Steven Ozanich HOW I BECAME PAIN FREE -- Steve Ozanich

A TMSWiki.org podcast on Steve Ozanich’s book The Great Pain Deception, Chapter 5, How I Became Pain-Free will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 9 pm (Eastern time), and you can check in a half hour earlier. Here’s how to join the discussion:

• If you are connecting via telephone, dial 1 347 817 7654. When prompted, enter the meeting number 18311499 .
• If you are connecting via your computer (using the Fuze Meeting application), go tohttps://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/48fb7aa8/18311499 and follow the instructions from there.

Steve tells in this chapter how he healed from 27 years of severe back pain stemming from repressed emotions, mainly anger that he never thought he had inside him. He healed himself though following Dr. Sarno’s advice on TMS in Mind Over Back Pain, and a second book, Healing Back Pain, without medication or surgery. It’s an amazingly inspirational story and anyone who is still suffering from any type of pain should read both books and tune in to the podcast. First, of course, get a medical examination to learn if the pain is actually physically-caused. If not, it very likely could be caused by one or more repressed emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety, guilt, abandonment, a childhood or later emotional trauma.

Steve says his back pain began when he was in his early teens. A doctor diagnosed it as due to abnormalities in his back’s structure and said he would need to be operated on. For the next several decades and much pain he visited pain clinics, chiropractors, surgeons, and other health practitioners who diagnosed his pain as slipping and herniated discs to arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other physical problems. These medical reports led to him worrying about the cause of his pain and it intensified.

Steve wanted to avoid surgery because, as he says in Chapter 4, “I had witnessed my wife being paralyzed by a much less invasive procedure than I was about to have. In addition, of the dozens of people I knew who had had back surgery, it hadn’t worked for any of them.”

Steve said he was rather skeptical that TMS was causing his pain, but decided to give Dr. Sarno’s theory a chance. He spent days lying in bed from back pain, reading the Sarno books and trying to more fully understand TMS. Each day he would read and re-read the sections on mild oxygen deprivation and try to get out of bed and walk. He managed that but there was always pain. It was hard for him to fully believe what Dr. Sarno wrote, that “you cannot hurt yoursef,” because although you can feel the pain, it is not structurally-caused but emotionally-caused, by repressed emotions which in Steve’s case was rage.

Some people say they become pain-free almost immediately after reading Healing Back Pain, having fully accepted the theory that it is TMS-caused, but for Steve it was a long process. After half a year and still in pain, he wondered if he was naïve in following Dr. Sarno’s advice. He said instead of giving up, he bought an abridged audiotape set of the book. “This was a priceless step on my healing journey,” he says.

He found that hearing the tapes, listening to the doctor’s own voice, to be a more powerful sense than reading the book. “In my case, hearing was believing. We need to hear that we are safe – connected and doing okay. I needed to hear it from Dr. Sarno directly. On one of the audiotapes he was telling me I would be okay – much as I would expect to feel during a visit to his office.”

[Remember the times when we were young and hurt ourselves or were worried about something, and our mother comforted us, assuring us, “Everything is going to be okay”? Those were healing words.]

Steve’s healing did not happen instantly after hearing the tapes. Again, it took time. TMS healing cannot be rushed. It takes its own good time.

He began mentally going over all the possible reasons and repressed emotions for his pain. His list was long, and began with the phrase “paralyzed wife.”

After feeling some improvement in his back pain, Steve suffered a major setback. He couldn’t move his legs or stand. He couldn’t even crawl without pain. He began to have structural doubts again, which didn’t help his recovery. You have to believe 100 percent that your pain is TMS from repressed emotions. Even 90 or 99 percent won’t be good enough.

[I found this to be true in my own recovery, when I remained 10 percent believing my back pain was caused by aging, since I was 82 years old. When I firmly told my unconscious mind my pain was not structural but psychological, I healed.]

Steve wondered if walking was really helping heal him, but followed Dr. Sarno’s advice that it was necessary toward healing to be as active as possible. “That day was the pinnacle of TMS in me,” Steve says. “I will never forget it; to this day it continues to motivate me to always move forward and never give in to doubt – a fortification of my faith.”

