Gordon vs. Schubiner question

Greetings from the frozen tundra of the Mid-West. My ringing ear continues to be a distraction, harassment, and anxiety producing symptom. I am working more intenseley then ever, making every effort not to heal as recommened by Steve O in past posts. Alan Gordon recommends as part of the outcome independence not to focus on the symtpom, to learn how to ignore it, "success is measured by how little you care." But, Dr. Schubiner's book outines the way to talk to your brain and using a variety of methods including physical touch with verbal statements to reduce symptoms and eventaully eliminate them. So I am in a middle groud. Ignore vs. attention with work. What am I missing here? What's frustrating with this symptom vs. my back issues, I like moving, exercising, to reinforce this is TMS and my pain subsides. With the ear ringing, especailly in quiet spots and at night, it's difficult to ignore or just to keep busy in a noisy world to not focus on the symptom. Thank you. Sometimes I feel like I'm bothering the support group for just not "getting this." Merry Christmas.

 

Forrest, my name for seding the book is "Joe Corso" I think I sent you my address in a previous post. Thanks.

 

PhillyJoe, I've had ringing in my ears for at least 40 years (I'm 83 now).
It's just annoying, not serious and happens to most of us.
I find that I don't hear it if I'm busy or enjoying myself.
If I'm stressed, I hear it more.'

I just live with it. Try deep breathing and laughing. Those are my two favorite ways to relax
and forget any pain.

 

Walt. This seems to go against the grain of doing the work to eliminate this symptom. I don't want to live with this, that is what the ENT told me I will have to do. Just like I don't want to live with back pain, anxiety, etc. I am breathing, listening to meditation tapes, all the good stuff. It is actually helping me with my anxiety issues. The ear ringing though, causes my adrenaline to sky rocket at times.

 

phillyjoe -

My wife has the ringing in the ear too... at one point they thought she had a tumor causing the issue until two MRIs proved that wasn't the case. Like you, the ENT said it just happens and there is nothing she can do about it.

You know what...she doesn't notice it anymore. The key comment you made The ear ringing though, causes my adrenaline to sky rocket at times.

That reminds me so much about how I am feeling right now about my anxiety with my head sensations. Last week I was a mess with anxiety. My vision was off. Had a good day on Saturday and then yesterday in Church I panicked thinking I wasn't seeing as well. Later that day my vision was fine.

I am having a pretty good day today...I made the decision to not allow my mind to play games with me. Your probably feeling like your going to have this ringing forever, nothing will be like it was before with your life. I had those feelings last week as well.

The adrenaline only serves to highten our senses and make us continuously aware of our issue. Tell yourself, this will not kill me or ruin my life. I will beat this becuase I am stronger than it. My first step is to reduce my anxiety by telling myself it is only anxiety causing my issues...and stress. Then, I know my head will become normal again. I am also finding that talking to my subconscious is helping me as well. I keep asking it to back off a little, that I can't figure out what emotions it wants me to thik through when I am so anxious. I also keep telling it I am fine, I just ahve anxiety and its all in my head...no physical issues to worry about if it wants to go back to its happy self.

Sure..I am still anxious but I have made steps by doing these things.

 

I guess I didn't think ear ringing was a TMS symptom.
Now I see that Dr. Sarno says it is. Maybe that's why I hardly hear it when I'm relaxed.
I'll have to search my repressed emotions to find the cause.

Thanks for putting me straight on this.

 

To Walt: Cool, I apologize if my tone was somewhat harsh. I am just frustrated but at the same time I am really doing some emotional and spiritual work that I have left alone for too long.

To Pingman: I needed to hear what you said about your wife. Thanks. Listen man, I wish I just had my old panic/anxiety back, I waited until this current symptom to do the "Real" work. I lived too long doing my personal CBT kind of stuff but not going into the deeper nature of the TMS and my personal spiritual journey. Click on the outcome dependence phrase in my first post. It will get you to the Alan Gordon article which will be a great help for you. Let me know if you read it and your thought.

 

phillyjoe...that sounds exactly like what I am doing. I know I have OCD tendencies and it was the same with my leg pain. I checked it constantly for pain. When I started to run again it started to leave but TMS found its way to my head issues and anxiety. Now the leg has been 100% better for the last few days.

With the leg I was able to prob it up at night and zone out and watch TV. With my head/eyes it is much harder. Just like your ringing, you are always using these senses. I am pretty sure mine is tension related, my eyes feel sore all of the time like I have permanent eye strain. I guess its time to stop judging if I am better if my pain is gone and start looking at it from how much I don't care. Then my stress with subside and my issue gone I am sure. Same with you.

 

Ignore vs. attention with work. What am I missing here?

Its both phillyjoe accept the tension you give it -- is to correct the pain -- not be in more distress ya know. Do it without distress in a calm manner. Pingman and forest are on the money with you. Great advise. The answer is given in an example ok. For instance, I might have ringing in the ears so im going to try and not let my thoughts keep going to them to render me in more frustration hence more pain ( This is the ignore method)

While im working on this habit I will surely get some ringing cause that's the job of tms -- to make me think physical. So when I do this then I can say " ok I got your trick , I know what your doing so stop it" This is how we match the ignore method with the talk method. See.

Now remember to say you'd rather have the stress will still give you pain too. So relax and meditate, use mindfulness and lighten up on yourself. You cant lighten up less you use calming techniques ya know. Are you doing the mindfulness and so forth, this will probably be your most potent tool.

Thanks