Derek S. taking tylenol

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Question

I'm new to this forum and I'm so glad I found you guys! I think I have TMS after reading the amazing Healing Backpain bk by Sarno. I've been suffering through BPPV and headache for couple of months now and wondered if it's ok to take Tylenol for pain or would that make me dependent on pain meds? The Epley maneuver seems to help dizziness. I have also been journaling about my traumatic childhood and present difficult marriage which made me exhausted but my counselor is helping me.
JanS

 

Answer

Thanks for your question and welcome to the TMS wiki!

The answer to this question tends to vary among TMS practitioners. I personally don't have any issue with taking OTC pain relievers in moderation. TMS pain can be extremely uncomfortable and sometimes a pain reliever can help. I try to encourage patients to use them sparingly and to ensure that they are not thinking about their symptoms as being due to a structural deficiency.

What I often see is people recovering from TMS creating very stringent rules and rituals for themselves which can become rather obsessive or self-abusive. I am a proponent of people treating themselves with compassion and kindness and find this to be more important than following strict rules or guidelines for recovery.

It sounds like you are doing some really good work and I doubt that a couple of Tylenol here and there would undermine your recovery process.

-Derek

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