Day 6 Doubts (please reply!) [RSI]

The program said I could journal my doubts today for the activity, which is a really good idea!

So I do believe in TMS, or something like it, even if Sarno didn't have all the details right. Otherwise these techniques wouldn't have worked for so many people. What I'm not sure about is if TMS is just a blanket explanation for all pain, or in particular my RSI pain.

What got me started on learning about TMS was Sarno's book Mind Body Prescription. This book mostly talked about back pain, and had a little tiny section on RSI, giving me the impression that Sarno didn't have much experience with it, just sort of assumed it was always part of TMS. Now I know some people have cured RSI with TMS techniques but not everybody. I have read a lot of people have cured it with some kind of stretching or exercise.

My RSI seemed to have such a clear connection from me totally overusing my hands on videogames and also my data entry job. And the fact that it has lasted seems plausible since I played/worked through the pain for 4 months before giving it a serious shot at rest (quitting my job). My hands have also gotten much better since then, it's been 3 and a half months. Though it still is taking a really annoyingly long time, I did work through the pain for way longer than you are supposed to (if you rest right when you feel pain, most people don't get RSI that lasts).

Sarno's book has a psychologic profile about people who get TMS, perfectionists and goodists I think. A lot of people who cure TMS say they feel a crazy feeling as the see themselves on every page. I didn't really feel that way, of course I feel somewhat connected as I like doing well and helping others, but pretty much everyone does that, and I don't feel obsessive of it. Especially the past couple years, I have been feeling way too down on myself and depressed to care much about being perfect or being a goodist.

One thing that is really weird about my hands that I never noticed before, which my physical therapist noticed, is my hands are really crunchy. If you dig a nail into my palms or parts of my fingers, it feels crunchy and so weird. My therapist says its tons of little scar tissues. This makes me think my hands are messed up.

Another thing that gives me doubts is that while my hands have been getting better since learning about TMS, they were getting better anyways. I can't tell if I'm just doing the right activities with my hands or TMS is helping. It doesn't seem to be getting better any faster.

Something kind of random is I remember somebody somewhere on the internet saying that they got RSI and at first cured it with Sarno, but then it came back and cured it with some combo of exercises.

Now there are some things that do make me think it's TMS as well. One thing is I quit an extremely stressful job right before getting RSI, so maybe since my brain couldn't make me feel shitty with regular brain stress, it gave me TMS hand pain. Another is sometimes the pain would move around or go away and come back when it didn't make sense. Like I had palm pain that would come and go even while overusing my hands during the 4 month period I worked through the pain, and then during my resting period in the 3 months since it has come and gone as well which didn't really make sense.

Anyways if anyone has any experience with any of these doubts I'd love to hear about it! Thanks.

 

Hey man,

to preface: I kinda go on about myself in this post, but I don't mean to derail your thread. I'm just hoping you can see yourself in me since I can see myself in your posts Sorry if it's a bit rambly

I know how you feel. Almost the same story here - data entry job, got RSI, can't move on with my life to save my life lol. I felt the same when reading Sarno - even though I kinda am a goodist etc. I've also felt pretty shitty about my life. I kinda see myself in your posts more then I do in Sarno. I'd recommend you read a bit of Steve Ozanich. One thing which kinda points to TMS in my case is the amount of emotional investment I have in my pain (my hands are crucial to my life) and just generally looking at the bigger picture: I'm far from happy. I have one friend, I can't separate from my mother, my father was always distant and kind of a dick, I have an abysmal romantic record, I can't even think of what to write on my Tinder profile without getting an identity crisis considering how I spent most of my twenties (27 now) fixing financial and health problems..I mean..I feel like never had much of a life, you dig? I never went anywhere, I never did stuff, I just kinda dragged on. Or at least I felt that way. Sure, my hands hurt when I type and I am not 100% convinced I have TMS because the pain can be explained away by physical reasons, but there's also plenty of reason for me to be unhappy and angry even, consciously and subconsciously. My sister drinks, I guess that's her way of coping with the problems of life considering our parents marriage was far from ideal. My way of coping could be giving myself random health problems which seem to drag on for years to avoid dealing with the fact that deep down I just feel empty or angry or whatever. I give myself goals I can never achieve because when I get close to them - something comes up and blocks me (back pain or RSI).

As for doubts, well my only doubt is that the pain is consistent. If I rest, I'm fine. If I do stuff - it hurts. I don't know man. My advice for you: take it easy and take it slow. Be thorough and patient. Evaluate your life. Are you happy? Is your RSI preventing you from being happy (mine sure is, but I think the twist ending is I'd be just as miserable without it)?

One more thing to consider: in the past, were you obsessive about something?

EDIT: To clarify, the point of this post is: Look at the bigger picture Again, sorry for rambling so much about myself, but I wanted to give you and idea about my life and how it might be connected to my problems so you can make the connection from your life to your problems

Hope this helps

 

Hi @rsiman! Please read my successful story about my recovery from RSI from 3 years before if you are looking for some inspiration.

My hands were in so much pain I couldn’t open the door or open Nutella jar. But I totally overcome that thanks to Structured Education program (the 40 days one).
Unfortunately my TMS is in my back again. But since I program again I’m doing much better.

Take care and don’t give up!
The healing is around the corner.
Peace be with you.