Day 1 My Story

I started getting back pain and sciatica (so I thought) about 20 years ago when I was doing my PhD. I visited chiropractors, osteopaths and doctors with no real relief. One osteopath suggested my gluteal pains were so difficult to budge that I might have fibromyalgia, but I didn't know what that was. I went for a CT scan and found no structural problems. My pains slowly become more easy to live with, but I had constant tension headaches and a really stiff jaw and teethache. Around 7 years ago i started getting very depressed and started counselling and went on SSRIs. It helped with my depression and anger for a while and I came off the pills and stopped counselling. Five years ago, after the build up to ever more stress at work and self-medicating to deal with it and trying to keep energy to cope, I had a crash and developed brain fog and fatigue. I also developed tinnitus. I've had regular periods of weeks off work since. During lockdown when the world slowed down I was able to spend more time looking after myself and had some sessions with a functional medicine practioner. I started mindfulness and changed my diet, cutting out gluten and cutting back on booze. I also got a diagnosis of CFS and had access to an NHS clinic. I started seeing my counsellor again. Things improved a lot and I went a long time with no bad symptoms, hardly any time off work, but I always knew I had to be careful and I stopped doing a lot of things and staying at home. I had a recent bad crash and had over 2 months off work with fatigue. My symptoms are not so bad relatively today, but I have constant leg pains and tinnitus, plus a real fear of crashing and having more time off work. I'm tired of it and when I found John Sarno's work and started reading I was amazed at how the profile of the TMS sufferer fitted mine. I already believe and I'm ready to give this programme a go and be free of the pain and fatigue for good.

 

Welcome, @Chris Bread and let us know how the journey goes! It sure sounds like you've found the right place. By the way, in the UK, Georgie Oldfield is a long-time (non-MD) TMS practitioner who worked with Dr. Sarno back in the day and spearheaded the growth of the TMS/PPD movement there through the organization she founded, SIRPA. She's also one of the founding members of the PPD Association along with many other TMS luminaries: Resources — Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (ppdassociation.org)