Hi. I just started the TMS structured education 2 weeks ago. Thanks to all who put this together. I feel like I am already making progress. Then is morning I noticed that I have a shingles outbreak. I had this once before 3 years ago. Fortunately it's mild. Is there any connection between shingles and TMS?
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Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
Great question, Jane. And welcome, by the way!
I personally believe that the effect of what we conveniently call TMS goes WAY beyond pain and Dr. Sarno's original concept of oxygen deprivation. My third favorite mind-blowing book after The Divided Mind, and Hope and Help for Your Nerves, was When the Body Says No, by Dr Gabor Mate. Dr. Mate makes a compelling case for how our minds and the stress of emotional repression can seriously affect our immune systems, causing many different pathological conditions. Some people find his message frightening, but I found it heartening and empowering. He's also a compassionate and wonderful writer.
I've got a list of my favorite resources on my profile page. Feel free to take a look!
I personally believe that the effect of what we conveniently call TMS goes WAY beyond pain and Dr. Sarno's original concept of oxygen deprivation. My third favorite mind-blowing book after The Divided Mind, and Hope and Help for Your Nerves, was When the Body Says No, by Dr Gabor Mate. Dr. Mate makes a compelling case for how our minds and the stress of emotional repression can seriously affect our immune systems, causing many different pathological conditions. Some people find his message frightening, but I found it heartening and empowering. He's also a compassionate and wonderful writer.
I've got a list of my favorite resources on my profile page. Feel free to take a look!
Steve Ozanich
TMS Consultant
Shingles is certainly an effect of stress and the unconscious, it's too obvious to even doubt, but I'm sure people will find a way.
It's too bad that Gabor couldn't understand TMS it was a precious opportunity to combine TMS with his work to pull the world's together. He's still correct in When the Body Says No, it's a great work, as is Weeke's. I still believe the greatest health book ever written is The Will to Live. Arnold got it 70 years before anyone else, as did Georg Groddeck.
It's too bad that Gabor couldn't understand TMS it was a precious opportunity to combine TMS with his work to pull the world's together. He's still correct in When the Body Says No, it's a great work, as is Weeke's. I still believe the greatest health book ever written is The Will to Live. Arnold got it 70 years before anyone else, as did Georg Groddeck.
Steve Ozanich
TMS Consultant
It could have just been an SI shift. However, rushing and impatience adds to the anger and isn't helpful. The slow integration seems to be better and longer lasting.
What is an SI shift? I'm hopeful and excited to learn that "advanced arthritis" is not the real reason for my pain. To be able to regain having an active life and not have my joints replaced is a HUGE relief. I don't want to let shingles discourage me. But maybe I'll do the structured education and reading every other day for awhile to slow down the process.
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
I think Steve is referring to the phenomenon of Symptom Imperative - which is extremely common in the early stages of learning about TMS. Actually, you can count on it occurring. You'll have learned about the symptom imperative from Dr Sarno.
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
VERY hard, Lavender. I truly don't know the answer. My success a couple of times, quickly getting over intense pain, was for conditions that typically don't last more than half a day or so in any case (menstrual cramps, way back in the day; an intense headache a few years ago).
But mind-over-body techniques should be able to help somewhat. For example, someone might try countering the panic messages from the brain, by talking back, telling it "This amount of pain is not necessary! I'm safe, I'm doing what I need to do, shingles are not life-threatening, and it will pass".
"This isn't necessary" is my favorite talk-back phrase, and it's pretty effective whenever a symptom pops up.
Visualizations are also very powerful. For example, staying hydrated is almost invariably a good thing, so as someone is drinking plenty of water, they might visualize it flushing out and soothing all the systems of the body and helping the immune system beat back the attack of the virus.
These seem like little things, or kind of light-weight, but they absolutely can't hurt, they are totally free and non-invasive, and they could possibly help.
But mind-over-body techniques should be able to help somewhat. For example, someone might try countering the panic messages from the brain, by talking back, telling it "This amount of pain is not necessary! I'm safe, I'm doing what I need to do, shingles are not life-threatening, and it will pass".
"This isn't necessary" is my favorite talk-back phrase, and it's pretty effective whenever a symptom pops up.
Visualizations are also very powerful. For example, staying hydrated is almost invariably a good thing, so as someone is drinking plenty of water, they might visualize it flushing out and soothing all the systems of the body and helping the immune system beat back the attack of the virus.
These seem like little things, or kind of light-weight, but they absolutely can't hurt, they are totally free and non-invasive, and they could possibly help.
MindBodyPT
Beloved Grand Eagle
Keep in mind that pain is always "in the brain" in the sense that it's subjective and different for everyone. Shingles or anything else could certainly be painful but you have a degree of control over it, like the things above that Jan suggested. Remember one of my favorite (though extreme) examples of the WWII soldiers who were in the hospital after the war being treated for terrible injuries, but felt little pain and required minimal pain medicine! They were just so relieved to be out of the war that the pain didn't affect them as much. You can give yourself positive messages and do meditation for the pain even if it's not TMS.
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
I've read about that! Also, about burn victims who heal much faster, and with less pain, when they are able to visualize a positive outcome.
When I was in the emergency room back in 2008, with what I knew was a fractured hip after a bike crash, I was freaking out about the impending disability, and my pain was really bad. Literally the second the doc came in with my x-rays and said "oh, you can be pinned up tomorrow and on crutches the next day" my pain dropped by at least half. I turned down the opioids and just took ibuprofen, even after the surgery. This was a full three years "before Sarno".