Overcoming Doubt

One of the hardest parts in this whole mind/body healing is the concept of BELIEF. We hear that we must have 100% belief. Most of the writers of our beloved TMS books spend the majority of the book developing belief, and precious little in the actual “what to do” portion. Why? Because belief that the nervous system creates all of our bodily experiences and can be dysregulated is paramount.


Now, I’ve been chronic pain free for 3+ years after basically three decades of one issue or another. Sometimes the pain was life altering in severity, sometimes it was just annoying, nagging and limiting. Looking back and now after helping so many others, I see normal hesitancy resting in three camps.

a) Is this a real thing? Could my body produce physical symptoms from a purely emotional root?

b) Okay, I understand the theory and the brain science, but surely my structure/situation/body is different than all these other individuals….? The doctor/chiropractor/naturopath said I have XYZ scary condition…?

c) Okay, I understand the brain science, and I believe that others have healed from my exact symptoms, but surely I’m too broken/ have had the pain too long/ am too old/ have too much trauma/ have too stressful of a job or situation/ don’t have time/ etc, etc, etc.


I remember moving through these stages of doubts. And I’m here to tell you that they are all normal, understandable, and keeping you right where you are.


So, what to do? How do we navigate through the doubt and uncertainty? Well, first, let’s get really honest about where we are in our own belief. As good little mind/body sufferers, we know the right answer to the belief question…”yes, I understand TMS and believe 100%.” I know that I said that to myself when it was not true. And that unwillingness to be honest with myself and where I was, was not only a barrier in getting to the heart of disbelief but also part of a bigger picture of viewing my true thoughts and questions as flawed. Unraveling the nature of my personal doubt, accepting it, and working with it in a compassionate sense did more to alleviate symptom fear than any other single activity. And as we know, pain and fear revolve together in a dance. In effect, ironically, being completely honest about my doubts was the antidote to disbelief. Self acceptance was the antidote to the pain.

My best to each of you. www.pathsbeyondpain.com

 

Great post Ann.

In this interview with Dr. Ratner, I explain how I crushed my doubts in order to be able to move forward with full recovery.

 

thanks Fred. I'll watch it !

 

Really good post, in my case I think even if I understand and beleive the theory, there is some part in my mind still thinking there is another reason to explain my symptoms.

 

This really an excellent suggestion! I could see actually journaling about this. Just sit down and write in an honest, no hole-barred way... what are my true feelings and beliefs about whether this is mind-body, neural pathway issue ...or not?

 

Yes, Exactly. In a weird way, we are repressing our emotions around TMS itself.

 

I understand that. I like to work in steps. So on one end is complete doubt and the other is complete belief. Can you move a step toward belief? Maybe keep a thought symptoms log that highlights patterns of thinking with symptoms. Maybe looking at the absurdity of how the symptoms come and go. Or how they move around. Naming your symptom a humorous name can help you move toward belief that its all just TMS. Visualizing your symptom as a mask with the big letters TMS behind it can help some folks. Anything that moves you a step at a time in the right direction. You don't need absolute perfection here. Just the act of stepping away from disbelief will give your body some space and breathing room.