How long does it take to stop my pain

I would appreciate some information from TMS patients on how long it took you to stop feeling pain? Was it all of a sudden at one point or was it a slow process? I've been studying Sarno for a month and had very little relief from the pain. I don't want to give up so I'd like to find out how long it took others to heal. I have shoulder/arm, elbow and wrist pain with numbing in my fingers. Should I expect the pain or numbness to go away first?

 

I'd say it's vastly different for each person... in a fury one day I came across Sarno's work, and was engrossed for several hours. Once I decided it was time to get back to housework (lol), I realized I had zero pain. That was four weeks ago. I have still had pain...minor, fleeting. As soon as I notice it, I allow myself to really acknowledge it, and remind myself that there's still nothing wrong with me. Sometimes I have to meditate or journal to help ease it.
I will say this-while much of my physical pain has vanished, I'm struggling more with anxiety and depression. This isn't unusual for me. So I'm not totally healed.

Don't be discouraged. Your story won't be exactly like any other. Just know that we all share common factors, in suffering AND in healing.

 

Like Mad said it's different for everyone. It's easy to be impatient and want relief right away. Especially since you wouldn't be here if you were not in extreme pain and desperate.
Have you checked out the Structured Educational Program on the main wiki.org page? That really helped me.
I had some relief when I initially read the book and then it came back. I took my time with the program. About twice as long. Towards the end I was getting better. It's been 5 months now and I am feeling amazing.
BUT- WARNING! Something I learned doing SEP was that we have a certain personality and just by you asking that question shows your perfectionism coming through. Be patient and kind with yourself. Don't judge your pain and keep thinking psychologically. Be persistent and have faith that eventually it will ease up.

 

Hi, RJL. My severe back pain went away about 90 percent after reading Dr. Sarno and doing the Structured Educational Program.
I withheld about 10 percent of total belief in TMS for a few weeks. When I began believing 100 percent, the rest of the pain went away. I like the advice of Ines very much and encourage you to follow it. Be persistent and have faith in TMS.

Mad, you are definitely not alone with anxiety and depression. It seems to be as common as the common cold. Keep positive, breathe deeply, and try to figure out how to solve the problems causing both. If they can't be solved, try to accept them. So anything you can to modify their affects on you. Laughing... or just smiling... is very helpful. They release healing endorphins in our mind and body.