Vulvodynia
From The TMS Wiki
Please keep in mind that before treating any condition, including Vulvodynia, as TMS or PPD, it is vitally important to consult with your physician in order to rule out any serious medical conditions. To learn more about TMS and PPD, and to help you figure out if you have it, visit our An Introduction to TMS page and watch the video there. Some more guidance in figuring out if this approach is right for you can be found in the video at the top of our So You Think You Might Have TMS page.
To contribute your own story of healing from TMS, please click here to see how to post it on the forum.
Vulvodynia and TMS Success Stories |
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I suffered from vulvodynia for over a year before I was diagnosed at the age of 23. Despite the best intentions of my doctors, who were never anything less than caring and compassionate, the various treatments they prescribed provided me with little or no relief. After a year of treatment my pain continued to worsen. I learned about Dr. Schubiner's program by chance after hearing him give a talk about Mindfulness Meditation. At the time I began reading the book I was having moderate to severe pain on a daily basis. After reading just the first three chapters I had a drastic reduction in pain because it became clear to me that, not only do I have Mind Body Syndrome, but that I have the power to change it. Now, after completing the class and utilizing the activities in the workbook, I am pain-free approximately 90% of the time, and when I do have pain I find that it is not as severe and it resolves much more quickly (I expect that this will continue to improve based on the experiences of others). As a result, my quality of life has greatly improved and I find that I now look forward to activities which used to cause me a lot of fear and anxiety because of their potential for causing pain.
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Vulvodynia referenced in TMS Books |
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No references documented yet. If you find some, put them here. |
Vulvodynia |
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Mind-Body Health Coach Abigail Steidley writes: Vulvodynia is a diagnosis given to many women with a large variety of vaginal and vulvar pain issues. It can be a frustrating diagnosis and most women visit many doctors in search of an answer. I discuss vulvodynia with Mind-Body physician Dr. Schubiner in this interview, which states that vulvodynia can indeed be addressed as a mind-body syndrome. This does not mean that the pain has been created on purpose, or that the pain is “all in your mind.” Rather, it simply means that your personal responses to stresses, emotional upheaval, and life circumstances can create enough bodily tension to result in physical pain. Though it is not known why some people have vaginal pain versus back pain or headaches, it is clear that vaginal pain does not necessarily mean there is something physically wrong – even if you have a medical diagnosis that falls under the vulvodynia category. Treating vulvodynia as TMS or mind-body syndrome involves learning about mind-body syndromes, applying mind-body methods, and possibly visiting a therapist or coach to work through emotional stressors. (It is important to reinforce the fact that this does not mean you have created the illness or are imagining it. It is very real, and there is a very real effect on the body from emotional and mental stress.) |
See Also |
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| DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer. |
