Day 1

Hello, new here and excited to give the Sarno approach a try. I started having low back and shoulder blade pain about 5 years ago. Since then I've tried every stretch, exercise, and other form of treatment imaginable. Then about 2 years ago, I started having wrist pain, right as I graduated and got my 1st job. A year ago I quit my job and have spent the last year trying even more ways to recover, with not much success.

I read Sarno's book after learning about TMS on the RSI reddit. I was skeptical, and still am somewhat, but the book described me almost perfectly. I started having terrible social anxiety 5 years ago (when my pain started) and I am a perfectionist who tries to help everyone. A few weeks ago, my wrist was feeling better, and then out of nowhere I got bad wrist pain in an area I had no pain in previously. I was not doing anything physically for months, aside from house chores and watching netflix, so this pain made no sense. Then as I started thinking about my other hand, the next day, I got pain in my other hand. This told me that this has to be mindbody related, and now here I am.

 

Welcome - it is good that you can see the connections rightaway! The SEProg is a really good tool to use - it sort of takes you through the whole gamut of tms problems and you will find some things more useful than others. When you get to the end you may want to use what has resonated with you to find more support/tools. I realised by the end of the prog that I had to process many years of incandescent rage (!) and I eventually found another book (recommended on this forum) that was the right way for me to do so. Wacking mattresses with tennis racquets did nothing for me - but a meditation technique used over several months really did the trick! So use the prog as a signpost to what you need for your form of tms. Also consider that you may need to watch for triggers for evermore... I still have a tms 'personality' - i need to look out for triggers and ensure that I do not get 'pushed' into doing things... Nut now I have explored tms in my psyche and character - this is s much easier to do!
Good luck with your journey - and if you ever get stuck - jump on in to the forum and say so - there is ALWAYS someone with advice and a similar experience!

 

It's great you can already see solid evidence of your mentally induced pain. It takes time to accept that more severe and long term symptoms are also created by the mind, but the SEP will help you get there. Good luck!