I'm new to TMS needing help and support

[semia]

I just learned about this page and thought I would give it a shot, im desperate! My symptoms all started with back pain for about a year. My MRI revealed a bulging disc, herniated disc, and lumbar stenosis. My neuro surgeon told me to get an epidural injection for the pain. About a week before the injection I was having other pains, my shoulders and neck would literally Burst in pain, my back got worse and overall felt moserable. After my injection is when things really got bad. I don't even think about my back pain anymore, I'm constantly dizzy and have terrible tension and sinus related headaches. I had an MRI of my Brain as well as a cat scan that revealed nothing. I'm generally an anxious person and typically a worrier.. But even when I'm not anxious and try to just relax my dizziness and headaches have completely
Put my life on hold. I am no longer working or in school when 2 years ago I was doing all that plus going to the gym. I'm looking for hope. I've seen a therapist since I was diagnosed with an eating disorder at age 18. I'm 26 now and still see a therapist so I feel like I generally am open with my feelings emotionally. I want my life back. My pain free life back. If anyone read this and can help me I would really appreciate it. I hope this is TMS and was wondering if anyone else thinks so too? Thank you any support is greatly appreciated.

 

[David88]

Hi Semia,

You're going through a lot right now. Hang in there.

It sounds very much like TMS. You have a variety of symptoms that are commonly psychosomatic conditions: back pain, dizziness, headaches, anxiety, and an eating disorder. There's certainly hope. You have a lot of avenues to persue. Everyone has a different path to recovery.

Think psychological. What is going on in your life that the symptoms are distracting you from? Did the onset of back pain coincide with a crisis of some kind?

Read The Divided Mind by Sarno, especially the chapter on treatment. Take the book to your therapist and discuss it. Many conventional therapists are not good at treating psychosomatic conditions.

You might find it helpful to consult a physician who knows Sarno's methods. There are several listed in the practitioner directory here.

Be patient with yourself, and keep at it.

David.

 

[SunnyinFL]

I just learned about this page and thought I would give it a shot, im desperate! My symptoms all started with back pain for about a year. My MRI revealed a bulging disc, herniated disc, and lumbar stenosis. My neuro surgeon told me to get an epidural injection for the pain. About a week before the injection I was having other pains, my shoulders and neck would literally Burst in pain, my back got worse and overall felt moserable. After my injection is when things really got bad. I don't even think about my back pain anymore, I'm constantly dizzy and have terrible tension and sinus related headaches. I had an MRI of my Brain as well as a cat scan that revealed nothing. I'm generally an anxious person and typically a worrier.. But even when I'm not anxious and try to just relax my dizziness and headaches have completely
Put my life on hold. I am no longer working or in school when 2 years ago I was doing all that plus going to the gym. I'm looking for hope. I've seen a therapist since I was diagnosed with an eating disorder at age 18. I'm 26 now and still see a therapist so I feel like I generally am open with my feelings emotionally. I want my life back. My pain free life back. If anyone read this and can help me I would really appreciate it. I hope this is TMS and was wondering if anyone else thinks so too? Thank you any support is greatly appreciated.

Hi Semia,

I can relate to a lot of what you said and I first of all wanted to let you know: Yes, there is hope! One source of hope is the vast number of people that have suffered in the ways you describe, and who have recovered. Read some of the success stories on this site if you have time. If they can all do it, you can, too!

I found it very helpful to work through the Structured Educational Program ("SEP") on this Web site. It is a good way to take it one step at a time instead of trying to master all the information all over this Web site at once. The SEP is divided into "bite-sized" chunks of information, which helps people keep from getting too overwhelmed with too much information at once.

I thought "felt my feeling" before starting the program - indeed, my husband would say I felt too many emotions. And then a big ah-ha struck me: I was NOT feeling my feelings. I was explaining them, analyzing them, dissecting them, etc. For me, this was all very left brained. When the ah-ha hit me, I realized I could not left brain it - I had to sit, and be patient, and allow emotions to bubble up to the surface - a completely different experience for me.

