Overwhelmed on Day 2

I am only 2 days into the SEP and have only found out about TMS in the past few weeks. It all makes so much sense to me regarding the awful two years I have endured. Historically I have always suffered from anxiety, which at its worst can become agoraphobia, however those symptoms started to ebb away as a series of leg/back/problems took over my life. Now that I am understanding the cause of this pain, after endless rounds of physios etc etc , and there is a sense that this could all get better, I am getting a real sense of panic symptoms returning today.

Can anyone relate to this or advise me how I might shortcut this cycle.

 

Hi, Billiewells. If it is of any comfort, know that I have been where you are, and have healed from pain and anxiety. Panic attacks, too. TMS has taught me that it is all in my head. I tell myself "I an do this. It's a piece of cake. I can do anything I set my mind to."

We all wish there was a magic wand someone could wave over us to relieve our pain or anxiety. Actually, there is, and you've discovered it too... it's TMS.
But don't expect an overnight, "shortcut." It takes some work and time to discover and work on the emotions that cause our symptoms.

A good book I recommend is Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes, on overcoming anxiety and fear of panic attacks.

Also, I'd like to share the following post from one of our TMS community, Kevin, who says he healed 95 percent from the Structured Educational Program. A few days later he upped that recovery to 100 percent. The SEP has helped me and many, many others to become healthier, happier. It will do the same for you.


Kevin healed 95 % from SEP

Welcome to the SEP and to the path of recovery. I am on my final two days of the program and I can say with complete confidence that I am a changed man. I started after 6 months of nasty low-back/butt/leg pain, could hardly walk, stand, etc. was in physical therapy, chiropractor, acupuncture, pain medications, etc.. the usual. My MRI showed 3 disk bulges/herniations touching nerves, so that is what I believe it to be....that is until I read Dr. Sarno and found this site.

I encourage you to really get involved, follow the instructions, do the journaling, take time to read all the suggested readings, and watch the videos. I'd say I'm 95% cured. There is still some very light lingering "annoyance", but I still have some work to do. I've been walking miles with hardly any pain these last few weeks. But even more, if the pain comes on now, it just doesn't bother me like it used to, I sorta just see it, acknowledge it, and go about my business. It took working the program to get to that point, but 6 weeks compared to 6 months is nothing! I made more progress in the first week than I did from two months of PT!!! It's going to challenge you and your "beliefs" in medicine, but you have nothing to lose. We generally wind up here when all else fails.

So give it a shot, especially before considering anything invasive like surgery. If you put the work in, you will get better. Have you read Dr. Sarno yet? I assume you have since you're here, but in case you haven't, definitely readHealing Back Pain. Again, it will challenge everything you've believed about your pain, and backs in general. You'll be encouraged to resume life as normal, i.e. stop ALL "therapies" (PT, chiro, etc.), stop taking medications, and most importantly, stop thinking STRUCTURAL problems are the cause of your pain and shift to psychological as the reason.....again, this can be difficult and takes some time to sink in, so be patient and kind to yourself.

It was a process for me. A few of the bigger moves in my case were: I ripped up and threw out my MRI test results (I found myself obsessively reading over them and comparing them to other results I could find on the web and even here on the TMSwiki site...); I got back to the gym and stopped using a weight belt; and I even cancelled an appointment I had made with aTMS doctorbecause it was more than a month away and it was hindering my recovery (that is, my 100% belief in TMS was lagging because I had this pending appointment, but as soon as I cancelled it, my recovery sped up significantly). Everyone's journey is unique to their situation, but I've found that really committing to the program and brining what I learn from it into my daily life has had profound results. Also, sharing along the way here in these forums has been extremely helpful - there's something about knowing that you're not alone in your TMS recovery that really helps. I encourage you to look through my past posts for some insight into my experience with SEP. Like I said, I'm just now finishing, tomorrow is my final day, and I feel like a changed person. It's amazing. And I feel as though it is something that one carries on with, not just like a one time 6 week thing and that's that...it has helped me to get to know myself and taught me tools to "deal" with my emotions. Learning and accepting TMS is a life changer for sure.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I am very familiar with the work of Claire Weeks, she was a great woman.

 

Just remember that anxiety is a pain equivalent. So as you consciously start to realize why the pain is there, as a distraction, your mind may shift to another area or symptom to distract you. Be patient. I had days at the beginning of my recovery in which the anxiety was so acute it felt very uncomfortable to be in my skin. It was strange because it was just like my body ached all over except that it was different. Its hard to describe but anxiety was literally making my skin crawl. You will get past this. Keep going!!!

 

Thank you for your thoughts. I am new to this forum and am really amazed at how supportive folks are. I am from the UKand have found nothing like this.

My problems with anxiety run back to teenage years but after a series of life events I started having back/leg problems and have been unable to walk properly for 3 years. I too had all sorts of BPPV episodes like you which are horrid. My panic attacks subsided when my leg problems took over and now as I finally face up to the TMS issues, they keeptrying to break through. I am very new to all this.

Have you now recovered from your TMS?

 

Hi,. Billiewells. I have had feelings of panic attacks and agoraphobia which I had bad some years ago. My doctor prescribed Librium and it helped me to live a more relaxed life. I finally gave that up and have not been on any medication, although anxiety is sometimes still a problem. But I realize it's all TMS from emotional stress and everyone has that today and I believe that's why so many people have back or other pain.

Try not to worry about panic attacks and agoraphobia. They're both uncomfortable and can be scary but neither is fatal and they pass quickly, especially if we pratice deep breathing and mindfulness, living in the present moment and not thinking about the past or worrying about the future.


They are a lot more common than most people think, and I read that they are fairly common to people who live on islands, such as the UK. But they can happen anywhere. It's our mind playing tricks on us.

I am confident that if you follow the SEprogram faithfully, doing the tasks and techniques that feel best for you, you will become free of pain and be a healthier and happier person than you ever thought you would be.

 

Yes, Billie, in fact you'll find many stories of people who experience either panic/anxiety as a new equivalent to their other symptoms or many people ultimately notice painful emotions appearing while doing the work and that they cause a significant amount of distress.

If the anxiety becomes such that you feel like you have a hard time navigating the SEP or areas of your life outside the TMS work, I highly recommend seeing a therapist to help you process the feelings/sensations and assist you with coping tools.

 

Thankyou for your thoughts. I haver never taken any medication for anxiety, I know it works for some, but I prefer to find a more natural route, however challenging it is.

 

Thanks Andrew, will bear it in mind.