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westcoastram
97 Posts |
 Posted - 08/11/2006 : 00:45:13
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Just thought it would be interesting if people wanted to list the things they've overcome or at least have taken control of with Sarno's approach.
Maybe we could keep a running list in one thread??
For me:
I've recovered completely from two "shoulder injuries" which caused a great deal of pain and limited mobility.
I am 95% recovered from a siatica type pain in my leg which only shows up periodically throughout the week.
I've recovered from sever stomach cramps which actually started when I began to explore Sarno's method and fight the pain.
I'm very intrigued by the individual nature of everyone's issues.
So often, especially when talking to other people whom I suspect have TMS or an equivalent (there's this girl with ezema that I know and I just guarantee it's TMSish), they say, "well, that's what you had, it's not what I have." I wonder if it might not be beneficial to say, "hey, I know someone who had what you had too, and they got better." |
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redskater
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 08:25:15
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First I recoverd from back pain and hip pain. Both in lower and upper back. Right hip then left hip.
I've recovered from tailbone pain which came on as the back pain lessened. (tailbone lasted 9 months until it completely disappeared.) Tennis elbow that came on from doing some stretching excercise for my back. It lasted over a year. It's 98% gone now. Neck pain and rib pain that came as I was reading Sarno. Some type of rash that kept reappearing but has stopped altogether. None of these pains came from doing anything out of the ordinary, but for years I found reasons (stupid ones) why I had them until I just ran out of excuses. Little pains do crop up but go away pretty quickly once I say hum, TMS.
Gaye |
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 09:46:53
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Most of my realization that my slew of ailments (since the age of 15; am now 29) have been TMS has been in retrospect. I've always felt that many were stress-related, but still sought (to no avail) physical remedies. Some of these have been one-time only, and others have been recurring over the years. In recent years, there has been very little time when I didn't have *something* going on.
*heart palpitations/racing heart
*headaches and migraines
*frequent colds
*mid- and upper- back pain (acute)
*allergies (no history of ANY allergies until age 25; became allergic to cats; have lived with cats my entire life!)
*hives (reaction to the antihistimines (yes, really!!) that were used to supress the allergies!)
*skin issues (itchy skin episodes that drive me insane!; "eczema" patches; all meds from dermatologist do not work)
*severe, prolonged muscle tension
*tailbone pain
*IBS
*dry eye (yes, this was actually mentioned in Divided Mind)
*canker sores and sensitive teeth (mentioned in Fred Amir's book)
*anxiety (meds are mostly ineffective; one physical manifestation of this would be an eyelid twitch that went on for weeks!)
*heel pain ("plantar fasciitis"--I roll my eyes at this diagnosis...)
*neck tension/stiffness (current symptom; discovered sarno; still working on it. . .)
Wow, I think that covers it. I got a TMS diagnosis yesterday from Dr. Sklar in Fort Worth. Will post a detailed account of my experience with him once I've digested it all. It was definitely unlike any other medical experience I've had. More spiritual-focused than I expected...
SS |
Edited by - sonora sky on 08/30/2006 12:13:39 |
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westcoastram
97 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 09:53:50
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| Good stuff guys, keep em coming! |
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Nor
152 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 10:54:49
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I'll hop on!
I used to think this was an unhelpful idea b/c it would get us to think only about the physical. Now I can see I must have more confidence b/c I look at all these things and almost chuckle. Okay here's my list from the last 1-2 years:
chest pain
difficulty swallowing
weakness/tingling/numbness
various muscle twitches
muscle and joint pain
monster tension headaches
malaise
severe neck tension
In retrospect, I can also find earlier symptoms from when I was in my 20's that were probably TMS - anxiety and IBS symptoms.
Ironically, the one symptom that I have that has stuck around w/all my improvements is chronic back pain. I've had it for years and always attributed it to pretty significant scoliosis (never had surgery). Not sure if it is TMS b/c it doesn't usually interrupt my life. I pretty much ignore it and do anything I want. There have been times when I've had flare-ups and I assume my subconscious decided to "use" it at those times. Sarno talks about how the subconscious will "take advantage" of a structural problem and cause pain when it needs to.
Now as symptoms come and go, I am able to almost distance myself from them and take and observant point of view...most of the time. Do others do this?
Nor |
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 11:44:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Nor
Now as symptoms come and go, I am able to almost distance myself from them and take and observant point of view...most of the time. Do others do this?
