Day 1 Starting the SEP

Hi all,

After reading about it for a few days I have decided I am finally ready to start the SEP and I finished the first few writing exercises tonight. Background: symptoms started in November with mysterious pain under ribs in front...got trigger point injection and it mostly went away...but pain then traveled to around the ribs on right side and finally to underneath right shoulder blade, has since grown to include right hip/glute and right shoulder/right side of neck. Pain comes and goes, and moves, and medication doesn't seem to touch it. It is annoying but does not seem to affect function much - actually ran a marathon last month even though my symptoms were around then.

I have not gotten an "official" TMS diagnosis but I feel like it fits since all of my tests (x-ray, MRI, abdominal CT, endoscopy, blood work) have all come back normal. (Which I am grateful for!)

The problem is that since all these symptoms started, my health anxiety (which I've had for a long time to varying degrees) has kicked into overdrive and I'm constantly worried about my pain and what it could mean. For example, I have a little bit of tingling/weakness in my right hand (not all the time), so I come up with dire (fatal) diagnoses for myself and put myself in a tailspin. Had to take a Xanax tonight to come down. I do see my neurologist next week for my yearly visit and I am going to mention the hand thing to her but I doubt she'll be concerned since it's not a real weakness - hand is totally functional, I can lift and manipulate things just like before, and the "symptoms" get worse when I worry.

Anyway, back to the SEP! I think my health anxiety is a stumbling block that may keep me from 100% believing in the TMS diagnosis. I am working with a psychologist and psychiatrist to get my issues out in the open and my anxiety meds in order. But I hope that the exercises in the SEP will help with that as well.

Thanks for reading.

 

I don't know if you have read one of Dr. SARNO'S books. My favorite is The Mind Body Prescription. Sarno talks about education is the penicillin. Just work the program. The personality traits are very important. Fear and worry play a major role. You are already have awareness of this trait in yourself.

Fear and worry come galloping into my mind on a regular basis. I now have the tools to help me manage this. You will too.

Tingling in the hands and feet are one of the common TMS symptoms. I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. I don't have it and sure don't need surgery.

Just keep working the program. You will do just great.

 

I have not read them yet (going to order; they're not at my local BN) but I definitely think I fit the personality profiles. Total perfectionist and people pleaser. This is also something my therapist figured out. LOL.

 

Hi, Jentx. Welcome to the TMS healing community. I hope you will work hard to believe 100 percent in TMS emotions causing your pain, since your medical tests show nothing wrong. It takes total belief to heal. I know because I withheld about 10 percent and didn't get rid of severe back pain until I accepted 1

 

My computer keeps posting before I finish. I'd throw it out the window but my house is on one level, the ground.

I wanted to finish saying I accepted TMS 100 percent after journaling about my boyhood and finding repressed emotions and anger there.

Good luck in the SEProgram. It has been amazing helping people lose their pains.

 

I am still here! Still working on the SEP.

 

Hi Jentx! I agree with Walt and Stella. Belief had to be total and absolute before I healed from my most recent bout of headaches. My doctor gave me quite a gift when he mentioned that he thought they were tension headaches--not migraines. Wow! That meant pure TMS! They've been gone for weeks, because I finally admitted to myself that they were not allergy related.
Sarno's books are also wonderful. My favorite is the first one I read, healing Back Pain. I saw myself on every page. I hope they're helpful to you as well.