Thanks to everyone on the TMS Wiki for their support, stories and encouragement. Here is my success story. For anyone who is skeptical, don't be, it works!
After about 6 months of progressively worsening hip (buttock) pain, a friend gave me the Sarno books. I started reading them and they made sense. I also started PT and stopped exercising (maybe two mistakes). I was not able to: sit for more than 5 minutes, ride in a car without Advil, sleep at night as the pain would wake me. It was agony and the worst part was I was not sure it would go away. (I think I have a pretty high threshold for pain as I had 4 kids without pain meds and had teeth pulled and drilled as a kid without pain meds.) The back pain was another thing-because I did not know if it was going to end!! This anxiety made it worse.
The pain got worse before it got better, but I did the program for about 5 weeks and stopped PT. I started to feel better. The pain really started receding when I started sticking up for myself and getting in touch with deeply-buried emotions. Just making the connection between the pain and stress helped. I was a bit discouraged as I did not have the "book cure" and it took more than 5 weeks. I also had doubts at the end, because others kept telling me it was due to weak stomach muscles (diastasis recti) - and that I needed surgery to cure the back pain. I listened to them and got a bit discouraged, but then I got back to the program and ignored everyone.
I kept at it with a lot of encouragement from the Structured Educational Forum (thanks guys). I also got involved with things I enjoyed and sort of tried to ignore the hip pain. This was key. Not focusing on it helped it resolve. Every now and then when I am stressed, I feel a twinge, but I know it is stress and it just goes away. Have hope and stick with the program for however long it takes. It was faster than I thought it would be. Thanks again to the forum and good luck to everyone.
After about 6 months of progressively worsening hip (buttock) pain, a friend gave me the Sarno books. I started reading them and they made sense. I also started PT and stopped exercising (maybe two mistakes). I was not able to: sit for more than 5 minutes, ride in a car without Advil, sleep at night as the pain would wake me. It was agony and the worst part was I was not sure it would go away. (I think I have a pretty high threshold for pain as I had 4 kids without pain meds and had teeth pulled and drilled as a kid without pain meds.) The back pain was another thing-because I did not know if it was going to end!! This anxiety made it worse.
The pain got worse before it got better, but I did the program for about 5 weeks and stopped PT. I started to feel better. The pain really started receding when I started sticking up for myself and getting in touch with deeply-buried emotions. Just making the connection between the pain and stress helped. I was a bit discouraged as I did not have the "book cure" and it took more than 5 weeks. I also had doubts at the end, because others kept telling me it was due to weak stomach muscles (diastasis recti) - and that I needed surgery to cure the back pain. I listened to them and got a bit discouraged, but then I got back to the program and ignored everyone.
I kept at it with a lot of encouragement from the Structured Educational Forum (thanks guys). I also got involved with things I enjoyed and sort of tried to ignore the hip pain. This was key. Not focusing on it helped it resolve. Every now and then when I am stressed, I feel a twinge, but I know it is stress and it just goes away. Have hope and stick with the program for however long it takes. It was faster than I thought it would be. Thanks again to the forum and good luck to everyone.