Nor
Not to stray off the topic of this thread, but I really like this idea. The idea of distancing and becoming observant. As I understand it, it's not exactly the same thing as simply 'ignoring,' which is not so effective. This is about recognizing the pain in an objective way (which is hard to do!). It's about letting the thought come ("oh, I'm experiencing pain in my _______"), but not letting your mind run away with implications and judgements about that thought. It's hard for many of us (esp. perfectionists) to stop being critical of ourselves or anything that is going on with us. (And by 'critical' I mean 'evaluate' not necessarily 'criticize') We analyze, judge, speculate, ruminate, and obsess about the pain instead of 1) recognizing that the pain is there and 2) then taking a step back. Wow. I think you could even take this to another level--acceptance. Now, don't get me wrong-- by acceptance, I *don't* mean (along the lines of that crazy lady on the fibro forum) to accept your fate that you will have pain your entire life. On the contrary, I'm talking about a more Zen approach of accepting 'what is' at that moment in time. Accept the pain for what it is--a signal or message created by your mind. You can interpret this signal in the vein of Sarno (ie. your mind creates it as a diversion from more painful, emotional issues) or, as Dr. Sklar (Ft. Worth) interpreted it, as a sign or 'wake-up call' that something isn't right. Instead of trying to push it (the thought, the pain) aside, or letting it get out of control, causing anger, frustration, or desperation, becoming a more impartial observer might be an important key. Recognizing and listening to the sign, and accepting that it has occured for a reason (whatever that reason may be in each person's case), could prove to be helpful.
Any more thoughts on this? If so, we should start a new thread... (sorry westcoastram!) |
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salamander
85 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 11:48:34
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Good topic!
My list:
-Neck pain, stiffness
-Arm pain, nerve symptoms, numbness in hands
-Tennis elbow
-Knee pain, condromalacia patella
-Severe Back pain (down for almost a year)
-Heel pain, plantar fasciitis
-Shoulder pain (had frozen shoulder)
-IBS (loose stools) |
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wolf29
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 13:54:10
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I'll just list what I've recovered from assuming it was mainly due to TMS as eventually the pain just went away without physical treatment.
- Lower Back (my biggest struggle to date)
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Wrist
- Forearms
- Knees
Pretty much have had most of my body hurt at one time or another  |
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Singer_Artist
USA
1516 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 14:12:34
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This post is FANTASTIC! I am still working on the neck tension and issue, also the foot..but..I have overcome recurrent back pain, hip pain and knee pain! I also have had Mitral Valve prolapse and recurrent respiratory issues that I overcame as well as many allergies!
~Karen |
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FlyByNight
Canada
209 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 15:00:16
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HEre are the TMS symptoms I fixed since I am 12 yrs old (now 34)
-Heart palpitation (3 episodes. the longest one lasted for 2 years until I moved from my old appartment !!!!)
-Crohn desease (It was diagnosed as crohn but I am pretty sure now it was a severe form of IBS)
-lumbar pain and vertebra tilting due to muscle spasms
-keee pain
-carpal tunner syndrom ( lasted for a year)
-anxiety and depression
-knee pain
-Tinnitus (70% gone now)
-retro ocular pain
-Tension headache
-bladder sphyncter spasms
-Oseophageous spasms (extreme difficulty to swallow the food, lump sensation in the troath. lasted for almost 3 years and vanished instantaneously with neck injury)
I am still stuggling with SEVERE neck tension and spasms, neuro symptoms and TMJ and multiple allergies (food and pollen)
Did I say that MAYBE I have TMS ??? hahaha
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Edited by - FlyByNight on 08/11/2006 15:24:08 |
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FlyByNight
Canada
209 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 15:06:16
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quote:
Originally posted by sonora sky
*hives (reaction to the antihistimines (yes, really!!) that were used to supress the allergies!)
SS
GeeZ.. TMS is a very powerful beast. |
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Fox
USA
496 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 16:01:04
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| Sonora Sky - your post was very helpful - the one about the distancing/the Zen stuff - thanks! |
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 16:07:25
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| Yeah, FlyByNight, I wish I would have known that that was a TMS reaction. At the time, it was unbelieveably distressing. My allergist didn't know what to think! Now I can laugh and marvel at the power of the gremlin (our mind). Wow. |
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redrockrick
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 19:12:40
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Realize now it started with stomach problems as a child.
Knee pain.
IBS
Panic Attack
Ear Pain with Vertigo
Depression and Anxiety
Allergies with decreased immune function
Depression and Anxiety.
This is a good post but sad at the same time.
