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Outcome independence and experience independence

A

armchairlinguist

Peer Supporter
Some time back I read a great page on the TMS Wiki that a lot of people are probably familiar with, Outcome independence. This is one of the things that Sarno consistently describes - act without regard to the pain - but I didn't have a good name for it, and so it was easy to lose focus on in terms of what I did from day to day. So that article was very helpful.

For whatever reason I have the same problem finding a name and clear conceptual space for how to react when the pain starts now that I'm not really fearful of it anymore (up to a point). Even though I'm not fearful I find it annoying because I don't want to be in pain, and I start monitoring it to make sure it doesn't get "too bad", and wondering why it's happening right now (am I angry?) and that sort of thing. So the pain still succeeds in distracting me. I keep forgetting that to make progress I have to actually not pay attention to it. I'm not going to not notice it - that's kind of unrealistic - but having the reaction about "Why am I still having this pain, if I know it's not meaningful?" and getting tied up in thoughts about the pain is - duh! - counterproductive. But it's so easy to forget that in the moment.

I decided that "experience independence" might be a good name for that. My experience when I walk (and other times) is that I still have pain. But so what? That's just what my foot is doing right now - hurting. It does that, because TMS. So much easier to say to myself "Ah right. My foot's hurting because TMS. That's ok. Whatever. Just gonna do this walking anyway." Much less distracting than getting the whole new meta-distraction of "Why does it hurt right now?"

It's not that the other type of thinking isn't ever useful (thinking psychological is definitely a tried and true TMS technique) it's just that it is distracting me, and not helping me recover, if I constantly focus on it. Seems obvious but sometimes it isn't!
 
Absolutely! You pretty much have it BEAT then with that way of thinking. You aren't FEEDING the FEAR. TMS can go anywhere in your body... It can be a cold, headache, back pain, anxiety, hell... Even Sarno himself says that it can turn into worse DIS-EASES :) the trick is.... To become FEARLESS. I used to think to myself when in pain... Why do I even care?! I've been through much worse in comparison.. Family members dying, and in pain so bad that I want to crawl out of my own skin.. Allllll sorts of things.. BUT so what?! I am strong and you regain the power when you don't divert your attention to the pain. Make peace with, embrace, and find that shadow part of yourself. Don't be afraid of it. As soon as I did that, I was like 97% better... And my shadow is one crazy you know what ;) I didn't even know she existed!

The subconcious is a very interesting thing... It is actually your friend.. You have to make friends with it :) I have been through so many many TMS symptoms.. But they are all the same. They are your subconcious telling you that you have things you need to deal with and emotions you need to process. We are creatures of emotion. That's why we're here.. We spend so much time watching TV, consuming, isolating ourselves... Instead of facing our inner fears and shadow, finding our joy, and actually dealing with our emotions instead of numbing ourselves....

Carl Jung, Louise Hay, John Sarno, even those Tibetan monks get the mind body connection!!! It is sooooo cool! And I am so thankful that I live my life not on auto pilot, but love myself and pay attention to my thoughts and emotions!

ALWAYS think PSYCHOLOGICAL.. Not PHYSICAL. Always.

TMS is a tool we all have. It is actually a gift, if you learn how to use this. If I start to get a headache now.. Or my neck tightens up... I know why.. I deal with the emotional side or just simply ignore it and go about my way and the pain disappears. It is rare when it comes... And if it stays for a few days... I don't care because I know what it is and what I have to do.

Love and light and Happy Valentines Day!
 
Nattycakes, fair play for putting your story on youtube. I wish I had confidence to do so.
Once you experience some sort of relief or symptom disappearing/new symptom appearing its like the light bulb going off in the mind. There is no going back.
If you have scientific training it makes it even harder as it is such an unconventional idea to absorb and use to get better
 
Absolutely! To me... It's always made SO much sense. It just clicked.. I'm thankful it did :) it pays to think outside the box ;) I mean.. We thought the world was flat before too.. SUPRISE!
 
Exactly! Not feeding the fear. I went on a fairly good walk today (after also having done a lot yesterday), and on the way back I noticed some sharper pain (as opposed to the heat that I always get). The sharper pain didn't appear to be 'related' but rather in different muscles/tissue, but I could feel myself getting hooked into it. I had to consciously 'unhook' and just say to myself "That's just some mild pain there, just keep on walking and see how it goes. You know you can do this distance."

After a while that pain went away and the heat seemed to stop getting worse, maybe diminished a little. I was still tired when I got back but no ill effects. :)
 
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