OMG- diagnosis confirmed

I saw Dr. Martinez at the Spine Center at New England Baptist in Boston today, a two hour appointment.

Paradigm shift.

I can resume all physical activity, even zumba and 10 lb. weights, because my pain--as we know--has grown from my frustrations and anger and perfectionism and family discord, as I have learned. Finding Dr Sarno's book was the beginning of embracing a new paradigm.

I am completely blown away. I knew this was coming, and I am ready and I am so grateful. I still have pain, but it will not always be this way.

He showed me some MRI images from former patients. One was an 82 year old woman with a completely fused, bent and deteriorated spine--no pain. Another was a 35 year old with a normal spine. Chronic debilitating pain.

The medical profession is making us sick (iatrogenic illness). I believe even my own profession- clinical psych--has an investment in keeping people sick. Unfortunately, the trend in our society is to look for a physical basis for everything. Even psychotherapists have been angry with this doctor for suggesting their emotions and history of trauma may be involved. So he, like Sarno, discusses TMS with people who seem receptive.

I am so blown away from learning what we know, and I encourage everyone to keep pursuing this path in whatever way works best for you.

 

Thank you for a fantastic post! I am so excited for you! It is so frustrating when we know someone could be better and they don't see it. Satisfying must be this feeling that is opposite Thank you again for sharing!
Lizzy

 

You're so welcome.

 

Riv

Thx for posting I will make my appt with dr Martinez as well . Thx for sharing.

 

Hi Riv44,

Thanks so much for sharing your news! It think it will help a lot of people because so many of us have been given misinformation by professionals, which causes a lot of fear and anxiety, which feeds the pain cycle. It seems very, very important to realize that, as you state, many professions have an "investment in keeping people sick." Yes, any professional who makes money from "sick" people has a conflict of interest!!! Obviously, there are many professionals with high ethical standards and integrity; but, it would be naive not to recognize the financial gain and continuing income stream realized by keeping people sick. I think this information will help a lot of people reject misinformation and misleading MRIs with more confidence. Thanks again and good luck! Sunny

 

this is awesome!
I feel that I'm missing professional reassurance and considering travelling to talk with a TMS therapist/doctor as it would allay many fears I still hold in spite of being pretty invested in the idea already.
the anecdote about the old lady is very powerful!

 

Riv,
SO HAPPY FOR YOU. I understand how you feel as I just recently (3 weeks ago) drove 4 hours to see a qualified TMS doc. I saw John Sklar in Texas.
My sub-conscious was throwing a fit. It did not want me to go. I knew exactly what it was doing.

He was so compassionate, skilled and insightful. I 100% have TMS without a doubt. Those words seeped into my brain and I began to cry as he told me this. I was a little embarrassed but it felt so good to cry, to release. I am doing a few other modalities to heal completely but this new TMS knowledge has been a HUGE driving force in my recovery. I am living again, Enjoying living and practicing TRUE INDIFFERENCE.

His appointment was $500. Just for comparison, I spent over $50,000 cash, out of pocket in 2 months in Dallas at THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CARE CENTER with the world famous Dr. Rea. AND I ONLY GOT WORSE. Yes, $50,000 and his treatments left me worse. I suppose my out of pocket cash spent chasing physical symptoms and cures are somewhere around $250,000 over the last 7 years.

I have finally found the last piece to my RECOVERY PUZZLE. No more guessing, wondering or dark shadows.

I no longer wonder IF OR WHEN I will recover. I just know that I will........................

 

I went to my old gym class today and participated vigorously in cardio and weights. My only restriction was from my bike accident the other day. Otherwise, No pain. I may get some pain later, but not from exercise.
As a psychologist, I am very invested in telling people they are not psychologically sick as they think they are--and I work in a very non-pathologizing way. Many psychologists are enlightened, and we don't" make money off sick people." But the physical pain episode threw me, and because I thought it was "real." And I couldn't fix it.