Steve says he fought his doubt with the help of a Nike commercial he saw while in bed watching television. The words Just do it! were an inspiration. “Those words sent a shock wave of sudden determination through me.”

He lifted himself out of bed, stood up, and when pain ran down his legs, he no longer cared about it. Dr. Sarno said he would not be hurting himself by standing and walking. He decided then, it was all or nothing. He could hardly walk, but he made up his mind to get into his jogging clothes and shows and go outdoors and run. He could hardly tie the laces of his jogging shoes, and had not jogged in ten years, but he just did it.

He ran a mile around his neighborhood, while listening to Dr. Sarno’s inspirational voice on the headphones of his portable tape machine.

The mile he ran that day was, Steve says, “The start in the proper direction. The road that I began to run on that day was the road to recovery.

“Never yield to pain. If you do, you give in to your unconscious motivation for it.”

That’s it for now. Steve’s further steps toward becoming pain free are in his book and will be discussed in Tuesday’s podcast. Forest, Herbie, Becca, and others at TMSWiki.org/forum hope you will tune in.

If Steve can manage it with his busy schedule lecturing about TMS and his book, he will join in as he did last week and talk and answer questions.

 

This is great Walt, Now im off to make the best discussion there is
about steves healing chapter, I love that thought- healing.

 

Great post Walt,,,thanks.

 

Steve is so generous in helping us spread the words of Dr. Sarno.

 

Wonderful post. Thank you, Walt!

Just a reminder that the discussion group is tonight! Like always the lines will open up 30 minutes or so beforehand, but remember, the official discussion will begin at 9pm (ET), so please, hold your comments about the book until then so those who cannot attend the discussion live can have access to our discussion later via the recording. Feel free to log into the text chatroom at www.tmswiki.org/chat as well. Unfortunately, I can't attend the discussion tonight, but I am looking forward to listening to the recorded discussion!

Becca

 

I just finished reading that chapter and was amazed at how much pain he was in yet he kept on trying! I have not had to deal with anything near what he experienced. Thanks Steve for the inspiration to keep on and not DOUBT!!

 

Hi Beachy, you would be surprised at how strong you can become when you have to. Being an athlete helped me greatly. Plus I'm really stubborn. As I wrote, it was a battle of me against me, and I was determined to defeat me!

I often wonder if Dr. Sarno laughed when he read those silly things. He does have a great sense of humor. I wish I could have known him in the 1970s.

To anyone who doubts, the healing stories continue to flow in. It can happen with belief and persistence. I got a nice email from a guy in Yugoslavia. I think he's going to post his success story here. His English is broken but his heart is pure and his mind clear. Many others are also healing. We have the power to alter our health. no matter what modern medicine says. It is part of the problem, for all the good it does, it creates and equal amount of dependence and therefore ill-health.

Steve

 

I Totally agree that the medical community is part of the problem. I have avoided conventional doctors like the plague for most of my life. My oldest son just cannot understand this.

 

I've been reading posts that say many new doctors are discovering the TMS theory, sp Ihope that the
Sarno knowledge will spread.

I have had good luck and bad luck with doctors, as I have had with automobile mechanics
who diagnosed my car badly.

Steve is my number one inspiration for TMS healing. He really fought his pain until it gave up on him.

 

Hey folks,

Here's the audio from Tuesday's discussion group! Huge thanks to Herbie, who will be our new head moderator, for running a fantastic discussion. As always, you can listen to the discussion right here using the audio player below, or you can download the audio as an mp3 by right-clicking on this link (or the link below the player) and choosing to save it to your computer. Enjoy!

Click here to download the mp3​

 

Thanks a lot for providing this simplified summary of Chapt. 5, Walt. I used it as a kind of libretto to ad lib on top of as I gave my own summary during this Tuesday's Podcast. It was most helpful to have it at hand, so I could bring in other items in Chapter 5 at my leisure. Many thanks again, Walt.

