TMS newcomer

[DieWallfahrer]

Dear Community,

I am posting this message in hope of finding support and confidence with respect to the TMS diagnosis. I am having a hard time accepting it and I guess reading your answer will help in the Journey.

So, I am a long time anxiety sufferer - treated for it for 13 years, on and off but always condemned to take the drug back to cope with health anxiety, catastrophic fear, whatifism etc. Yet, I have always been successful in my life, professionally, socially, and on a material level.

In September 2024, 3 weeks after again tapering off the drug (because I felt better), I started to have pain in the pelvic region which all in all lead me to google a lot about pudendal neuralgia as I had many symptoms related to this. I became very anxious again about all this, especially when reading that many people lived with this for years/decades. I completely quitted running, cross fitting, weight lifting, had to take back the drug to fight against very dark thoughts, and started to regularly see a pelvic floor PT.

I have been tested for UTI infection, MRI and ultrasound of the spine and pelvic region, seen a urologist… Nothing...

Googling also lead me to the TMS world, which was reassuring at first, and I recognize I had a marked reduction of my pelvic pains. I realized I could actually sit without pain (did a 9 hours car trip back in February 2025 without any symptom). I started to accept the TMS diagnosis, resumed a "normal" life, completely stopped PT but I was still worrying about all this...

Then, more recently, other symptoms developed, I had weird muscle jerks, pain at a very local spot below my left foot, tingling in the hands, tingling in the legs, some area of my lower half with burning or heat sensation of the skin, crawling sensation in the perineum, palpitations.

All these symptoms come and go (sometimes the day after they showed up, sometimes they stick around longer), and I suspect that other will show up in the future (!!). They also become very mild when I am on vacation or chilling.

I did the assessment from Dan's Painfreeyou, the FIT criteria says that I likely have a TMS… I recognize that all my symptoms are listed in "Unlearn your pain" from H. Schubiner.

But, you know…, there is always that bad demons who whispers messages of doubt. What if. What if all that is an actual neurological condition? what if I am overlooking some structural damage? What if anxiety drug fucked up you?

TMS books always says "make sure you don't have any structural damage, like a nerve damage". How do I make sure I have no nerve damage? I have seen a neurologist who tested my legs who told my exam was normal but he did not perform any advanced testing like emg...

I guess I worry too much. thank you for your help

 

[Baseball65]

any advanced testing like emg...

It doesn't say that anywhere is Sarno's work..he says to rule out cancer or a tumor. Everything else is TMS.

Emg is NOT advanced testing...it is stone age. I had 'damage' on my emg 25 years ago and I am fine. In fact, I had my thumb Severed in 2013 or so??? I have gotten 99% of the feeling back...ALL of the nerves were cut. Your body can heal anything.

There is nothing in your list of symptoms that isn't garden variety TMS. That sentence your hung up on? That is the TMS trying to protect itself...so it can protect you from your reservoir of repressed rage

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Welcome to the forum, @DieWallfahrer, I'm glad you found us and that you took the risk to tell your story.

As @Baseball65 is telling you, in his own unique way , the secret to winning this battle against anxiety is Acceptance.

Your struggle can be illustrated in just two of your statements:

How do I make sure

It is a fact of life that no one who ever lived can be 100% sure of anything (well, apart from the well-known exceptions of death and taxes) .

The only way to live in peace and equanimity is to ACCEPT this essential truth and move forward anyway. Because the reasonable counter-question is: What other choice do you have? (you might zoom in on the pink banner in my photo avatar).

Also, stop looking for physical cures. You've done enough. It's time to address the REAL problem, which you know is the anxiety.

I guess I worry too much.

Possible responses:
1. You think, maybe?
2. That's a bit of an understatement
3. Join the club

Here is what you need to know: Anxiety was built into us so that we would survive long enough in the primitive wilderness of eons ago, so that we would survive just long enough to breed the next generation. It's not as useful in the modern world, and under certain circumstances, certain individuals end up with extreme excessive and unhelpful levels of anxiety. I'm going to suggest another short quiz/questionnaire which might possibly provide some insight into why your anxiety is so extreme, which is
this forum post that describes and links to the well-regarded ACEs questionnaire for childhood experiences: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/aces-quiz-online-printable-versions.27061 (ACEs "quiz" - online & printable versions)

And finally, resources by Dr. Claire Weekes are very effective in dealing with anxiety. You can find more here: https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Overcome_Anxiety_with_Dr._Claire_Weekes (Overcome Anxiety with Dr. Claire Weekes) but what you really want to do is immediately get your hands on her seminal book "Hope & Help For Your Nerves" which is readily available in multiple formats.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Diana-M]

Then, more recently, other symptoms developed, I had weird muscle jerks, pain at a very local spot below my left foot, tingling in the hands, tingling in the legs, some area of my lower half with burning or heat sensation of the skin, crawling sensation

Hi!
I have all of these symptoms— And I have read countless people here who have them too. At first it really freaks you out because it seems like you’ve never heard of it before. What it is is TMS mixed with severe anxiety. (TMS is actually anxiety.) You have to address your anger issues through journaling, and the Sarno method. And then you have to soothe your nervous system, which is now hyper-sensitive. Jan told you the best book in the world which is Hope and Help for Your Nerves. The author of this book, Claire Weekes, Is the quintessential expert on anxiety. It’s pretty much a must read on this website. We all read it! Lol Personally, I listen to portions of her audiobook, every single day. It keeps me focused and it reminds me of what’s really going on. I would literally read that book immediately, especially because you have all these symptoms that are from too much adrenaline coursing through your body. She will explain everything!

PS- you are really lucky a neurologist told you that you’re fine. Sometimes neurologists drag things out, and they even scare the living in heck out of people! Everyone who heals from TMS proves their neurologist wrong. And they often write here on the site that they healed in spite of what their neurologist told them. So I’d cut out the middleman— And go straight for TMS healing. I wouldn’t do any more neurological tests of any kind— It just keeps you focused on fear and the physical—When you really need to be focused on the emotional.

 

[Joulegirl]

Welcome @DieWallfahrer! I'm currently on Day 24 of the SEP and I found out about TMS in March. It took me a while to wrap my head around it and it still does! I'm not 100% sure but I just keep plucking away at it because to me-this makes the most sense of why I have had so many ailments in the past and now. This forum is a wealth of information with tons of resources likes books, podcasts, and other people's stories of success! You've come to the right place!