 

$50k!!!
thats incredible. I've tried to calculate in total what I think the entire pain experience has cost me but I can't. would estimate around $70k all in.

 

Around 10k for me

 

amazing. Sarno could get the world out of recession by the sounds of things! haha

 

I'm new to TMS but am a psychotherapist with lots of experience. I have a family/individual psychologist of many years who is a senior clinician and instructor in Social Medicine I kind of know where to take this for myself. Others might know of specific "TMS therapists," but I would guess there are a lot of ways to take this: family systems therapy, cognitive, analytic, existential...many roads to get to where you are going. Just need to get at the underlying absorbed traumas and feelings, no matter the source. And take charge of your narrative. And not get sidetracked by pain.

As far as psych medications, I don't know, because I believe that depression and anxiety and addictions and even major mental illnesses are partly or completely TMS.

 

I agree with riv44 that most physical and mental problems are partly or mostly from TMS. My best friend's wife really had mental problems and under psychotherapy realized it was because her mother had told her, when she was little girl, that she wished she had drowned her. The mother loved her other daughter which also hurt my friend's wife. She eventually recovered and was even able to forgive her mother and visit her when her mother was dying, far across the country. By journaling, I discovered my back pain was from TMS, repressed emotions stemming from my parents divorcing when I was seven and it left me with feelings of insecurity. TMS journaling made me realize everyone has feelings of insecurity. It's called being alive. Not to worry. No one gets out of it alive anyway.

 

I work with a lot of people who have substance use disorders (my clients)- alcohol, heroin, cannabis- the works. I ask them to pick apart what they have learned about addiction, most of which is false. Self-fulfilling prophecy, and a huge industry built up around "rehabilitation." There are people who can casually use even opiates without getting addicted! In my new language, they don't have TMS.

 

What did the exam consist of I would like to compare it to theTMS Dr I went to last year. Did he check you out physically any test done things of that sort?

 

. Yes. I was gowned. I had to bring MRI reports and they were recent so he didn't order more. He tested strength, range of motion, posture, like in PT. a resident did the initial history and sat through the exam and I think even he was blown away. Dr Martinez seemed pleased that he did not have to broach the tender topic of TMS. I said that I wanted to confirm that I had TMS but also wanted to know if there were any structural issues. My neck mobility is extremely limited. I have lost flexibility. I think I am pretty classically TMS but there is damage from inactivity and tension. He gave me some standard neck mobility exercises and said I should keep the PT that I am working with whom I adore. My neck pain actually due to my neck, but it is workable. He said not to worry about the scoliosis.

 

Its refreshing to hear your story

 

Maybe the opposite, economies would take a big hit when people quit giving money to the medical industrial complex. Think of all the snake-oyls on the shelves of Walgreens and the quack gadgets on late nite TV that wouldn't be bought if the cure for what ails 80% of doctor's rooms waiting rooms could be alleviated by reading a book that can be bought on Amazon used for 1 cent + $3.99 s&h. Doctors would have to return to being barbers again.

 

TT its not that black and white for everybody

 

Congratulations on your validation that it's TMS! I always recommend seeing a TMS physician for an objective dx to eliminate the structural. $500 may sound like a lot when people are conditioned to the cheap $20-40 copay from their employer plans that gives them nothing towards treating TMS caused dis-eases. A TMS doctor work-up takes several hours, no alopathically based doctor on the planet is going to give you two hours of his time unless it's a surgeon doing a two hour hip-replacement that is going to cost probably $80,000 for the whole package. At the usual doctor visit you are lucky if you can talk for 90 seconds before being cut-off, white coat's time is very valuable--ka-ching, ka-ching. Sorry to sound cynical but that's how the present day system operates.

Here's a link to a TMS therapist Nicole Sachs, wh0's a member here and wrote a great TMS book about her very personal experience:

http://meaningoftruthbook.com/the-book/