Day 1 Starting my journey to pain free

Hello,

This is my first post and not last. I am so glad to have found this site and Dr. Sharno's work and book on Healing Back Pain. I started off 10 months ago with a herniated disc which was really painful and crippling, happened while snow blowing and then going to work the next day, sat in a chair and then couldn't get up or walk. Took me forever to get out of the office and into the car, excruciating pain. Went to chiropractor to get treatment. I started feeling a bit better after a month, but not fully, was able to move around but couldn't sit or stand long with out pain. I ended up going on a cruise with my family, very scared to go as I knew I wasnt a hundred percent and worried that I would be in pain and not enjoy the trip. The plane ride was hard but once I got there, my back was not too bad that I could manage, sore but I was happy i made it. Things were going ok until i ended up throwing up multiple times on the 6th day and that just put my back in agonizing pain that I could no longer walk. They gave me pain killers, drugs, whatever on the ship but nothing helped. I had to be wheeled chaired off the ship...it was painful and depressing...getting wheelchaired onto the plane and off. Went back to the chiro as soon as I got off the plane and he assured me it was just muscle and my disc was fine. I started physio, which seem to be helping and then got into yoga, I seemed to be getting better over the summer but never a 100 percent, up and down, still couldnt drive for more than 15 minutes or sit long without pain....it just seemed to be always there...i was always fearful of my back going to hurt like it did that first day....everything I did was so cautious. As I thought I was getting better then one day I felt it getting worse again but I didn't do anything different. This got me down and depressed. Nothing was working. So I got an Mri to see for myself if something was going on. It did show L5-S1 buldging disc...but not major...minimal on nerve. So I thought this must be the problem. Went back to physio and acupuncture but still not progressing. This now how I ended up here as I was desperate as to what else I could do as nothing was working and I was getting depressed that I will be like this forever. The book Healing Back Pain opened my eyes that this has to be me, I have TMS, makes all the sense in the world to me, as I knew sometimes in my head I just had to think that I'm ok, and this would work sometimes, as I was always in fear to drive, sit, etc...and my back would always be sore, tense up...but if I told myself, just get out of the car and walk, I would,surprise myself. So I am here to start my journey to concur this once and for all. Today is the day I start.

 

Welcome, Wizardman99!

I'm new here, too. But this is going to work for us.

 

Thanks Irene...we can beat this!

 

You can both beat your pain because it is from TMS. For some, it's from repressed emotions that
may go back to childhood. For others it is a perfectionist and "goodist" personality, wanting to do
everything to perfection and having everyone like us for everything we do.

I recommend watching Dr. Sarno's 20/20 tv interview. I can't seem to download the link to it
but you can find it in a YouTube search for Sarno 20/20. He really is convincing that a total belief
in our pain coming from TMS will heal us.

 

Thanks Walter.

I have watched that clip, and believe every word of it.

My problem right now is getting over that fear. I do seem obsessed with my back pain 24 hours, always on my mind, why is it hurting, I shouldnt sit like this for long, or lie this way, don't go in the car cause it will hurt more, aggravate this disc, and so on...cause I don't want to back to those early days of pain where I couldn't even walk.

I've started telling myself that my back is fine, don't worry, you can run up the stairs, and then I do it...and tell myself...see...you did it...no problem. S0 little things like that give me confidence that this is the right path to getting better.

The other problem I have is determining what emotions am I repressing to cause the pain in my back, the lack of oxygen getting there to my back...to me...right now I think it's just my mind that is in fear of hurting my back causing the tension...like getting into a car....right away I feel my mind in overdrive waiting for it to hurt...instead of just get in the car and drive like normal.

Would this be part of TMS or am I suppose to identify other emotional factors that may be causing the pain?

 

Wizarman99, this program will help you identify the other emotional factors. But as you've already experienced, simply realizing that there is no real injury behind your back pain, gives you relief. And, you'll also get relief from the fear.

I no longer have fear re various ailments or symptoms, but I realize that TMS is usually behind them. I may or may not get checked by a doctor, depending on what's going on, but for new symptoms it makes sense to do that. As soon as I'm scratching my head and saying is this TMS again? I will have relief. So, for me the fear part is over. I'm doing this program now specifically to get to those emotional roots, and reduce or eliminate this pattern.

Peace be with you!