anal discomfort

hello everyone,

i want to ask and get some ideas and maybe encouragements for my situation.
i am 44 and been dealing with anal issues for many years since i was a teenage. i had hemorrhoids and did some treatments and eventually two surgeries after the hemorrhoids came back a few years after the first surgery.
now almost 4 years after the surgery i feel pain or sensations specially when i sit.
i read a lot and saw many videos about TMS and about pelvic issues.
i also read success stories and some of them of stories similar to mine.
i am trying to relax my nervous system and using some TMS strategies, i am trying not to fear the pain etc.
the thing is that even though i am doing everything (working, training, going out etc) i still can't get rid of those anal sensations. i admit that i do fear those sensations because they are uncomfortable.
i am not convinced 100 percent that my situation is TMS because i did have interventions in the area.
i forgot to mention that the doctors didn't find any major issue and some just say my anal muscle tone is a bit high so it might be what causing the problem.
i don't know exactly what i am looking for by writing this post. if someone have similar expricne or have any good advise for me please share.

thank you and sorry for the english

 

This means that you have TMS. You list a lot of TMS reading, watching, etc. This is a good start as gaining TMS knowledge is am important part of the process. But it all sounds rather passive. It is time for you to actively engage in the therapeutic techniques. Start exploring your emotions and thinking patterns. We have a free program on this site called the SEP, and there are many other workbooks available to help you. You can find the ones that helped others in the Success Stories you have read.

 

thank you very much,

the thing is that i do also active things like meditation and qigong and sometimes also journaling
i think one of the issues is that i am not convinced its TMS because there are always more tests that you can do. actually the last doctor i went to sent me to do pelvic ultra sound and pressure test of the spinchtar muscles but i didnt go because i feel as the more checks i do i will think about it more. but i think about it and feel it anyway.
basically i can say that i do everything but the fear is there, because when you have pain or sensations its not easy not to be afraid of them.

 

The butt and the jaw are too major places that we tighten under stress. If a doctor noticed that your anal muscle tone is a bit high then clearly you are unconsciously clenching. The TMS work will help clear that up.
You don't have to be convinced it's TMS for it to work. When you start releasing the inner anger it will release on its own.

 

thank you for the reply, i will try to start with the program that you recommended.

I would really like to get in touch with someone who had similar symptoms as me. I know everyone symptoms are different but i read some posts here by people who describe more or less the same symptoms as i have.

i read a few success storied of this people and that give me a lot of encouragement.

usually my pain is not that high and i think its more like sensations with some uncomfortable feeling.

today i had hard stools (sorry for tmi) and now my anal area is painful for hours already. the connection between the bowel movent and the pain is what make me doubt the TMS diagnosis although i know anal and sphincter muscles can get in spasm due to stress etc.

I been seeing a psychologist for almost 2 years and lately started meditating and journaling. i don't think there is much that i am hiding from myself. i try to relax and live my life but its hard when you have pain. i try to just accept it, but its not easy. when the pain or sensations are low its just a matter of decision and then i think my problem is really obsessive attention to the area. but when i have bad days like today i can't believe the TMS diagnosis because the pain is so real.

another thing is that i had pain with hemorrhoids before the surgery, it affected my life but i was not that obsessed about it. so maybe the TMS is the obsession but not the pain itself?

anyway, sorry for making it long and sorry for my english

really hope to be able to get in touch with some who had same issues as I have and managed to get over it.

Thank you all for reading and helping.

 

Oka, it's 100% normal to have pain with hard stools. Of course you are going to have pain when you have a hard thing going through that area.
The reason your pain lasted for a long time is because you are thinking about it, worrying about it, obsessing on it. That is exactly what TMS is.
With TMS, we have some legitimate pain and then we hold on to it. If you doubt you have TMS because of the connection with the bowel movement it's actually the opposite scenario. Because you had the bowel movement and the pain and then you held onto the pain is a pretty good indicator that the continued pain is from TMS.

