Listening to friends & co-workers with obvious TMS issues

Hi there,

Watching friends and family navigate their issues that scream TMS is challenging It's sad and frustrating. There's also humor and relief there.

(Note: I want to give others the room to figure out what's going on for them. I don't want to pretend I know all and can diagnosis everyone around me. But, there are times when I know people well and TMS just seems so obvious.)

Sad part: I've got a friend who works out to handle stress. He's in fantastic physical shape--and helped my find the right gym and trainer for myself. He repeatedly has these vague pains that have caused him to quit playing squash, change workouts, etc... The latest is that he found his way to a doctor who diagnosed herniated discs and he went right in for back surgery.

Frustrating part: I've got a co-worker who endlessly chases vague symptoms. Her life is on hold or held hostage and her identity is completely locked to her symptoms now. It's hard to watch.

Humor part: When folks get a back diagnosis, they seem to love to talk about the vertebrae involved. I was one of them--glad I found out it was TMS soon after! My gym friend from above: He gets so serious and loud when he's explaining this. "Do you know about L4 and L5?" Then, these long lectures about the spine.
For some reason, it comes across to me as humorous....silly. Then, all those jelly doughnut analogies about herniated discs....good grief!!

The relief part is that I found a solution....AND I believe that solution could be available to my friend and co-worker and anyone else dealing with this.