It's my brain and I can tell it what to do

Just now, I felt a headache coming on. Instead of doing what I've done for years (deep pressure massage with a golf ball on several spots on my neck) I made myself laugh. I laughed at my brain for being silly enough to put me in pain. It's my brain and I'm going to make it do what I want. Anyone else used laughter? It's working well for me today.

 

Hey Nice Guy. Know what you mean. I have sciatica pain which I am treating using Dr Sarno's method. I have so far read two books and I am now starting to re-read the first one so that I can really get it into my head what he is saying. I totally buy in. As for a sense of humour, I try. I call my pain my clingy friend that follows me around all the time in various forms. Sometimes it nags at my butt, sometimes down my leg and around my shin and ankle, all day every day. When it is being particularly clingy it attacks me on all fronts begging for my attention. Me, me, me.My right leg takes the brunt and my left leg gets off Scott free. I had exactly the same thing twenty years ago for around three months and it disappeared as mysteriously as it arrived after tons (I exagerate) of osteopath sessions. I cannot shake the pain off but I am determined too. It changes form too. On a good day, it is barely there and I think.. Hah it's gone, but the next day it will come back in full force. The intensity changes too from mild to raging but it is always there niggling. I can walk although I wince through the pain but thank God everyday that at least I am mobile. I can also sit but it takes me some time to get comfortable. Standing is the problem. When I see a supermarket queue, I run but yesterday I inadvertently got caught up in one and guess what, I managed it. I wonder why standing causes a problem but not sitting. I feel best when I lean forward but when I lean backwards for example in a deck chair, excruciating. So yes, a sense of humour and optimism is a must to chase this mysterious pain away. I try to avoid painkillers but I take a spoon of turmeric a day as a natural anti inflammatory. There are days when I would rather lie on in bed and contemplate my miserable lot but I know that it is so important to keep moving. Up until 2 months ago, I went to the gym and Pilates classes but I am taking a rest for the moment until I can work up the courage to go back. One of the reasons I took up Pilates was to strengthen my core and help my back so I guess I am a bit disappointed to arrive back to square one after all that diligence. However, it reinforces Dr Sarno 's belief that the whole chronic pain syndrome is not about structure but about those repressed emotions that the brain does not want you to experience. It is a revelation to me. I will keep on keeping on and dream tonight that when I waken up tomorrow morning, this clingy friend will have slung his (or her ) hook. And if it is still hanging around, it will get a good telling off. As a side note and to finish off, I was talking to my colleague today and his arm has all but seized up due to tendinitis. Hmmm I wonder if it is any coincidence that both of us work in a Department where all the jobs have been made redundant and we are facing an uncertain future with the associated stress of trying to figure out where to go next. The trigger?

 

Yes. Once you learn about TMS and see it in action it's kind of funny what your brain tries to pull on you.