How and when did you discover TMS?

For me it was shortly after university. My mother told me about it and I told her that makes no sense. 5 Months later I hear someone else talking about it and then I decide to pickup Sarno's book from the library. My mind has been completely blown ever since.

I've heard from Howard Schubiner that a lot of people first reject and then hear about the idea from somewhere else and then they accept it which is my case. I dealt with a lot of TMS in college but I'm glad its over now and I've learned so much about life from this experience.

 

I first was told about TMS by a friend who saw me limping around in pain. He said he'd recovered from two whiplash incidents with this method. He then sent me, unasked two of Dr. Sarno's books. I glanced at them, decided there were two problems: It was all about back pain, and how could the mind create so much pain? So I figured TMS had nothing to do with me, and I put the books aside.

Several months went by, foot pain increasing, as my diagnoses and treatments expanded, including blood platelet injections. I changed insurance and scheduled myself for nerve entrapment surgery. I had a month or so before surgery. I saw those books on my shelf, and I considered TMS as a last ditch effort. I ordered the Divided Mind, by Dr. Sarno, since it seemed more in-depth, put a heater in my camper and went to the high desert to meditate on this idea, go deep in solitude for a couple of weeks, exploring TMS, journaling, reading, re-reading. This was the beginning of the end of my three year's foot pain...

 

I got my answer in the mail! Here I was looking everywhere for a cure for my back, neck, shoulder, and knee pain and pain and numbness in my legs, arms and hands, and the answer came in the mail.

After about 25 months of this ordeal, I received a flyer in the mail about a book published by Boardroom Classics giving inside information on money, travel, health, and more. By now, experience had taught me how important every bit of information could be in saving time, money, health—even one’s life. Since the book offer included a fourteen-day free trial period, I had nothing to lose by ordering the book. This was before internet! LOL.

I began by reading the section on health. Under the topic of back pain, the book mentioned Dr. John Sarno's discovery, as set out in his book Mind over Back Pain. That's how I first learned about how repressed anger and rage could be the cause of all my pain.

I saw myself as a very calm, positive, easygoing person with a sense of humor, who rarely became angry. Of course, like anyone with chronic back pain I had experienced more pain during or after a stressful period, but was it reasonable to believe that repressed anger and tension could really cause all my pain and disability? And what about my degenerated discs? The medical establishment considers anger and anxiety aggravating factors for existing physical problems, but could tension actually cause these physical problems?

I read Mind Over Back Pain. However, I had a lot of questions. Do I need to change my personality and show my anger and discontent? How is TMS treated? Are there any doctors in California who diagnose and treat TMS? What is the role of physical therapy and the treatments therapists use to increase blood flow to affected areas? How soon after one realizes that the pain is caused by tension does recovery begin?

After two weeks of calling New York University, I was finally able to talk with Dr. Sarno. He kindly suggested that I read his latest book, Healing Back Pain, for answers to my questions. To my amazement, only one copy of this book was to be found in all of the Silicon Valley library system. I placed an immediate request for the book. I also called a bookstore and ordered a copy. Once I read Healing Back Pain all my questions were answered and shortly after I recovered from all my pain as well as hay fever, heart murmur, gastritis, and no longer needed my reading glasses. More than 25 years later and I still do not need reading glasses. Thank you Dr. Srano. May he rest in peace,

 

August 2017. I was suffering from debilitating back pain for almost a year. Tried everything - opioid painkillers, acupuncture, chiropractor, naturopaths, etc. None of which did a thing to touch my pain. Was visiting my doctor several times a week and seeing specialists, had scans done and all the doctors said the same thing: There was nothing structurally wrong with my back. Someone online suggested Healing Back Pain. I read primarily on my kindle. I remember I was at the store looking at my Amazon cart contemplating whether or not to waste $10 on some random book that almost for sure is not going to do a thing to help me. I put my phone back in my pocket. When I got home, I notice that I accidentally must have hit “Buy Now” because the book was already delivered to my Kindle library. So oops, I figured I might as well read it now. Read through it in a couple days, at the end of which my back pain completely disappeared! I was truly amazed. It was truly a miracle. God only knows where I’d be if I never accidentally bought Sarno’s book! I could still be in the dark in horrible pain throwing thousands dollars down the drain on empty western medical solutions!!

 

In August 2014. A coworker of my husband mentioned Stossel's interview with dr. Sarno on 20/20. Everyone knew about my debilitating back pain, even my husband's coworkers. Anyway, we found it on youtube and watched it. I ordered Healing Back Pain and was pain free for a week after reading it. Put me in the hospital so angry I got, could not sleep anymore. Had to be medicated. I recovered but the pain came back. I read all Sarno's books. And some more. Found this forum etc. In a moment of despair I went to my public library here in the area and donated all my Sarno's books. I regret this now. Anyway, I reached a point when I just didn't want to read about it, to think about it, to analyze any of it. It helped.

I had my first back pain at 17. I'm 51 now. I think in my case the most helped getting out of the I, me, my, mine mentality. And the misery of pain. Doing things for others. Knitting for my friends and their children, cleaning my house, spending time with my older neighbors, growing a garden on the balcony etc.