I understand mild oxygen deprivation is theorised to be the cause behind the common symptoms such as back pain etc. However, what are the theories behind other symptoms? For example, I have chronic fatigue, dizziness, double vision, anxiety, migraines and psoriasis. Can mild oxygen deprivation explain these?
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What is the theory behind more unusual symptoms?
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TG957
Beloved Grand Eagle
As Ellen pointed out, oxygen deprivation was Dr. Sarno's guess 60 years ago, before modern neuroscience existed. Your anxiety is likely the underlying cause of your other symptoms, as it is a major debilitating factor for the nervous system. If you start focusing on reducing your anxiety, all other symptoms will likely to subside. Find books by Dr. Claire Weekes.
Thank you both. I've been trying to reduce the anxiety for years (Incl reading Claire Weekes).
In terms of the double vision, how do I know for sure if it's tms? No one can give me an answer medically other than saying it's caused by age and one of my eyes has always naturally turned out and now with age I'm finding it harder to control.
It started all of a sudden though 10 years ago during a very stressful time when everything else kicked off implying I guess that tms may indeed be the culprit.
In terms of the double vision, how do I know for sure if it's tms? No one can give me an answer medically other than saying it's caused by age and one of my eyes has always naturally turned out and now with age I'm finding it harder to control.
It started all of a sudden though 10 years ago during a very stressful time when everything else kicked off implying I guess that tms may indeed be the culprit.
Medical doctors generally rule out the bad stuff.
All of the things that you mention: chronic fatigue, dizziness, double vision, anxiety, migraines and psoriasis.
As unfathomable as it seems, they all can be a results of the suppressed rage/emotions.
I think it's a blend of our bodies being more sensitive (in the physical sense) that they react (unconsciously) more strongly to the perceived threats -- whether they be histamines release causing fatigue and dizziness or cytokine release or any of a number of things.
TG957
Beloved Grand Eagle
Have you tried meditation? It worked exceptionally well for my anxiety and chronic fatigue, and I continue to meditate (less frequently) even now after I fully recovered 6 years ago. As for double vision, I doubt anybody can give you a solid medical answer, as doctors don't know everything. However, if you set it aside for now and get rid of all other symptoms that are TMS, you will see a significant improvement in your life quality anyway. 5 out of 6 would be an outstanding achievement!
Yes I do a lot of meditation and it has helped a lot
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
And the million dollar question is:
What have you got to lose by going with a TMS assumption at this point? Obviously there's nothing better being offered. Stop focusing on the minutae of individual symptoms, and start thinking psychologically. Everything else is a classic Sarno-style distraction. And while the oxygen deprivation theory may be irrelevant (I decided that was the case shortly after starting to "do the work") his distraction theory is still 100% right on the nose.
And the answer, which is right in front of you, is:
(... blah blah blah...)
What have you got to lose by going with a TMS assumption at this point? Obviously there's nothing better being offered. Stop focusing on the minutae of individual symptoms, and start thinking psychologically. Everything else is a classic Sarno-style distraction. And while the oxygen deprivation theory may be irrelevant (I decided that was the case shortly after starting to "do the work") his distraction theory is still 100% right on the nose.
I don't know but I had chicken pox at that age head to toe. My brother had one pox and the doctor told my mother it wasn't chicken pox. My sister had a normal amount and poor infant me covered from head to toe, in my mouth, up my butt. My mother said it was the most disgusting thing.
So was my body sensitive because of something genetic I was born with? Or was my body on HIGH ALERT because it was during the "let them cry" generation -- or because my mother was saddled with a 5 year old and 2 year old in addition to baby me and maybe couldn't give me the attention I needed to feel safe?
We will never know the answer for sure.
Likewise for your psoriasis. Babies have trauma too, even if they don't have the words to put to it so --- maybe TMS-ish?????
Cactusflower
Beloved Grand Eagle
Gabor Mate attributes infantile and birth stress symptoms as the possibility that the fetus can sense the mother's stress, and absorb this stress response.
This makes absolute sense, in that stress has a physical chemical reaction within the body.
This makes absolute sense, in that stress has a physical chemical reaction within the body.
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
Which is why I was born with anxiety. First time older mom, 3 years married with a miscarriage. I never realized she had anxiety because by the time I was old enough to recognize it she'd had three more and was a pro. The anxiety showed up again with a vengeance after age 90, but that's another story.
From reading your book, I understand that meditation was the main thing that got you recovered, so it's interesting that you don't have to keep it up as much to remain fully recovered.
TG957
Beloved Grand Eagle
It is quite logical. Now that I stabilized my nervous system, it takes less effort to bring it back in balance. Sometimes, my meditation is only 5 minutes, sometimes it is only once in few weeks for 1 hour. I probably should continue doing it daily, but I get lazy :=).
Interesting. Thanks for sharing. My parents, especially mother, had severe trauma a few years before I was born. Does that point to tms?
Ellen
Beloved Grand Eagle
I'm not sure about TMS, but we know now that trauma can be inherited due to the science of epigenetics. There have been studies that show the children of holocaust survivors have all the signs of trauma even though their own childhoods were trauma free.
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
You gotta stop looking for a black and white answer that will perfectly explain your symptoms. There is no such thing, I guarantee that 100%. This is your TMS brain trying to distract you and keep you from doing what you need to do which is the emotional work.
The response that would help open your mind to the infinite number of variables which affect the human experience, would have been to take these stories, connect them to this trauma that your parents suffered, and go "Huh, now there's something to be curious about and to explore in my journaling exercises".
JanAtheCPA
Beloved Grand Eagle
Actually, I am willing to make one black & white statement, which is that all humans have experience of the TMS mechanism at work. Do you recall Dr Sarno's first example of the mechanism, which is blushing? It's not a painful symptom that disrupts our lives, but it is the exact same mechanism, which is that an emotion or a thought causes a physiological reaction in the body.
That's all we're talking about here. And we've all got it. Except for maybe, I don't know, an unusual brain deficit or lack of normal response in the amygdala. Those of us who end up here have a TMS mechanism on overdrive, and symptoms that HAVE disrupted our lives.
That's all we're talking about here. And we've all got it. Except for maybe, I don't know, an unusual brain deficit or lack of normal response in the amygdala. Those of us who end up here have a TMS mechanism on overdrive, and symptoms that HAVE disrupted our lives.