 

Hello everyone Did Steve O have nerve pain in both legs? Mine in on my left SI joint the most, but both sides of my back hurt, both hips, outter legs, butt, into the toes. Tightnes, Pinching, tingling, burning etc. also my arms are affected. Ive been recovering using dr sarno techniques, trying to ignore the pain and hill walking each day etc, never pain free but much better. My problem is i haven't found anyone with my symptoms on this forum which has kept my fear alive and so are my symptoms. Mine seems more like nerve pain so i will do a nerve test in 3 weeks and will post my results. I fear si joint dysfunction which is not TMS related or is it? Thank you for everyone's help so far...

 

By definition, Alexandra, TMS affects muscles, tendons and nerves by reducing normal oxygen flow to the extremities, which in turn creates a wide range of symptoms, everything from a dull aching pain, to burning, to pins and needles. Have you been checked out by an MD to eliminate other medical conditions behind you symptoms? If so, TMS could certainly be the culprit.

 

Akexandra, Dr. Sarno says in Healing Back Pain that TMS symptoms can include pins and needles, burning, numbness, tingling.
He says those and other nerve symptoms are common in TMS, transmitting messages from the brain designed to
cause muscles to activate and move body parts.

I like Bruce's advice to have a doctor check you out, and if nothing structural is blamed, or even if it is, TMS could be causing your symptoms.

 

Alexandra, I know what type of pain SteveO had. He's been like a brother to me for about 12 years now.

TMS can and does affect everything, and anything. I've been doing this 12 years full-time and every person I've ever met felt they were the exception, and that they had some odd or unique symptom that was outside of the TMS universe. My personal opinion is that almost everything we experience is from mind, beyond the obvious.

People always desire to find someone that has the same symptoms as them. If they can't they begin to feel different and un-healable. But TMS is TMS. It manifests in so many wild ways that it's impossible to find someone exactly like the next person, but at the same time, everyone feels as though they're the exception.

I remember when Dr. Sopher told me in the mid-2000s, "my patients often get angry with me when I tell them that they're not as unique as they think they are." I knew exactly what he meant, and here's why. As my book suggests, I believe that our most basic instinct is to be connected, that we are only whole when we feel united, and together. I created a word tracordifying to try to capsulize the concept. In fact, after these dozen years of talking and consulting with sufferers, I can see that it's loneliness that is a main force in their health problems--a force of disconnect. The symptoms themselves are the deeper person's self, expressing this deep disconnect of pain, in the desire to be whole again.

So, of course people all feel they have an isolated type of symptom, because deep inside that's how they feel--isolated. We feel very alone in our suffering and we long to connect with someone/anyone, if only through that suffering.

However--here's comes along another problem. As Rosanne Rosanna Danna said, "it just goes to show ya, it's always somethen." When people find, or think they have found someone with the exact symptoms as they have, it's never enough. They want another and another, then another. The reason is that you either believe you have TMS or you don't believe it. A lady that was diagnosed with fibro called me to ask me if I knew any other fibro-folks. I asked her why? She said she wanted to ask them questions. When I told her it wouldn't stop her doubting, she paused and said, "You know, I think you're right." She then went on to heal, and is very happy today. This seeking of others is in itself "tmsing" by delaying belief. Blessed are those that have not seen, and yet still believe.

I know how much it helps to connect with others in order to "unite" with them. But all healing comes from within, no one else can do it for you. I felt somewhat vindicated when I sent someone to Dr. Gwozdz, and she asked him for the name of another similar sufferer, and he asked her, "what difference would it make?...that wouldn't be enough for you."

You have to decide if you are going to believe in TMS. BELIEF is the most important factor. It is belief that alters the body. I also realize how much it reinforces belief when we see others like us, so as with anything, there's the double edged cutting blade. Seeing someone else heal from what we have allows us to be pulled into their wake. That's why I wrote my story down, to let others see that it is possible. But, beware of why you need to find others like you; is it to ratify your belief, or because you don't believe you have TMS? It's one of those many fine lines I always remind people about.

