Day 1

I have had back pain on and off or years. It got so bad last year that I thought I would be disabled forever - with shooting nerve pains down my legs to feet, couldn't sleep, couldn't sit, etc. Then my PT had me read "Healing Back Pain" and within 2 weeks almost all symptoms disappeared! But, then my recurring neck pain kicked in. I have had some success making this "go away" but I'm getting frustrated with my brain targeting different body parts. (I think the neck pain is from tension and fear of herniating my disc again. A past neck injury was so severe was that I couldn't hold my head up for months). I've had some success talking my brain into releasing the tension in my neck muscles...Also, now after 2 years of virtually no osteoarthritis pain, it's back! In particular I'm having trouble walking again and there is now a pain in my ankle. I'm wondering if this arthritis pain and ankle pain are TMS. I think so? The video of Day 1 really helped convince me that the ankle pain is TMS. (Also, my grandmother had such bad foot arthritis pain she could not walk at all. I always wondered if I would end up like her. This is probably playing into my mind body problem..?) It's hard for me to think of this foot pain as TMS, but I think I read somewhere that the feet have lots of tendons that can be impacted by TMS. I'm also thinking that my GI problems are linked to this too...I'm frustrated but not defeated. Now that I've written all this down, it seems like my body is one big TMS game board! Any advice is appreciated!

 

Hi Sybilk,

Welcome! You are making lot's of important connections to understand that you're suffering from TMS. Here are some:

All this helps confirm and convince yourself that you have TMS. This is very important in the treatment, as you know. You might make a list like this and read it every day to confirm for yourself that you're suffering from TMS.

Foot pain can definitely be TMS. You can see my story for an example. TMS can cause pain in any part of the body.

Don't be discouraged or overwhelmed by all this evidence. It actually makes getting better easier!

Andy B

 

Thanks Andy! I will take your advice and write down all these things. I've also thought of new stressors contributing to this syndrome, dating back to childhood. My Mom instilled a fear of illness in me and ever since then whenever I got sick, I immediately went to a doctor and thought of the worse possible scenario if I didn't get rid of whatever ailment I had. Hence I became a hypochondriac. I've had to battle this all my life and I think this fear is a huge part of my TMS. I also remember when my dad had stomach cancer I thought I had stomach cancer and made the doctor do tests co convince me otherwise. Hence, since then Gi problems! So I guess all these things coming to the surface is part of the whole idea that I'm letting out all the stressors contributing to the TMS which will ultimately lead to the cure... Good news... I'm 67 and it seems like a lifetime of hidden stress is surfacing! I am finally am back to biking and swimming which had stopped of 1 year, when I retired (another possible stressor)!? Also I had a GI problem last year and lost 30 lb and now back to, normal weight...
I think I'm getting a handle on this but am realizing that it may take a while for all to clam down, etc. Does this ever go away permanently? Or will it always be a struggle?

 

It will all go away when you understand this more completely, which you are doing. For many folks who approach a TMS approach, it first seems overwhelming, because we think that we have to fix everything inside us. This is not true. Insight, self-compassion, learning to nurture yourself a little more, learning to deal with fear, learning to "think psychologically" --basic ingredients.

Longer term, most of us in the TMS world have new symptoms occasionally, but we know what they are more quickly, and they go away.