Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Dyssynergia TMS

I've been deeply invested in TMS as the source of my myriad symptoms since 2017, and have seen a shift and improvement in many areas. And the symptom imperative has also been an issue. And, yes, once in a while, I have gone back down the medical rabbit hole. I'm now 69 years old.

I was diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction in 2009 and nothing worked to help it. Now, there is one pelvic floor problem that has me stumped,

DYSSYNERGIA
One symptom that has not budged since 2015 is complete constipation. That means that every other day, I need to do a warm water enema. Nothing else works. However, every few years since 2015, I'll go to the bathroom in a normal manner for a day or so with no rhyme or reason. Two or three times over the past 9+ years for a number of days.

THE RABBIT HOLE AND MY QUESTION
A gastroenterologist sent me to a motility expert and she insists the constipation is from tight muscles and that pelvic floor PT would help change this.

Seven years into shifting how I think about my symptoms, I have to say that the enema thing makes traveling very difficult and certainly lifestyle as well. I still have a lot of symptoms, especially gastrointestinal and hip that I just look at as TMS.

I've tried pelvic floor PT before for other pelvic issues and it did nothing. But it's my last shot at trying something to get this to shift at all. There's no pain. Just complete inability to do what's natural.

I found someone who does this specific type of work for dyssynergia and it's quite expensive and not covered by insurance. I had one visit.

But tonight, I just read a post in the TMS Wiki about the pelvic floor work being a waste of time because it's just TMS.

I guess I have doubt about that because this seems to be a functional, not a pain, issue. And it just gave me a bit of hope about some normalcy in this area again.

Would love your thoughts. Thanks!

 

Dr. Schecter, a TMS Doctor in LA was interviewed by a pelvic floor youtube channel guy. Dr. Schecter said that almost 100% of his clients with pelvic floor issues is TMS (I suspect the few who are not have a pathology issue).
Why would you be able to have random normal functional bowel movements out of the blue, but then again, not at times? What on the days that you were able to function normally was different? Not physically, but emotionally.

BTW - your post is 100% about the physical and you don't say anything at all about your stress, anger or any mental state. Dr. Sarno states think psychological.

May I has what TMS work have you actually done?

 

Thanks so much, @Cactusflower for your response. Here's a bit about the TMS work I've done and my emotional state:

BOOKS
Read Healing Back Pain, The Mindbody Prescription, and the Divided Mind multiple times.
Great Pain Deception read that twice
Nicole Sachs book The Meaning of Truth a couple of times.
By 2022, I'd read all the books available by then. But the ones that most resonated with me were those listed above.

VIDEOS
Watched The Mindbody Prescription DVD (bought around 2012) multiple times. Wonderful! And re-watched recently and heard so much more.
Also get so much reinforcement from Dan Buglio's YouTube channel
Plus, have gotten a lot out of the TMS Wiki and Alan's book and videos/lessons here.

TMS "Coaches" and Therapy
Private sessions with three coaches who were incredibly helpful and each enhanced what I'd learned.
Worked with a therapist who practices Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy, which actually wasn't very helpful. But have a current therapist who is extremely helpful with practical solutions.

WORK
I practiced JournalSpeak for about a year and a half, which taught me to feel my emotions. And as part of that, did the lists and writing as Dr. Sarno recommended.

The most important thing I've learned is not to over-complicate the "work." It's a way of being, rather than a daily list of things to do for me.

Here are some of what has helped me:

1. Staying in the present and using tools to help me do that when I see I'm off into past and future rumination.

2. Yes, thinking psychological. Absolutely, but you're absolutely right. I sometimes hit a wall and sink back into the rabbit hole again.

3. Having an attitude of "so what" and not catastrophizing about the symptoms -- though I can understand how my post certainly didn't reflect any of that! I'll admit, I'm frustrated. But I appreciate the reminder and I think that's why I wrote here -- to be reminded of the truth that most everything is TMS for me.

4. Knowing that success with TMS is not about whether my symptoms are gone, but about whether my fear around them is reduced and whether I'm living my life with or without them. The symptoms can be there and I can be engrossed in something else and not even notice them.

5. Still a work in progress to calm my nervous system. And I see clearly the connection between an angry reaction or outburst and a flare-up of symptoms.

6. Finding joy and gratitude daily. Laughing. And acceptance of the things I cannot change.

7. Not excavating anymore, but dealing with emotions in the present and using tools from all I've learned, including a wonderful therapist I work with now who helps me with practical ways to work with reactivity.

8. Laughing at the symptom imperative at work. And moving forward despite symptoms.

9. Not paying attention to the stream of, often intrusive, negative thoughts that constantly tear me down and drag me down. Remembering that I am not the mind or those thoughts. Again, thanks for your question that gave me this opportunity to write all this down and remember what I know.

EMOTIONS
Still quite emotionally sensitive and too often negative. Absolutely clear-cut connection between felt rage (which I now know is just covering up sadness, fear, and grief stemming from childhood trauma) and symptom escalation. The low frustration tolerance is another manifestation and I'm learning to find that pause and make a different choice. Decades of working 12 Step recovery (one day at a time) for a few issues has been essential as well. And there's no question that I have that repressed rage trying to bubble up to the surface.

SUCCESSES
1. Fewer migraines
2. Incredible improvement of chronic lightheadedness - often gone completely
3. Able to eat some foods that I previously couldn't tolerate
4. Fewer episodes of severe gut pain and bloating
5. Able to drive
6. Breathing issues gone
7. Vocal issues greatly improved
8. I feel far less fragile

I'm sure there's more of all of these. But I hope that I answered your question. And, I really appreciate your telling me about the interview where "Dr. Schecter said that almost 100% of his clients with pelvic floor issues is TMS." I'll look for that interview.

I think this is the video you may have meant:

Just watched it and it was excellent. It was only five minutes, but it said what I needed to hear.

Thanks again for your help Cactusflower.

 

My only thought is that you may need to lay into subconscious anger aspect of TMS and that there may be parts of you that had to be constructed to make you appear to be one thing, but really you are much more dimensional than you think and that some of those parts are judged as bad or unwanted. That can lead to much subconscious anger and rage. The whole idea that “someone” has made all parts of us feel less than acceptable.
Honestly I don’t think you always need to dig around much there - look for possibilities of rage and then accept that they are there seems to work. It’s the method Sarno himself used for his migraines.

 

@Cactusflower Thank you. I appreciate your support. It's been quite helpful.