Day 6 Journaling Experience and question about my dad

Yesterday was the first real journal exercise of the program. I chose one of my past traumatic experiences and just started writing, unsure of what was going to happen. About two minutes later, holy cow I just started bawling like a baby! I can't remember the last time I cried. It came out of nowhere. I guess I really had no idea how much I have bubbling under the surface. After that cry, I felt really good. It had made me sort of tired, but I felt refreshed at the same time and ended up having a good day.

I've been thinking about my Dad and his own mental and physical health. I know he had an awful childhood which in turn shaped the way he raised me, and because we are similar in many ways I feel like his health problems must also be TMS like, but it's quite unusual. About fifteen years ago he started getting dizzy all the time, it was really bad. He was misdiagnosed with Meniere's Disease, then they thought he maybe had early symptoms of MS. However, for the past ten years his only problem is that he can't hear. His right ear is entirely "deaf", and he can barely hear in his left. Sometimes, however, his hearing will open up for a few days. He thinks it's when he's been eating healthy, but could a healthy diet be a placebo effect, because eventually his hearing will vanish again. Has anyone ever heard of TMS manifesting itself with hearing loss?

 

I haven't had any experience with hearing loss, but someone is bound to reply to you about it.
Eating healthy is just plain good, whether it is associated with hearing.
Has your father looked into the new technology for hearing loss? I get mail about it and see it on tv.

 

I don't know about the hearing loss, but I will say that dizziness is my worst and most persistent symptom. So since I've been on the TMS forums, I've realized it's relatively common. I have also realized that all of my head-located symptoms are all intimately tied together. When the dizziness hits, it easily morphs into a headache or sinus pressure or tinnitus or jaw pain. So I don't at all doubt it!

And also, the crying is such a good sign! You gotta get that stuff out!

 

Hi phyzzy56,

Thanks for sharing how you were impacted by the journaling. It seems like you have more evidence that there is a lot going on below the surface that can be causing symptoms "up above." For many folks, just contemplating what kind of pain and anger is down below, and connecting that to symptoms is enough to undo the TMS. Good luck in your journey.

Andy B.