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TMS and Globus Hystericus/Globus Pharyngeus

Shanshu Vampyr

Well known member
Help! I have been having a sensation like there's a tightness/ball/hair/persistent lump in the back of my throat for a few weeks now. I highly suspect this is a TMS symptom imperative but I was hoping that somebody might be able to provide reassurance that they had it and it's now gone (a "show of hands" essentially). I know it's not anything serious or life-threatening (ie cancer or tumor or anything) but I just need some reassurance that it will go away. I don't want to live the rest of my life like this! :'(
 
Brain up to its old tricks, I see. It has thought long and hard on what symptom it could throw at you to really, seriously annoy you. Guess what? It came up trumps with this hairball thing. It's got you focusing yet again on something physical even though you know there is nothing physically wrong with you. It is quite easy to catastrophise (thinking you will live the rest of you life like this). How could you turn the last sentence of your post into a positive affirmation for yourself?
 
Each time I ate a pear or some other fruit last winter my throat would tighten up. After the TMS in my lower back has gone down, I've never had the tight throat symptom again. Never know for sure, but it certainly seems like the two were interrelated.
 
I've had something like that before and it went away. It's kind of like the sensation when you want to cry but can't and you're swallowing it?
 
A friend of mine's brother has been having something like that for a long time and they can't find anything wrong with him. Thanks for reminding me to send her a link to Dr. Sarno's work to forward to him. Hope it goes away for you!

My brain likes to trick me with pain in teeth that have no dental cause. UGH! This TMS is so insidious!!!
 
I see from reading Edward Shorter's From Paralysis to Fatigue (1992) that globus hystericus/globus pharyngeus were symptoms associated with classical hysteria in the 19th century. It seems as though they are still alive and well with TMS. Would stand to reason, wouldn't it, that psychosomatic symptoms don't just disappear, but are recycled over time?

I know with me last winter that every time I ate a unripe pear (i.e. a pear that was hard as a rock), my throat would tighten around it and give me a choking sensation until I forced myself to swallow it. However, after the SEP and Schubiner's Unlearn Your Pain, I haven't had these symptoms again. It's like I "forgot" about having them and then they disappeared because there never was anything real about them anyway.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the continued support. I am nearly convinced that the trigger for this is a *situational* thing; happily, a situation that is coming to an end soon. I KNOW there's nothing wrong with my throat and I'm bringing psychological awareness to my hidden/repressed feelings about this situation. With that being said I'm hopeful that the sensation will resolve itself. But there's always the deep fear that it won't. So I am hopeful but trying to reality-check myself.

Thanks all--continue the fight, as I am.

Shanshu.
 
Hi Shanshu,

How are you doing today with your throat symptoms? Did it eventually move somewhere else?

Kira

Hi all,

Thanks for the continued support. I am nearly convinced that the trigger for this is a *situational* thing; happily, a situation that is coming to an end soon. I KNOW there's nothing wrong with my throat and I'm bringing psychological awareness to my hidden/repressed feelings about this situation. With that being said I'm hopeful that the sensation will resolve itself. But there's always the deep fear that it won't. So I am hopeful but trying to reality-check myself.

Thanks all--continue the fight, as I am.

Shanshu.
 
Hi Shanshu,

How are you doing today with your throat symptoms? Did it eventually move somewhere else?

Kira

Hi Kira,

Wow! It’s been a while since I checked in.

My throat symptoms were transient. They went away soon after I posted. Occasionally do do get a psychogenic cough and I had an episode of unexplained laryngitis a few months ago that I ascribe to TMS. But in general, I’ve been recovered for a while with the exception of some nuisance symptoms that pop up here and there which no longer concern me as they used to.

Cheers!
 
Wonderful news! Thanks so much for answering when you’re busy living! Appreciate it. Mine started that way and I let fear get mine out of control. More proof it’s tms! Thanks so much again!!
 
Hi everyone!

You’re very welcome Kira and I extend to you all confidence that you will recover.

Thanks for having me back all!
 
Acknowledge it's a spasm. Drink warm water to relax. Don't forget to hydrate. LPR/Reflux goes away with time and not stressing.
 
I had the throat lump thing. It’s gone now. But I do now regurgitate food after many meals. And a new thing is waking up choking on saliva. I have sleep apnea and wear a mask. Wonder if it is related to that. I have had reflux issues for years and wonder if it’s that. The Divided Mind has been a huge help around the reflux. Also headaches neck and back pain in the past. But this choking thing is worrying me. Not sure if this is TMS again but this one is not going away. Would love some feedback if any others had some. Thank you.
 
I'm going to repeat myself when I say that this is your brain on TMS.

This is exactly what it does, and will keep doing. Your poor primitive brain wants you to remain safely in fear and you are complying.

You have to learn to recognize this for what it is, calm yourself down, then calm your unconscious brain down, and change your fear response to one of acceptance and willingness to be honest with yourself and figure out what your brain is trying to repress.

Then you do this again with the next brand-new symptom you've never had before.

If you are diligent and committed, this process will eventually take less time. TMS will come back under new life stresses, but recovery will be faster, if not instantaneous for little symptoms.

Doubt is the most powerful tool employed by your primitive fearful brain. Faith that you can recover is yours.
 
I had the throat lump thing. It’s gone now. But I do now regurgitate food after many meals. And a new thing is waking up choking on saliva. I have sleep apnea and wear a mask. Wonder if it is related to that. I have had reflux issues for years and wonder if it’s that. The Divided Mind has been a huge help around the reflux. Also headaches neck and back pain in the past. But this choking thing is worrying me. Not sure if this is TMS again but this one is not going away. Would love some feedback if any others had some. Thank you.

When the regurgitation happens to me (rarely now), I make sure I chew my food properly and treating it as TMS helps faster. It's also good to leave some time after eating before sleeping. Sounds like reflux but in a different area of the esophagus. I had something similar, got an upper endoscopy, they found a little irritation in my esophagus, but I found it goes away with a bit of warm water and catching TMS worries.
 
I know this is an old thread, but would like to connect with someone who has had this throat sensation and can offer some support.
 
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