Again, this quote is pretty much evidence that there IS much that you are hiding from yourself!
Here's the fact, every human being, even those without TMS, have lots of things they have hidden down deep. It's the nature of how our minds work.
It seems like we don't because, well, it's hidden! Even the healthiest of people have stuff hidden. For us it's hidden anger and rage and often we, like you, are the easiest going people on the surface. For example, I'm very easy going and when I learned about TMS I thought--- I"m not angry. I don't really get angry. If I'm mad about something I let it go and move on easily. But then when I started writing stuff down, and I asked myself what am I angry about, my heart started pounding and I had strange, scary physical sensations. Clearly there was something going on! The next day I tried again and was able to le myself get to those places. There's nothing to feel ashamed about having anger down deep. It's often just leftover and seemingly insignificant things that intellectually we know are nothing to be that angry about, but our lower brain or our younger self brain are mad as heck!

You really don't need to get in touch with someone with the same symptoms because TMS is the same whether it manifests in your anus or in your back or in your throat. I know we all do that where we try to find the exact symptoms on other people. That is because we are obsessing on ourselves and our bodily part.

The useful aspect of WHERE the pain is located is that sometimes it gives us clues to our hidden emotions.
In the ear, maybe there are things we don't want to hear. In the throat, maybe there are things that we don't want to say.
In the anal area, maybe there are some issue around sexuality. Or around not wanting to let things out. Or around sitting.
That for you to explore when you go through the program and dig deep.

If you aren't prepared to find your hidden emotions then there is no point in looking at TMS.
There are lots of healthboards and forums with people with similar to pain -- but know that they will likely go on and on about how they've tried everything and nothing works.
To us on the outside looking in, it seems obvious but it's hard when it's yourself.
Read Sarno's books and you'll get the answers and the good news is that the answers are relatively easy.

 

Hello Booble,

thank you.

by go through the program do you mean the Structured Educational Program?

 

Well, that's up to you.
I really mean stop worrying about whether it is or isn't TMS and do the work.
That could mean starting with reading Sarnos books or going through the Structured Educational Program.
For me it was watching the old 20/20 video, some interviews with Sarno, reading on here, and then starting to write things down and find my hidden anger that I didn't think I had. That was all I needed to stop debilitating throat pain which had me keeping mute for months.
Day 2 of writing things down and I felt my muscles in that area loosen and all dissolved.

 

actually i am reading and watching videos about TMS and about mindbody in general for long time now. I am reading now steve ozanich book and i am journaling every few days and meditate. i also read here on the forum many stories and posts...so i think that i already doing the work but still feeling frustrated with the symptoms.
i feel i have all the information and i am trying to change. when i have pain i also try to accept it. but its easy to say not easy to do.

 

yes, i guess i am clenching although i don't feel i do. i will try to work on the inner anger.

 

Thank you

 

What are you journaling about?
You said that you don't think you have emotions hidden down deep which means that you are not yet journaling TMS style.
If you want your butt to unclench, you are going to have to dig deep, find all the little bits of anger tucked away.
Then your butt will unclench and stop hurting.

 

actually i think i didn't express myself right when i said I don't have much hidden emotions, I meant to say that I am a person who is aware of himself, but yes i know there are things that i am hiding from myself .
I journal about basically what comes to my mind at the moment I journal. I try to express all the things I am frustrated about life and about myself.

 

What is TMS style journaling, specifically?

 

Nicole Sachs' Journalspeak is a pretty good example. She's got a podcast and a website, and was a patient of Sarno herself who journalled under his direction.

 

Thanks!

 

Well, I think @JanAtheCPA describes it best when she renames it from Journaling to "write shit down."

I don't know what TMS style journaling is technically speaking but what I meant was getting out of your higher level, complex, conscious brain thinking and writing to get into your lower level, unconscious, deeper stuff. Letting the writing flow from deep inside rather than what people might think of when they think of Journaling.