How can I get diagnosed?

I'm starting to think I have TMS...how can get diagnosed? I'm listening to the Mindbody Prescription by Dr Sarno. I'm in pretty bad shape. Help.

 

Hello. I am not sure what your symptoms are, but the first thing to do is make sure you do not have a serious(ie:life threatening) medical condition. When I finally came to work on my TMS, I did have several doctors and neurosurgeons who were recommending cervical surgery. I finally asked one of my senior doctors point blank, "would it be dangerous for me to wait six months before I had surgery?" Put to him directly like this, he answered, "No."
So I gave myself six months to consciously postpone considering medical treatment while working on my TMS. After a few months, although I was still in tremendous pain, I had experienced enough inconsistencies in my medical diagnosis to take surgery off the table altogether without fear or anxiety about it. But I will say, doubt and fear about your diagnosis is one of the biggest obstacles to recovery. Depending on where you live, you can find a doctor who specializes in TMS. Some travel to see a TMS doctor. Many still struggle with accepting a TMS diagnoses even after seeing a TMS doctor and having it confirmed. That is why I would rule out something serious by seeing a regular doctor or specialist, and then be aware that having doubt is a very natural part of this process. Instead of looking for absolute proof that you do have TMS, I would turn it around and look for evidence that you don't. It has been almost 4 years now and I am extremely glad that I did not have cervical surgery. It may have seemed the "safe" thing at the time, but who knows if it would have given me the lasting benefit that I now enjoy.

 

HI AnxietyPain,
You can start with this list, and seek an MD. For people suffering, nothing beats getting on a plane and seeing someone in person for a TMS diagnosis.

http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Find_a_TMS_Doctor_or_Therapist (Find a TMS Doctor or Therapist)

Short of this, you build your own case with yourself, as you build evidence. Part of the evidence might be progress as you undertake Dr. Sarno's work, see if it helps. The whole thing is a bit of a process for most folks, and this Forum is helpful to answer questions. Read Dr. Sarno's work, listen to recordings of authors, look at your life for clues. Good luck in this process.

Andy B

 

Short story. Got tinnitus. Was given psych drugs...all bad, then Valium. Pain started and worsened during 18 month taper. Got off in Feb. Pain worsening. Developed shingles in January, given Gabapentin and cannot stop it.

Terrible pelvic region pain (psoas, adductors, hip flexors), mid-back pain, effort shoulder and crippling left sided neck pain. Glutes hurt like cut glass when I sit. 60 physical therapy treatments to no avail. Went to Mayo Clinic...they said "myofascial pain syndrome due to a dysregulated CNS." Told me muscle relaxers and psych meds the only options, no cure. Left my job a year ago. Can barely walk. MRIs of lumbar, thoracic and neck show no non-age related cause. MRI of pelvis and brain normal. X-rays normal.

All of these symptoms can be associated with Valium and Gabapentin withdrawal but I think there is something else going on. I've been in pain for 2 years. I'm a perfectionist, overachiever, and fit the profile. Drs ae saying either take our drugs or get lost. I'm so debilitated that I have withdrawn from life. I was a runner, mountain biker and weight lifter. Now I'm bedridden and my skin is even shriveling up.

 

All the above sounds very convincing that you have TMS. All those non-specific diagnoses like myofascial pain sound like doctor speak for "I have no clue how to help you". The escalation of pain symptoms, change in pain location - point to TMS. Anne and Andy gave you excellent advice. As soon as you know that nothing wrong is in your physical body, you can start your psychological work, fighting your fear of pain and whatever else initially led you to your condition. Doctors are saying many things just because they are trained to give people pills, one set after another. Tell THEM to get lost and take control of your recovery. It is a liberating but at the same time a very scary step to take. You are in a good place at TMS Forum, surrounded by incredibly supportive and good people. Many of us are working to return back to their mountain biking, weight lifting, dancing and backpacking in the mountains and many have recovered. Best of luck to you.

 

If the Mayo Clinic couldn't find anything structural then you are free to pursue TMS as the cause. Is there a TMS physician in your state to get an objective DX from if you need further reassurance? READ, READ, READ the TMS literature and all the other audios and videos linked at this site. You could be moving in no time.

g'luck!
tt

 

Thanks everyone. No TMS Dr in Colorado according to the directory. I have a good PhD psych that is looking into the psychodynamic therapy that Sarno discusses this weekend. She thinks I'm on to something and we meet Weds.

 

Thanks for your story, Anxiety,
READ READ READ. You can start with TMS Recovery Program to develop basic skills in dealing with pain and fear. And read lots of success stories. You can also search for success stories at the Wiki by "condition."

 

AnxietyPain, some TMS psychologists and MDs can work with you over Skype. You can send MD your medical tests and they would help you to build up your confidence. That's what I did and it was the best decision I made. I would rather work with someone who has experience with TMS than with any good psychologist who has none - just an opinion, not even a suggestion.

 

I agree with TG957, you'll get faster results from practitioners who are already TMS savvy.

