Pain Continues To Return

I have had a few successes with either writing about my emotions or speaking to my therapist about them. Sometimes it makes a significant reduction in pain, but mostly no difference.

The small number of times it does make a difference, the pain always returns, often more intensely than before. Does this sound like it might be 'programming', or is it likely something else entirely.

I am also going swimming regularly and reading through Sarno's book "The MindBody Prescription".

Is there anything else I should be doing? Would meditation make much of a difference, and if so which site do people recommend? I tried Headspace, but couldn't find the 'free' part of it.

 

Meditation would definitely help quiten the mind and reduce the size of the amygdala which controls the stress response. There are numerous available on YouTube, but I would recommend investing in one one by John Kabatt-Zinn

 

For those that meditate to get pain relief, I've often found that, to a person, it doesn't really work out. But, what meditation often does is it blunts the obsessiveness over symptoms, allowing us to be more patient as they go away, to combat them when we need to, to ignore them when combat becomes counterproductive, and to accept them when nothing else is to be done. All these things help remove the pressure from the desire to get rid of your TMS... which helps reduce TMS symptoms!

 

I have signed up to do Headspace as it has ten free ten minute meditations.

My TMS therapist reckons the pain keeps coming back as I am not 'feeling' the anger when I am writing. Does that maybe suggest I need to speak about the anger??

I am thinking of taking up some form of boxing to get the anger out of my body. Anyone else tried this?

 

That's good, mindfulness will certainly help you rid yourself of toxic thinking and ground you in the NOW.

It may not necessarily be anger that you are repressing. Are you completely and fully happy with every aspect of your life? are there any toxic thoughts whick keep re-occurring?

I'm not sure about boxing as a means of channelling anger, if that is the underlying cause. This might even cause you to get physical with someone every time you feel a certain way.

You could try exploring http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Intensive_Short_Term_Dynamic_Psychotherapy, which John Sarno recommends. It has helped many feel their emotions.

 

I have tried to write about how I feel, but if the pain goes aaway for any time, it always returns, often more intense than previously.

I have been to a therapist, but she is often trying to get me to think that I hate MYSELF, rather than my mum.

I have read most of Sarno's "The MindBody Prescription", and although it has helped my understanding, it doesn't seem to be reducing any of the pain.

I have been swimming more than previously, but again no reduction in pain. I have also been to the gym, to go on the cycle machines, but no change in the pain.

I seem to be running out of options to try.

My parents never seemed to encourage either me or my brother to talk about how we felt about things or let us have an input into any decisions that would affect either of us. I see this all the time, in other families, that parents don't ask their child or children how they feel about decisions they are making that are going to impact on the children's lives. The children then end up with illnesses and medical symptoms that there is no known cure for, and that doctors can't explain.

 

I would suggest to keep reading and to actively do the TMS work whilst being kind, gentle and loving yourself at all times.

I think you've just answered your own question. You seem to have some resentment towards your parents. Maybe you need to explore this more.

We cannot change our families, but we can learn to accept and be non judgemental.

Try and find the elements you lack or make you unhappy within your wider circle of friends and try and cultivate these.

If you focuss purely on the negative or pain, it will just self perpetuate. I know it's easier said than done, but shift your thinking and you will notice some changes.

 

Dont give up maybe try to go a different direction in healing. If what your doing right now is not working switch therapists or try something different on your own.

No person heals the same we are all different human beings. You may never find what you repress, hence that's why it's repression, it's out of your awareness. Constantly looking for anger will drive you nuts. It's a way to essentially feed the tms (obsession) and put more pressure on yourself to find the anger. As carl jung said nothing inhibits feeling like thinking. Your trying to make yourself angry, instead of letting go. Get out there and connect with people and with yourself.

Hope this helps and trust me I know what your going through. Let go and go live life, sarno said the body is ok it's reacting from repressed emotions. No one can teach you to let go, it's something you will learn. Surrender yourself and believe, suffering serves it's purpose pushing us to change. Once you have been burned by the fire enough the ego will let down and you will have peace.

Keep at it, you will heal when it's your time. Be easy on yourself and be patient. I got faith in you, we are what we believe.