If your therapist is working well for you, stick with it. If not, however, try to find another one with TMS experience. Support is great! But, not all people understand how to support the TMS journey. Focus on what you need to recover and I think your own wisdom will give you answers.

Best wishes, Sunny

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Semia. MRIs can indicate we have structural problems, but the thing is, what caused them? The TMS answer is emotional stress,
past or present. Yes, you have to feel your feelings, not just think about or analyze them. Feel the emotion that is causing you pain.

The replies you've gotten are excellent. Keep going on the TMS journey, and if you haven't done the Structured Educational Program, free in the subforum on his web site, think it would be very helpful to you. For more inspiration, here is a post from a TMSer who healed and praises the TMS process.
It's from a woman who calls herself "nowtimecoach":





nowtimecoach Well known member
New

Oh its been so long since I've visited all of you wonderful people - the healed and the healing folks. My life is forever changed as a result of this forum, the books that were suggested, read and discussed and the opportunities to receive support from so many people on the TMS recovery path.

Am I 100% recovered? Not quite but when I have a flare up, its usually been a situation or circumstance that is extremely stressful. Usually a feeling of being trapped and out of control. It depends upon my acceptance of what is and a surrender to self-care that predicates how long the flare up will last. I've had a few instances in the last 2 months as my partner and I decided to sell her house and move to Tucson.

So many changes, deadlines, pressure and lots of "I don't know!" brought up a few bouts. But they rarely last more than a day or two. And because I practiced what everyone suggests on this forum, I always knew what to do and I didn't ruminate or worry that it was going to last long.

I am so eternally grateful to all of you. I am grateful to everyone who has written a book that gives us the solution, the hope and hammers in the fact that we have control over TMS. To all of you in pain today, I promise that you will get better if you keep accepting the psychological component to all of this. I remind myself if I have a flare up that I'm vulnerable to old habits. That vulnerability leaves me open for my brain to pop up its old directive to send pain to my back. Its just an old outdated mechanism of protection that still does not serve me very well.

I hope you read this as a message of hope. Never stop believing that you are going get better! Stay close to the wonderful people on this forum. Read the books. Do the work and you'll be rewarded with a pain free life. For me, I got the bigger bonus of a greater self-awareness, of patterns that I was blind to and a sense of empowerment. All this because of TMS. So it ended up being a gift. Of course, I would NOT be able to say this so cavalierly if I was still in pain 24/7!!!

 

[semia]

Thank you everyone. I'm so ready to fight this battle. You all are giving me so much hope, I feel like I have nothing to lose. So grateful to have found this page.
I don't feel alone anymore, I can not thank all of you enough.
I took a lot of time off work, and the thought of going back gives me anxiety. But like sarno says, we must resume our daily activities.
Thank you all again, I see my therapist monday who actually was the one who told me about dr sarno. Im going to do my best to dig deep and release any emotional baggage I still might be holding.

YOU GUYS ARE ALL AMAZING THANK YOU

 

[SunnyinFL]

Thank you everyone. I'm so ready to fight this battle. You all are giving me so much hope, I feel like I have nothing to lose. So grateful to have found this page.
I don't feel alone anymore, I can not thank all of you enough.
I took a lot of time off work, and the thought of going back gives me anxiety. But like sarno says, we must resume our daily activities.
Thank you all again, I see my therapist monday who actually was the one who told me about dr sarno. Im going to do my best to dig deep and release any emotional baggage I still might be holding.

YOU GUYS ARE ALL AMAZING THANK YOU

Hi Semia,

I'm so glad you're feeling supported through the forum. Living in pain can be isolating and lonely - I'm sure many of us are familiar with those feelings. So please keep reaching out and keep us posted! We care! Sunny

 

[texasgirl]

I am so sorry you are suffering Semia. You are so young to be going thru this.... Still new at this myself but have realized that this is TMS is a journey without a destination because everyone is different. You are definitely not alone and we care about you. Walt's suggestion about the Structured Education Program will help you.
Bravo for being able to express your feelings emotionally. What a great beginning! Texasgirl