If the brain is trying to distract me, why do I only get pain from using my voice?

That should make you feel good. See a TMS doctor for an accurate dx.

 

Yes! I've been told by a TMS doc my arthritic hip is both. TMS is the VOLUME CONTROL FOR THE PAIN.

TMS is a PROTECTOR. The pain distracts from facing stressful life issues head-on--see the HOLMES-RAHE for what they are. The TMS pain distractor takes you off the battlefield of emotional life-strife.

 

I like that one Tom, VOLUME CONTROL....

 

I agree with Gigalos here...

 

Gigalos, I really appreciate your in depth repsonse and answering my questions directly. Its good to hear.

It's nice to hear you say something can be TMS and something structural. The problem I have is I don't see how I can follow the TMS approach and work on the structural stuff, such as doing my vocal exercises, getting deep specialist laryngeal massage, stretching etc. I had a small correspondance with Dr Sopher, who obviously couldnt diagnose me via email, but he said that if it was TMS, then doing vocal exercises etc would be treating it physically. So maybe it is best to focus on TMS for now, as I was not getting very far with my speech therapy.

i fear damaging my voice forever because I care about my voice for singing and speaking, teaching etc. more than anything, and everything you read about voice misuse and muscle tension dysphonia says you can do permanent damage! Classic fear mongering, but hard not to buy into it. It's funny, because since reading Sarnos books I feel very strongly that most back pain is not actually doing any damage, I really believe that. But thats because all the books are about backs, and its so common and so many people have healed from it. I think if Sarno's book was called 'Healing throat pain'! I'd be doing much better! It's easier to doubt when in the vast minority.

You said that a learned behaviour would heal after time. I would imagine the opposite. Such as every time you go to speak, tensing your throat for instance, over years. It seems this would only become more ingrained, and not be resolved without noticing and actively changing it. This is ow the Alexander Technique works, but again it's treating it physically and mostly add odds with TMS.

As for buddhism...there are so many buddhist monks in the world, they have all range of normal human problems. But I am sure there is some effect from sitting for incredible lengths of time. I have done many silent reatreats, sitting for 8 or more hours a day....it gets uncomfortable, and I dont think its TMS!! I have lost my faith that all buddhists or monks are very enlightened or even remotely aware beings! As with all walks of life, you have the whole spectrum, and many westerners enrobe for desperate reasons or to get away from problems. As for places like Thailand, almost all males become monks at some point, and a lot of them may not want to be at all! On the other side, there are endless amazing monks and nuns who seem genuinely happy and to have found complete acceptance of the human condition. The first noble truth in buddhism is 'In life there is suffering'! And the next noble truths go on to say there is a way out of this suffering through letting go of clinging and aversion. We don't get what we want and we get what we dont want so we suffer! So as you say, it's all about acceptance. Easier said that done, especially at the moment!!

 

Read his last two books, they enumerate many other problems besides backs, Dr. Sarno's specialty was rehab medicine, that's why he saw mostly patients with backs and joints, through his long clinical practice he expanded his theory to include most any and everything :

"There are so many things little and big that are tms, I wouldn't have time to write about all of them" Dr. Sarno​

 

Hi Tennis Tom

I did read his last two books and I know he included almost anything that the CNS was capable of.

I was trying to say that it is just harder to commit to TMS or accept it when you have a much rarer problem. With all the talk of backs in every book and interview, article etc. It just hits home harder for those with back problems.