whilst I still have a hemmaroid, the more stressed I become. In fact I almost got rid of the hemmaroid last week but because it hadn't totally gone and I was going on a weekend away, it returned, despite my healthy lifestyle and meditating etc. Do you think this could have caused it, and do you have any tips to get over this? Also I'm reading Steve ozanichs book and he lists hemmaroids as a tms equivalent? I'm becoming quite down about the increase in anxiety after the decrease In pain, but should I take this as a sign of progress?

Thanks so much for taking time to reply
 
In brief, the biggest thing you can do to help yourself is to learn not to care so much about the hemorrhoid. You can train yourself to enjoy life even in spite of your body not being perfect.

Increase in anxiety after pain is completely normal. Now it's your job to manage that anxiety as best you can!
 
Thanks Daniel, I'm just overly worried because I'm off to a 4 day festival where I'll not be taking care of myself as well as I can at home. That's why I'm extra worried about it, because historically the hemmaroid has got worse when I've partied and had fun. I'm worried it will spoil things for me, which I know is fuelling things. Shall I just think "damn the stupid thing" go and have fun (looking after myself as best as I can) and deal with it after, if it gets worse?. I honestly don't think I would be concerned if it wasn't for going away, and it would have probably got better.
 
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