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Sis
USA
19 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2004 : 21:26:14
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Has anuone needed to do therapy in order to get help with TMS? How did it go/How is it going? Did your pain get better once you were able to bring out any repressed emotions?
Thanks
cyn |
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n/a
374 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2004 : 00:13:31
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I saw a psychotherapist for weekly sessions over four months. I decided to do this because I felt that I needed to get to my repressed emotions. I did have a good partial recovery after reading Dr Sarno's books,, but I was still extremely vulnerable to attacks of vicious back pain.
My doctor didn't really approve, he said it was probably better, 'to let sleeping dogs lie,' but I went ahead anyway and eventually found a therapist who believed in a mind-body connection as far s pain was concerned. She helped me a great deal.
I know that some people get better from TMS with just the knowledge of what is happening in their body physically, but I needed to uncover stuff that had been repressed for many, many years in order to become able to thwart the pain when it started.
Another thing my therapist put me on to was 'living mindfully' - being able to live in the present instead of constantly agonising over, 'What ifs,' or obsessing about past events. This took time, but paid off gradually.
Would I have got to where I am today ( not completely free of back pain attacks, but they are pretty mild short lived now) without psychotherapy? I'm not sure, but probably it would have taken a longer without it. I certainly do not regret the time and money I spent.
If you do decide to have therapy, Cyndy; choose your therapist carefully. Make sure that you see someone who believes in the concept that physical pain can be caused by repressed emotions.
Best wishes
Anne |
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n/a
21 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2004 : 06:19:49
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Hi Cyndy -- AnneG has given you a very good response from my point of view. Choose carefully but know that YOU must do the emotional work. Your therapist is there to guide you. I had had a great deal of therapy before TMS -- it is when I got "happy" that pain problems became an issue -- INTERESTING!!
You must feel totally safe in your therapy process. At first, I KNEW that there was so much buried stuff that I thought I might have a "melt down" right there in the therapy office and they would have to carry me off to a padded room. My therapist gently told me that the process would be like opening a roll-top desk and that every week we would safely explore a drawer or two (of emotional issues) and put things back into place before I left. This gave me permission to have my "FEELING" sessions and experience them as totally as I could and know that she was helping me and guiding me in a safe manner. IMO, therapy is never wasted $$. You may also receive valuable "life skills" , as AnneG is referring to, like living in the present etc. that will make your overall approach to your life much more emotionally healthy. Good Luck and keep up posted on this great new board. |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2004 : 07:59:21
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quote:
Originally posted by AnneG
[brI know that some people get better from TMS with just the knowledge of what is happening in their body physically, but I needed to uncover stuff that had been repressed for many, many years in order to become able to thwart the pain when it started.
Another thing my therapist put me on to was 'living mindfully' - being able to live in the present instead of constantly agonising over, 'What ifs,' or obsessing about past events. This took time, but paid off gradually.
Some people do need to uncover repressed emotions, for example, if you experienced severe trauma early in life, your unconscious mind is desparate to prevent you from feeling those emotions again. If you had any traumatic childhood experiences, or suspect you might have, then therapy might be essential.
Anne's second comment is important. A perfectionist or goodist is constantly hard on themselves. It's important to learn how to accept that we are all human, we have faults, and that's OK. We have to learn how to be comfortable with ourselves, to accept ourselves as we are. Otherwise you live in constant judgement of yourself, which IMO can be a significant ingredient to the rage that fuels TMS. |
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Steve
USA
48 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2004 : 09:00:16
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| I am currently undergoing therapy and finding it helpful, although I don't see a connection to it reducing my physical pain. In fact, I notice that while I'm on my way to the therapist and even while I'm there talking to him, my pain can get pretty intense. However, I DO notice that the pain tends to move around a lot while I'm in the session. If that's not a blaring TMS advertisement, I don't know what is. |
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alamogirl
6 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2004 : 15:15:52
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Interestingly, I discontinued therapy about two weeks BEFORE I had my "back attack" four weeks ago! I think therapy is invaluable IF you approach it properly (which I did not). I was very concerned about appearing vulnerable before my therapist (crying, breaking down, etc.). Plus, I was obsessed with HOW I sounded in her office (is my grammar correct? do I sound intelligent?) rather than with WHAT I was saying. The insights we discovered (and there were plenty) sunk through on an intellectual level but not emotional level -- you know, when you really FEEL the stuff, let yourself be vulnerable, react without worrying if you look foolish. After my "attack" happened, on my own, through journaling and just talking to myself, I was able to process all the information I learned in counseling on a raw, emotional level -- cried buckets, screamed, beat the bed with a tennis racquet (you can't do that in counseling!) Anyway, long story short, my back symptons were 95% resolved within two weeks.
If you're really out of touch with the reality of your "past" and its implications, counseling will be of great benefit. By all means, go and absolutely let yourself "spill out." Don't go to counseling guarded and concerned with maintaining whatever dignified image you might have of yourself (the perfectionist in me had a hard time letting down my guard). Good luck. |
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jade
18 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2004 : 17:55:48
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To Cyndy from Jade
In response to yur question on the old forum on how long my arm was numb - it was over a period of a couple of weeks before I went to the doctor. The numbness wasn't constant, kind of came and went and by the time I went to the doctor it was gone. |
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Therapy
