Day 15 Pain moving around...

Hi all,

15 days into the program, not noticing too much relief from the pain in my hands/wrists that have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. That being said, the amount of pain fluctuates day to day, and some days doesn't feel like it is correlated to the amount of physical activity I do with typing/using a computer.

Since going through the program and seriously considering TMS as my problem, I've started to notice acute pain in my shoulders/neck/even legs some days. This has helped me really believe that all of this pain I'm having, even in my hands/wrists where the pain seems more justified, is psychologically induced. I am having trouble negating this pain when I divert my attention to my emotions/stresses, but I am more confident in the diagnosis than I was starting out.

Are these "relapses"/having pain move around common when you start to undergo this program? What advice do you all have from here, and what should I be thinking about to help make my pain subside? Thank you all for the help.

 

Hi, Dirk. Yes, pain moving around the body is common in TMS. The subconscious wants us to do more thinking... journaling... to discover repressed emotions or admit we are perfectionists or "goodists."
I'm glad you feel like the program is helping you. Try not to spend a lot of time on each day's step in the program. Keep busy and active and your mind focused on anything but the pain, if possible. Find more ways to relax and be sure to laugh. And go back each day to Dr. Sarno's 12 Daily Reminders. Here they are, and some thoughts on them from someone else:


Posted - 01/15/2005 : 20:02:55
Seth had just asked,so here they are

This is really the apex of HBP....if it was a novel,this would be the climax,the rest would be appendix and anecdotal supporting evidence.

1.The pain is due to TMS, not to a structural abnormality
2.The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation
3.TMS is a harmless condition caused by my repressed emotions
4.The principal emotion is my repressed ANGER
5.TMS exists only to distract my attentions from the emotions
6.Since my back is basically normal there is nothing to fear
7.Therefore,physical activity is not dangerous
8.And I MUST resume all normal physical activity
9.I will not be concerned or intimidated by the pain
10.I will shift my attention from pain to the emotional issues
11.I intend to be in control -- NOT my subconscious mind
12.I must think Psychological at all times, NOT physical.

I think it of paramount importance to actually set aside the time to do this...like setting aside time to pray.It's not enough to only be in agreement for a flash of a moment while reading,nodding in agreement,and then neglecting to ACTUALLY spend the 15 minutes.

It is imperative to actually go somewhere quiet and review these on paper, reading them aloud if possible, and giving a whopping 90 seconds of thought to each one, no matter HOW CERTAIN you are that you "know" this information.

The thought that comes to mind when I hear of people who won't humble themselves to take the time to ACTUALLY do this, is their pain just isn't bad enough yet...they found Sarno too soon.

I know one personally...this person is certain that they are having TMS after discussing it with me, but just will not take the time...from the bit they have gleaned, they think it's just a matter of pinpointing what's bothering them, which it is NOT or I never would have recovered....it's about submitting to a process.
I now ignore this persons complaints,as it is a waste of my time to listen......I just pretend to listen and wait until they're done........it's like a person complaining about the cold with a jacket tied around their waist...they just like to complain.
I suppose they'll either limp thru life, or get really bad and actually do the work.....but most people would rather have their pain and whine about it. It's actually easier than getting well.

Take the 15 minutes.

peace

Baseball65

 

Thanks Walt, this list is very encouraging.