Derek S. TMS and OA

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Question

Read Sarno's book many years ago and it helped me recover from severe coccyx pain, so I am a real believer. But now that I am 78, with some actual OA symptoms, plus the fears and reality of losing many friends - I am finding it harder not to awfulize when the TMS jumps to different locations. Moreover, at my age I've pretty much faced down my demons and know them, so I don't think there are any repressed ones left to find.
Any suggestions on how to handle this?

 

Answer

Thanks for your question.

It sounds like the emotional issues fueling your TMS/fear-cycle are more existential than they are about your past demons. You've likely done enough emotional archaeology related to your past and probably don't need to do much more. Issues related to aging and mortality are important to address and frequently cause people to become symptomatic.

I've worked with multiple individuals who had a recurrence of symptoms that we traced back to the fear, uncertainty, and grief that are an inevitable part of the aging process.

I would recommend that you start exploring these issues in your emotional work. If doing it on your own isn't effective, consider working with a therapist who can guide you through this process. The ideal therapist would have some experience working with individuals in your phase of life paired with a knowledge of TMS principles.

Additionally, practice the cognitive-behavioral work of reframing the meaning of the the pain, practicing outcome independence, managing your anxiety, and creating safety for yourself.

Best of luck to you!

-Derek

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