 

Thanks I'll check into it. There is a PhD Psych about 2 hours await who is TMS trained but doesn't do phone stuff. I need to find a real pro.

 

Sometimes reading one of Sarno's books is enough to convince someone of the diagnosis. I read my first Sarno book decades ago and saw myself so vividly that I had no doubt about the diagnosis.
For my second round of TMS pain, it took me nearly two years to realize that that's what all this horrible pain was--TMS. This time I had the TMS wiki for help, and I worked my way through the Structurd Education Program on this wiki.
Two words--it works!
Hope you can confirm the diagnosis and dig in.

 

Wow, thanks for sharing your story. I really think you are in the right place. Even if drug withdrawal were a contributing factor, it is not how your journey with pain began. You are going to get your life back. There isn't a person on this board who doesn't know how depressing and debilitating pain can be. You will not be trapped in it forever. There are wonderful TMS therapists that can work with you via skype and you can do it all on your own as well. Try if you can not to monitor your pain or use it as a measuring stick for your progress. The reason for this is the pain is just being used as a mental distraction and the more you think about it, the more effective that distraction is. Try instead to think about your life outside of the pain. When I started my recovery I had completely lost who I was outside of the pain. I had cut myself off from my friends, I could not stop thinking about how much suffering the pain was causing me and how unfortunate I was. I began to do things I knew used to bring me enjoyment, even very simple things such as taking a bath or enjoying a morning cup of tea, and I would do them even though they did not bring me comfort. I spent a lot of time journaling, going over things that made me angry or traumatic events from my life. I knew intellectually that not being distracted by the pain and stepping back into my life was the key, feeling my emotions and processing the psychological aspects of my life the salve, but there was a lot of back and forth before I was successful in making the pain distraction less of an obstacle. As my pain levels decreased, my anxiety rose. Everyone's journey is different. What took me several years, takes some a day... that is why it is important not to monitor and compare. Do whatever you can to encourage yourself and give yourself hope, belief. You are okay.

 

Anne, thanks for your post. I'm new to TMS, and have been wondering if I should travel to see a TMS doctor, while at the same time, I feel quite sure that all my problems are TMS. I'm fortunate enough to have a good physiatrist who, in spite of a really gruesome lumbar MRI, is discouraging me to have surgery (which I had already decided against anyway). Since starting this program in early March, I've already had about 90% recovery from sciaticcpain, toe pain, and pain in left hand. Now, however, my arthritic knees are hurting more than ever--more intensely and more frequently. I've been telling myself that surely this is a typical TMS response, but at the same time have been wondering if I can recover from this. I had a partial knee replacement surgery ten years ago (which I have regretted ever since), and the doctor told me that I awoke on the table and started moving around (although I was not aware of this). Ever since this happened, I've had intermittent pain in that side of my knee. Now I'm wondering if he hadn't told me, I might never have had the pain. So. . . after reading what you discussed, I'm feeling more encouraged to treat the knee pain and stiffness as TMS. This is a fascinating journey, isn't it? P.S. I know in my soul that this works, because several years ago I used a mind-over-matter approach of my own to recover from seasonal allergies

 

For me, seeing a TMS doctor was a waste of time. It did little to convince me of the diagnosis; the truth is you have to convince yourself. This whole process is about looking for solutions internally rather than externally. No one is going to heal you but you.

Read, meditate, journal, use affirmations. It takes time and patience, but mindbody healing works.

 

And "myofascial pain syndrome cause by disregulated CNS"?!
That actually sounds like they are describing TMS correctly! I think TMS is a CNS disorder, generated by the subconscious, and fully reversible. Of course the mainstream docs still have no idea that their pills almost never really help anyone, while the mind-body approach almost always does.

 

Who did you see? What was their diagnosis? Could you please expand on your assessment of your experience with your TMS physician, it may help others save time and money.

Thank you.

 

I recieved a 'probably mixed' diagnosis from Dr. Schecter and wrote about this experience here:
http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/recieved-dreaded-mixed-tms-structural-diagnosis-yesterday.8365/#post-61122 (Recieved dreaded mixed TMS/Structural Diagnosis yesterday...)
and again in my success story:
http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/tms-healing-worked-for-me.10276/ (TMS healing worked for me!)

Without possible strcutural issues on the MRI (like I had), the doctor visit may be more worthwhile.

 

To learn if we have TMS, pain caused by our emotions, it is first important to have a medical exam. But even if something structural is found in an MRI or X-ray, Dr. Sarno says it may not be the cause of pain, and that emotions are causing it.

Be cautious about taking any medication, even Tylenol or Advil for pain relief. A tv news report today said opitate painkillers are a national health problem. The latest fatality from overuse of painkillers is the death of rock star Prince. If taking the popular OTC painkillers, Tylenol or Advil, taking too much too often can damage kidneys, although more sites I have read say that Tylenol is safer. Also, Tylenol is best for headaches and arthritis, while Advil is better for fever, ear ache, back ache, and toothache. I don't take either. If I have a headache or am in any pain, I just practice TMS relaxation... deep breathing, living in the present, meditating, and laughing my problems or pain away.