Nothing is working

I’ve tried

Journaling (currently on a 20 day running streak)
Curable podcasts
Meditation
Reading Sarno and other books

no improvement.
Every day my back/sides and neck are very sore and it gives me headaches and chronic fatigue.

Docs reckon it’s Fibro. I reckon it’s TMS. But I must admit, I’m losing faith in TMS because none of the treatments are working.

 

Sorry to hear. I can relate. I have symptoms that my doctor calls Fibro. I try to ignore that term but it’s not easy.

I played sports in HS and college. I had plenty of injuries but never worried about them.

This diffuse, aching, burning pain is something totally different though. It’s just impossible to ignore.

I have had stretches where I barely noticed the pain though. I just can’t figure out what was different during those times. Often feels like it gets much worse when I start doing the journaling and meditation.

 

https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/must-listen-from-nicole-sachs.26751/ (Must-Listen from Nicole Sachs)

 

Hi Jan

I journaled for 20 days straight with no relief. Feels like I’m just writing the same shit now..

Other TMS practitioners have said that if I haven’t felt relief by now, journaling is probably not for me.

I’ve emailed Nicole and DM’d her but no reply. I guess she’s kind of a big deal so probs gets loads of emails.

Gonna try the SEP soon but my options are running out.

cheers,
Patrick

 

I have been writing inventory for Decades....and I bore the crap out of myself with redundancy.

Of the four things you list, only one , 'Journaling' is about YOU. The other ones are supportive info. THis is about YOU Patrick.
How are you journaling?

I ONLY write down things that I am consciously angry about.... bad scene at the supermarket, Argument with the GF, aversion to hanging out with Family.. this is about RAGE and I have always disliked that word 'journaling' which sort of sounds like "How my day went'...How your day went IS important, but only in the instances that you are aware you're angry, or when you SHOULD be angry, but are not.

Just curious. I had most of my breakthroughs writing about anger and realizing the stuff I felt was only a fraction AND whenever I felt a symptom, Immediately turning my attention to ANGER.... In the room? Something from this morning? Last night?

That is the single most important instruction for the reconditioning which is what actually makes the pain leave. Was for me at least...I got better in about 3-5 weeks, but I wrote about anger twice or thrice a day.

I also went back to the things I liked to do pre-"pain issue" and did them like a meditation focusing on ANGER the whole way through... Kept fighting through until I broke the conditioning with all the little things that make up our day.

 

Agreed! I prefer to call it "writing shit down". The word "journaling" also sounds like you're expected to keep what you write, which in me, leads to dishonesty, editing, and avoidance. Nicole Sachs actually recommends disposing of your writing immediately. I use crappy old notebook paper and scribble illegibly until both sides are used up, then I toss it. Couldn't read most of it even if I wanted to. It's just a brain dump, stream of consciousness, whatever comes into my head, editing not allowed.

 

Fibromyalgia is TMS. If your doctor tells you that you have Fibromyalgia, then you have TMS.

I've been using this journaling prompt from Nicole Sachs and I find it helpful: What am I unwilling to feel?

 

@patrickj, sorry to not be clear - when I recommended that podcast I was actually responding specifically to @map76 who said

 

That is a great prompt.

When I ask myself why I am angry, in the 'what does it affect', I am always concerned with what a 'good person' should feel vs. What I am really feeling...like not living up to my 'Moses' (superego)

 

Yes, I think it is these internal conflicts that need the most attention.

 

One more point, @patrickj , that I hope will be helpful. I think it's important to do all the activities you list with the goal of finding the TRUTH about yourself, and not with the goal of eliminating symptoms. I know this sounds like a subtle distinction, but I think the intention behind these activities is essential. Obviously, we all learn about doing these things because we want to find our way out of pain. However, in my experience, the symptoms only lessen when I'm not paying attention to them. Usually, I would suddenly realize that I haven't thought about a symptom for X amount of time because it had left. Gone! If I had been constantly checking to see if it was gone yet, I don't think it would have left. This is why I always recommend that people do TMS related activities for a certain amount of time per day, but then forget about it and go about your life.

 

Exactly! Fibromyalgia is TMS, and so is chronic fatigue and gazillion of other long labels doctors love to invent.