:)
Rick |
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Nor
152 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2006 : 20:44:43
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This thread is more instrumental than I could have imagined at affirming my belief in TMS. As you read it - it's all textbook Sarno. All of us have had various similar symptoms that come and go. Most of us experience "symptom exchange". Esophageal spasms that last for 3 years and then disappear w/the onset of a neck injury? Please. How obvious is that?
I am so glad we all discovered what was really wrong. What a miserable bunch we'd be otherwise!
Nor |
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westcoastram
97 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2006 : 12:41:19
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I thought others might like the idea of this thread...
For me, the books are great but having other people who shared their experiences let me know really helped too. Especially when people had such similar things as I did.
Nowadays, (I'm extremely active and play a lot of sports) I tend to get a lot of little minor injuries and the more I get them, the more I've read and heard of other people having similar problems, the more I know it's TMS. And it's threads like this that have helped convince me.
Recently, I strained my pec. For two days it definitely hurt but... on the third day, I payed attention to the symptoms and recognized my own TMS patterns in it and went out a played some V-ball, then went to the gym... with no pain. |
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weatherman
USA
184 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 10:50:27
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My compulsive side wants me to preface the following with a" knock on wood" disclaimer - but here are the biggies, most of which nagged me when I was much younger yet I seldom experience now:
-Low back pain - wish I'd known of Sarno in 1995 when I had a bad episode lasting several months. I've had a very easy time accepting any back pain as TMS, just showing how TMS is very individualized. I'll take a sore back over a sore achilles any day - so of course, TMS seldom goes after my back.
-Chondromalacia
-Plantar fascitis
-Achilles tendonitis-This one has definitely been my nemesis, and a few years ago I was worried that my hiking and skiing "career" was in permanent jeopardy. I struggle with this one a bit as it has taken years to really accept that it could be harmless, but I have become increasingly dismissive of it and like the results. I'd say it's at least 80-90% resolved if one can put a number on such things.
Over all the years I've had one real injury - a knee sprain skiing when I was 29. It hurt right then, and for several days but I was totally recovered in a month. I actually rested for about a week, then built up to normal over the next 2 weeks. Except for a real injury like this, I'm firmly convinced that resting an ache or pain is the worst thing you can do. |
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carbar
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 13:26:45
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I'd like to get back into posting here more, so here's my list:
-- Tendinitis/RSI left and right forarms/wrists/hands
-- Patella femoral syndrome in left knee
-- Sinusitis (seasonal started when I was 20 years old)
Intermitent "pain" I now realise are TMS equivilents:
-- Racing heart
-- Tension headaches
-- Face/Jaw pain
I'm looking forward to ending the list here, although recently I've been having some intermitent stomach pain that I plan to start attributing to TMS coz I can psychosomatic root of it.
Thanks for all the encouragement that abounds here. :)
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 08/14/2006 : 15:38:36
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Mine:
- Knee Pain, intermittent (esp with running) (age 13-24)
- Depression (age 20-22)
- RSI (severe chronic, age 21-24) [this is the biggie]
- Foot pain (moderately severe, age 23-24)
- Back pain (intermittent, lower - mild)
- Anxiety (moderate, intermittent from 13 or so-present)
- Upper back and neck tightness (variable to moderately severe -- still working on this one)
Oh, and I forgot intractable dandruff (only occurs in one part of the head and doesn't respond to any shampoo/shower habit change longterm). Still working on that one too.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
Edited by - armchairlinguist on 08/16/2006 10:39:51 |
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westcoastram
97 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2006 : 11:38:04
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| Not to mention, I've got really slight (what I believe to be hives) that come and go on my lower abdomen (I don't pay as much attention as I have a forest of chest hair) that I think I'll try tackling next. |
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Carolyn
184 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 07:27:08
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Diagnosed with all of these at one point in time - am now 95% symptom free!!! And- I agree that the key for me was getting a little Zen- just accept what is and stop fighting it. Become the observer.
Pelvic Pain - this was my big one
Interstitial Cystitis
rectal sphincter spasm
pelvic floor dysfunction
chronic hip pain
sacroilliac joint dysfunction
low back pain
heart palpitations
mitral valve prolapse
anxiety
knee pain - chondromalacia patella
headaches
upper back muscle spasm
wrist pain
allergies
I endured so many doctors visits, so many co-pays, so many different drugs, countless hours of physical therapy and 7! surgeries and what helped? Reading the book and opening my mind to the possibility that it was not a physical problem- my body was not mysteriously falling apart, my mind just didn't know how to cope with all the stress in my life.
Carolyn |
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Topic |
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List of TMS or equivalents people have overcome?