As far as your own symptoms that I've quickly read here, you always have to get tested like Bruce said. Taking care of the body and the life is goal #1, then after the results come in you can tackle the TMS beast. The symptoms you have described are common, and not as bad as many that I've run into through the years. But they are nonetheless affecting your life in dramatic ways. I won't go into all the symptoms people have had because of memetic contagion. It's not good to focus on describing symptoms, it only serves to feed the brain's desires of avoidance through guided imagery. The only time we should talk about symptoms is to explain to our doctor what we are experiencing. From that point on we need to focus on the psychological components of our lives--fear and loneliness.

So--you have symptoms that are expressing a deeper current need. Once you read the TMS material, and you look at your personality and your early life, you have to make a decision. Do I have TMS? From there, it's all about belief.

It would help if you could get to Gowzdz, or Shubiner, or even Hannibal Schechter for a workup. But once you have other possibilities ruled out, it's all up to you. No one can heal you... but you.

Good luck, there's work for you to do..but you can heal,

Steve

 

Right again and always, Steve. It's what we believe... if we think our back or other body part is weak and hurting,
it will hurt more. Our bodies are stronger than we think. We need to keep it healthy with exercise, what we eat and drink,
and how we look at ourselves. If we think we're healthy and strong, we will be both.

 

Whew, Steve! I'm going to have to think about this one for awhile. It is....well......deep.

 

Thank you Bruce, Walt, and Steve! Ive gone to many doctors and have done many tests except a nerve test and this injection thing to rule out si joint dysfunction, not sure if I even want to go there... My mom has fibro TMS and I'm 99.9 percent sure I have TMS (not fibro as told by a rheumatologist ) I have improved in the 2 years since the symptoms started by reading books etc... I just ordered your book Steve! I've been searching for someone with my symptoms so I can relate to them and stay hopeful. Yes I am absolutely lonely, isolated and sometimes desperate to get my old life back. I was an acrobat and professional dancer, I performed and competed. My life was split in two, a performer and a mother. Alexandra the dancer has died, now days I am a stay at home mom. My "dancer" friends are gone, it's been my choice to stop all contact with them, it destroyes me to not be able to join them on stage. My stage costumes and makeup has been put into storage, my body has changed, i dont recognize myself sometimes. In my past I have battled drug and alcohol addiction and eating disorders, I never went to any meetings or asked for help because the super woman i thought i was could always win the battles, until now which is why i decided to reach out to all of you in this forum, ive asked for help and i recieved it...Thank you . I .have never been abused by anyone other than myself, I pushed my body and mind to exteemes with out a break for years. I am finally learning to take care, rest and love my body, and my soul. Pain has made me a better person and better mom with more compassion, patience, and love. When I heal I hope to help others specially my mom who is not strong enough to fight her own battle so for now I'm fighting for both if us...Thank you everyone who responded .

 

Great thread. Thanks Steve for your wisdom. You put the solution in such clear language. The connection of loneliness and TMS really rings true. You wrote the same essential message to me in a very kind email which I'm still taking to heart. Hope you are doing great, my friend.

Alexandra I'm a professional musician. I've also had nerve related problems. Ulnar nerve entrapment was the original diagnosis. I did a nerve conduction test and the results were normal. After the test the neurologist looked at me and said "so what do you think is really the problem?" which started me on the TMS path.

I've been able to go back to playing gigs, not pain free but much better. I think I've been a slower healer because of the F word FEAR! And maybe also acceptance, feeling as Steve said that my problem could be different or unique. The more I'm around this wonderful community the more I see that I'm not. For me dealing with anxiety and secondary fear, (being fearful about being anxious for instance), has been a huge help. The techniques I've learned have all been posted on the forum.

I just thought I'd mention there is a chapter in The Divided Mind, where someone had carpal tunnel, tested below average on a nerve conduction test, had surgery and still only got better after accepting TMS as the problem. I guess as TMS cuts off oxygen and blood flow it can affect how nerves perform.

In any case I hope your test is normal and that you keep sharing your story here. I understand so well what if feels like to not be able to do what you love, because of physical problems. You're not alone.

Wishing you the best