Day 1 Second time after health scare

Hi all
This is my second journey on the SEP. I know it works!
In 2015 I discovered Dr Sarno, this site and the TMS theory. I read Dr Sarno's book, completed the SEP and also attended an appointment with Georgie Oldfield (SIRPA)
The outcome of this was that I eliminated my IBS symptoms, my back pain and my hand pain improved too. Unfortunately I never resolved the over active bladder, tinnitus or Psoriasis. That being said I did start to manage the symptoms better, my psoriasis cleared on my face and the tinnitus doesn't bother as much anymore.
It was in 2017 I decide to seek help through a hypnotherapist vis skpe calls, for the remaining symptoms and help resolve some emotional issues. He was recommended by my brother.
On the final session with him, he had me go back to a traumatic experience and attempt to recall what happened to me as I had a memory block, the session really shook me up and I felt his words were blaming me. The traumatic experience was that I was drugged and raped by two people (one being my friends fella), in my best friends home. I woke in the morning with only a vague recollection of the evening to a point and wondering what the hell had happened to me. It was a horrific experience that I thought I had dealt with, but even as I type this I am crying. This was in 2009.
The following week, I suddenly finished work one day and put my coat on, and it felt like I had broke my wrist!
this spread to all my fingers wrists and elbows. I couldn't turn a key in the lock, grip anything or even fasten my bra!
It went on for just under a week and I decided to go to the Drs. She said she suspected RA and sent me for tests. By the time I got an appointment, the severe pain, swelling and redness had of course abated. I had pictures but blood tests came back negative and at the time there was no nail psoriasis. a weel later and my nails started lifting so painfully that I woke crying. I was referred but not diagnosis again.
Over months my symptoms went, apart from my nails. then in nov 2019 I had another attack, this time my shoulders included too, the flare ups have come and gone since then, spreading to my hips and my back hurts again too.
I live on Ascension Island, a remote island in the South Atlantic. Due to this reason I only got to see a specialist in Nov 2020. I have been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. I'm on medication for the Arthritis. As far as the Fibro diagnosis, I am unconvinced due to the fact that the Rheumatologist did not perform a physical exam and the symtpoms for PsA and Fibro are very similar. that being said if the pain that am experiencing is Fibro related, then this program should help me.
It can't hurt to try it, can it? (no pun intended!)

 

Hah! you said it, @Toby2015 - and welcome back!

After a reasonably decent recovery in 2011 from debilitating TMS symptoms, I'm actually dealing with a diagnosis of RA - sudden onset last April, at age 69 (old for RA) and absolutely no family history of any autoimmune conditions on either side. This leads me to believe it's 100% the result of emotional stress and distress, for which I'm blaming a number of outside influences capped by the disaster that is 2020. We don't need to say anything more about that. But that's my theory, because nothing else seems to make sense.

And let's face it - they still don't know why inflammatory conditions happen, do they? I'm thinking that I need to re-read When The Body Says No. I recall that Dr. Mate is very convincing when he describes how long-term stress - the result of emotional repression - can create changes in our physiology. The connection to the so-called "cytokine storm" seems logical. Most of us first heard that term in relation to the dangerous inflammatory response to COVID19, but the fact is that the cytokine storm is at the basis of all inflammatory - aka autoimmune - conditions.

Anyway, I'm taking the medication like a good patient, because RA is nothing to mess around with, but I'm also struggling with the feeling that if stress got me into this, that destressing can get me out of it - but good lord, I am so resistant to a committed practice! Which is a combination of daily writing (I'm actually good at that) meditation (I'm really good at putting that off) general mindfulness of my mental and physical state (actually getting slowly better at that) exercise (so far doing better) and significantly reducing sugar intake (which I really overdid during the holidays). Mind you, I have a strong belief, along with most TMSers, that special diets are a placebo. Back in 2011, after spending a summer eliminating multiple foods from my diet in an attempt to resolve worsening GI issues (after many years of problems), the one thing that worked was adopting TMS knowledge and belief. I haven't had a problem with any food since then. But among the many discussions about RA and diet, the one consistently strong correlation that stands out is the one between flares and sugar intake. I put that correlation to the test last month, and finally had to admit it to myself. Still a work in progress - we'll see. The meditation is quite frankly harder to put into practice. My mind is resistant to it - procrastination is the name of the game until the day has gone by and I've managed to get in zero minutes. Geez.

Keep us posted @Toby2015! A setback doesn't have to be permanent - you've already experienced success and you can do it again. We all can!

~Jan
(who first learned about your islands earlier this year - when some friends, who were on the last leg of a four-year sailing adventure, set out from Namibia in February, and were barely allowed to make landfall at St. Helena three weeks later, in what had become a worldwide pandemic during the time they were making their crossing.) (They were stuck there for many weeks with nowhere to go, and sadly had to pass by Ascension when they were finally able to get permission to make a straight shot for Grenada.)

 

HI Jan.
Thank you for replying. And I am sorry to read of your recent diagnosis too.
I can totally relate and agree with everything you say. I also read childhood disrupted. It spoke of ACE'S too, Adverse Childhood Experiences and how they can be a factor in the developing of Auto-immune and such conditions. I am terrible also at meditation despite now being a position to fit it in.
Its nice to hear that someone has heard of us! we are north of St Helena. Many saints live on Ascension so we are familiar with the culture and I've visited all bet it for one night in quarantine!
We also had a few sailors here for many weeks during the beginning of the Pandemic. In fact two are still here as they love it that much, and we are of course Covid free.
Now to get back to the SEP, Thank you again for your kind words of support. ;-)