How do I keep working on my issues?

[kate178]

Morning everyone,
I need some help going forward with TMS. In 2016 I went to see a TMS practitioner in my area out of desperation. I had been suffering with chronic back pain & Sciatica for around 10 years. I'd had several pain block injections and was taking the highest dosage of Oxycontin possible but this still wasn't touching my pain. After working through past traumas with the TMS practioner and reading 'Healing Back Pain' by Dr Sarno I resumed my normal daily activities and haven't had a back issue since! But as we know the pain/issues will shift to another part of the body. I then suffered with Migraines which have been so excruciating I'm back to being under the care of the hospital and theres discussions of more pain block injections. On top of that around a year ago I developed contact irritant dermatitis on my hands and was told this was due to being allergic to soap (no allergy tests have been done) but you guessed it, i'm on the strongest steroid cream and its not helping.

Around a week ago a lightbulb went off in my head and for the first time I considered the thought that these new ailments are all down to TMS and since I have been working on connnecting my feelings with these new issues. I've got rid of the creams and special handwashes and am back to using soap again and havent had a headache for around a week (that's really good for me!). However I woke up last night frantically itching my hands and not being able to calm myself back to sleep because of the itching. What I really need help with is working on myself going forward. I thought since my back pain resolved I had dealt with these issues from the past. Could they be reocurring or are these new stresses? I went through 2 years of therapy so I really thought i'd closed the book on any previous issues but maybe becuase of my perfectionist/goodish personality I will have to continue work. So, can any one give me any tips on what to do at these times of realising the ailments are connected to TMS, any key thoughts to adopt to help at these times I feel a headache coming on, or nausea or itching etc?? Up to now (bar the itching last night) I have been able to say to myself "its the way your body is dealing with anxiety/anger but i'm worried that if I dont outline what those particular fears or angers are I will continue to feel pain associcated with them.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! TIA

 

[Andy Bayliss]

"its the way your body is dealing with anxiety/anger

I think this is a very powerful way to acknowledge and simply 'nail down' what you're going through. I wonder how it feels when you say this? It seems it might still leave you feeling there is "more to be done" or that you're not really safe. It might help to add another sentence to this, something like, "I'm willing to understanding deeper issues, and I have the strength for this." Or other phrases that might also invoke safety or reassurance.

Believing that there is more to do and find can be pressurizing on the one hand, even if there is truth to this. I think you want to find a sense of confidence that you can do what is needed, without pressure.

As far as

but maybe becuase of my perfectionist/goodish personality I will have to continue work.

I would suggest that it is natural to have more depth, more truth reveal itself in us over time. Often people work through a certain amount of understanding and feeling, have great relief, then later when symptoms arise this is a gentle call to see more, or in essence love more, understand more about you.

I hope you can approach this new time with gentleness. You might ask what wants to be held in you?

 

[Cactusflower]

Are you looking for guidance?
I have used tms practitioners but nobody has offered a “program” to follow, or say a guideline. I’ve used the free programs offered here and am now working through Dr. Schubiners book very slowly. There are many similarities and a lot of repetition which I like, and they have helped me find the things that work and what does not work so well for me. I think that is a huge key - find the things that help you continue to open new doors to your self perception and to be absolutely ok with things that do work and ok with things that don’t, and accept whatever comes up in your self explorations.