Ryan

 

I went to a therpaist, as described above, as I thought she would help me solve the problems related to TMS. Certainly my mind has become less 'clogged up', but I still have massive pains in my lower torso and still have the dizziness that I have had now for six and a half years.

I have just found a therapist who does the ISTDP therapy, and is roughly in the middle of where I work and where I live. Hopefully, she can help significantly reduce the levels of pain in my body.

I have been slowly increasing what I do in life, but I still hold back on some things. I am due to go travelling round some of the south of the UK next month for two of the Ireland matches in the Rugby World Cup, which will involve a number of times when I will be sitting for long periods of time. I can't imagine what that will be like if I still have a large amount of pain in my body.

 

I had a dizzy spell a while back, a few years ago, and my doctor prescribed an OTC pill called "Travel Sickness" that also helps those who get dizzy on airplanes. It worked for me very fast and well. The brand is called Rugby and you can get it at your drug store or from amazon.com. It's also called Meclizine. Dr. Sarno says it's okay to take medication so long as you keep believing that the pain (or dizziness) is caused by TMS emotions.

As for the long flight to Ireland, try to keep focused on how much you are going to enjoy the rugby matches. I love rugby, much more interesting than American football. Good luck to your favorite team.

 

My dizziness has been constant for the last six and a half years ....... so couldn't be classed as a 'dizzy spell'.

 

I know this is an old thread that I started, but I am still struggling with the TMS. It seems I have tried everything that Dr Sarno has suggested to try:

I have read Sarno's book The MindBody Prescription.

I have tried exercise - mostly swimming, but also occasional visits to the gym.

I have tried psychotherapy for most of the last 12 months.

I keep booking to go places and do things thinking that there is no chance that I will still be in pain by that date, but the event always comes and I am still ina massive amount of pain.

Yes, I have had some more success with writing and talking, but the reduction in pain is all to brief and normally returns within 24-48 hours.

What else should I try?? Should I go swimming every day for 2-3 weeks??

 

Hi NI, I have just read your post and it seems that you have been putting in all the work, but still have a huge amount of fear and anxiety surrounding your healing.

I think we can do all the work we like, but if our mind is still in a state of fear, or doubt recovery won't be possible.

Have you tried meditation and mindfulness yet? Just simply doing the work is 50% of the puzzle, the other half is changing your thinking.

Please also remember to be kind and gentle to yourself.

 

Won't hurt you and it'll keep you fit while the TMS stuff sinks into your sub-c.

 

I had tried meditation, but only on my own. I normally find it difficult to relax as my mind is always 'working' ontrying to figure out what else I could be writing or talking about to get rid of the pains permanently.

I may look and see if I can find some place close by that I can go to on a regular basis.

I have a few other symptoms, but if I could get rid of either the dizziness or the back pains, my confidence would grow massively.

My only problem is that I believe the back pains started when my mum told me I was overweight and to go to Weightwatchers. Doing exercise (in my case swimming) maybe seems to my unconscious that I'm doing what my mum wants me to do. I believe that my mum is the main person that I am angry with, as she has been the main person to make the decisions in my life that my body has reacted to in the past.

 

NIClubber, you might find this video on Youtube helpful. I did.
"Guided Meditation for Detachment from Over-Thinking."
I like the words and the calming voice of its host, Michael Sealey.
He focuses on being mindful of breathing in the present moment.
It's very relaxing anytime, but especially just before bedtime.

 

Dr. Sarno says JUST DO IT!!! You don't have to ruminate and meditate on your past. IMHO this just drives the hurts, mis-justices, etc. deeper into the psyche. The Good Doctor only recommended therapy for a small percentage of patients. You will do yourself a lot more good by swimming and being active then sitting in lotus and poring over your sucky past. Get a waterproof MP3 player or FM radio and listen to music while you swim, it will do you a lot more good then thinking about your mum telling you to swim--JUST DO IT!

Cheers,
tt/lsmft

 

Ryan

Thx for this...its the best advice I heard in a long time.

 

It's just that I feel as though I have tried all the various treatments:

reading about the condition
exercise
psychotherapy

I feel as though I am running out of ideas.

I will do swimming every day for the next 4-5 weeks though, and see how I get on. My mind is constantly thinking, and I can't seem to get that to stop.

 

Have you tried meditation yet? That's the only way you will be able to stop the fear, anxiety etc