| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| ennio |
Posted - 07/03/2011 : 12:33:55
I first read "The Divided Mind" about a year ago and had the first hope I've had in probably 5 years to get relief from long-standing chronic pain (about 15 years). I fit the Sarno profile to a T.
However, I've had the pain for so long that at times my brain "defaults" to the old way of thinking, as in being fearful of aggravating, or re-aggravating, an injury by moving or sitting a certain way.
Long story short, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which I now know to be a myth. There are multiple centers of pain in my body, but I've had the most severe pain in my lower back and groin. Had all tests come back negative except for "degenerative disc disease" which I know is not the source of the pain.
The other day I tried playing tennis (which I gave up several years ago because of pain). During, I wasn't worried about the pain except for a few instances. Well, this may have been enough, because now I aggravated my groin again, and am trying to battle the "old" idea that it is physical. I'm trying to "ignore" the pain and talk to my brain.
I think I haven't fully accepted TMS in my core. There's about 5-10% of me that's stuck in the old way of thinking. And that's probably why I'm still having issues.
Does anyone have suggestions on how to make that final jump? Also, are there any suggestions to deal with and think about intense pain when it's there? I get angry and frustrated when I have pain and feel like I'm not dealing with pain in the correct way even though I know I need to find a way to accept pain without worrying about it being physical. |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ennio |
Posted - 07/07/2011 : 09:46:09
Great advice, Dave and balto, thanks.
That's the hardest thing for me right now--to accept that the pain is not going to go away for a while and to not "regress" into the default feeling of "Well, I guess I can't play tennis or hike anymore." I do need to be more patience and work on the re-programming. |
| Dave |
Posted - 07/06/2011 : 15:11:21
You are already ahead of many people, having understood and even accepted that the TMS diagnosis applies to you.
Based on your message it seems you are overthinking this. There is no "correct way" to deal with the pain. The key is to accept it and even welcome it.
Recovery from TMS is mostly a reconditioning process. It takes time. You must embark on a lifelong change in the way you think about and react to the symptoms. Accept that it will not happen overnight, and there will be ups and downs. The unconscious mind has been using this strategy successfully for many years. It is not going to give up without a fight.
Any time you are aware of the symptoms, or find yourself worrying that it is due to a physical cause, shift your thoughts. Remind yourself that the pain is just a benign signal that there are some emotional issues being buried. Ask yourself what might be going on in your life that you are not fully facing up to, that may be affecting you on a deeper level than you realize. If you find something, try to find how you really feel about it deep inside. Try to feel it.
Notice, I said "try" because it is impossible to identify exactly what is going on inside your unconscious. However, that is not important. It is the act of trying to find it that is the key to the reconditioning process. You are sending a message to your unconscious, that any time it tries to distract you with pain, you will instead focus on negative emotions that are being repressed. Be completely honest with yourself about your feelings, even if they are ugly, forbidden, embarassing.
Do this every time you are aware of the pain. Soon enough you will find yourself going down the emotional path instead of the physical one. The pain will subside on its own over time as the reconditioning takes hold. Don't get frustrated if the pain continues or even intensifies. Fighting TMS is a war, and the unconscious mind will win some battles. Take a long-term view. |
| balto |
Posted - 07/04/2011 : 09:36:17
It is not something we as TMS sufferers can change over night. To me, negative thoughts and positive thoughts are like addictic to smoking. When we smoke for the first time cigarrette tasted terrible. We choked, we cough, we hated it. But with enough time, peer pressure, and practice, we become an addicted smoker. With TMS, we're addicted with negative thoughts. Our minds automaticly think of the worse that could happen. For me, I have to constantly remind my brain, feed my brain with positive thought, with realistic thought to crowd out my negative thought. With time, persistent, patient, and practice, I finally were able to end my suffering. |
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