horrible chest pains + other symptoms; I'm doing everything TMS...

Hi all,

I had a horrible case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome earlier this year that I've (thankfully) almost completely healed from. But now, as of the last two weeks, I have horrible, horrible chest pains that wake me up at night and plague me most of the day. It also includes prickly neck feelings, bloating, indigestion, and headaches.

I want to believe it's TMS (since I'm pretty sure CFS was), but several people have warned me it may be Toxic Mold Exposure. I just moved out of my parents' place and back to the city two months ago, and I'm living in a wonderful community house with my friends with affordable rent. My room is in the basement, and the air quality down there is definitely a little dusty (and possibly moldy, who knows?). I bought an air filter, which has made it a little better, but doesn't take away all the dust and air toxins.

I've been advised to move out of this living situation. I don't want to, as I love my roommates and my house. I want to believe this is just TMS, but I feel like I'm already actively working to uncover subconscious issues, and have been all year. I journal regularly, do meditations to "heal the inner child", etc. Is it just that there's something I "haven't found" yet? I'm so confused. I've been working so hard, and I just want all these symptoms to stop. I'm ready to cry.

What do you think?

Thanks <3

 

just writing down some random thoughts...maybe it hits home, maybe not...
toxic mold exposure...hmmm.... well, when I start to read I get scared myself, almost any symptom is linked to mold. Who lived in your basement before you? Did he/she have problems like you have? Do you have a pet that seems to have issues?
The big problem of course is that you can't compare the situations where you live with your parents and where you live now. Emotional issues are strongly linked to both situations.
I have and had issues with having to manage things on my own, the struggle of wanting and not wanting to leave the places where I feel safe, accepted and cared for. When I went to uni, I was both happy to leave my parent's home and scared sh@tless at the same time. The same when I had to leave my students home and having to start a career in a new town/city. It was a struggle, and sometimes still is although not as hard as it was when I was your age. Of course a lot of this has to do with childhood and upbringing, but so what. I learned that I sometimes need to go through these changes but that you will always find a new place where you feel safe and cared for, because all human beings need and offer it to a certain degree.
When it comes to TMS, you are on the right track. Don't expect that working hard on TMS will pay off like most jobs do. The first and foremost reason for my recovery is learning to recognize all the symptoms that I suffered from to be TMS. Build an internal fact sheet about symptoms that don't make sense and pop up at moments and locations that trigger emotional responses. I am sure there are issues that "I haven't found yet", but it is of no use to keep digging for something in a strained way. Just accept that it is there, maybe you are one of the lucky ones that sees the light one day, maybe you are not.
So, stop working so hard all the time. Accepting the symptoms and riding them without fear, anger or expectation is a strong tool in your TMS-toolbox. Cry if you feel like crying, don't feel a lesser person if you do.
By the way, my eye started to twitch when I was writing this all down, a clear sign of my unconscious being triggered about the issues I write down. I think it is because of the struggle that I described and that inevitably I will need to go through them once and a while until the day I die. So, thank you for this insight triggered by your post
hang in there!

 

When in doubt, get more information. Have your room tested for mold, and yourself checked out. Why guess?

I once walked around for a week with a stress fracture in my foot, convinced that it was TMS. The MRI showed otherwise.

 

I agree with David88 above, but I also know from personal experience that TMS is very tricky. I find for myself that is not only important for me to not look for physical/structural causes for my symptoms, but also to not look for environmental causes. In other words, I have only found relief from symptoms when I exclusively think psychological about them. I can very easily succumb to the trap of thinking I'm having symptoms due to the weather, the air quality, my diet, etc. It's the same thing as thinking there is a physical cause. But just like with the physical, it is always good to check it out if possible.

 

Thanks for the reassurance, everyone. I'm trying to keep reading over my evidence list, and I'm of course continuing to journal. The pain comes and goes and moves around a lot, which makes me feel more confident that it's TMS. It's just so scary when your body stops working and you don't understand why or how (I know you all know this feeling well.) I appreciate you all so much for your support and understanding. So grateful for you and for this community! Thanks again ❤️

 

Yes, I think I bumped into those people too at Starbucks, they also warned me that "the sky was falling". I love mold, eat it all the time, I call it blue cheese. IMHO I think all that moldy talk is BS, but this is the internet and I'm only a tennis player--so take my drivel for what it's worth.

But to get rid of any mold spores that may be taking up residence in your lungs, and to banish your "CFS", get out and get some exercise today, walk, run, swim, bike, an orgy, what-ever gets your blood flowing for a half-hour.

g'luck!
tt

p.s. Have your doc's found anything "organic" wrong?

 

TT, I like where you're going with this.