Fall Allergies, TMS

One of my top allergies is ragweed. I've had this allergy (and other pollen allergies) for most of my life. I have the typical allergy symptoms (upper respiratory) but I also notice, along with the typical symptoms, an exacerbation of some of the physical issues that have been ongoing for the past 8 years or so.

The most noticeable exacerbation is left temple aching and left eye redness and itching. Typically, I have this left temple ache every day but it gets worse at times, like when I am exposed to pollens outside or when I eat a food that cross-reacts with ragweed such as sunflower seeds. This happened yesterday. August usually marks the increase in ragweed pollen.

I am currently receiving allergy shots to reduce my reactivity to pollens. Sometimes, I struggle to focus on TMS because of my long history with allergies. My mind often goes to "what ifs"--what if my symptoms are simply rooted in an allergic response of some sort?

At the same time, I am fully aware that sciatica, neuropathy, muscle aches, left arm pain and left temple pain are not typical symptoms associated with pollen allergies. After extensive testing (all normal results other than allergy testing), it seems certain that TMS is at least a part of my physical picture. I'm just struggling to get to that point of certainty.

Is it possible to successfully treat TMS AND allergies at the same time? Is it best to just totally approach allergies and the other symptoms as TMS? Maybe continue the allergy shots and consider the whole process as a step in healing TMS?

 

Hi Hi, In one of Dr. Sarno's last two books, MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION or THE DIVIDED MIND, I believe there's chapters devoted to allergies/asthma/high BP as TMS symptoms. My gf has been cured of lifelong asthma by understanding it's TMS.

Edit: I found eight citations for allergies in the index for THE DIVIDED MIND.

 

This is what SteveO says about allergies in his TMS book THE GREAT PAIN DECEPTION : http://www.paindeception.com/

"ALLERGIES-- Several people I know rid their lifetime allergies with TMS healing. These include both food and and pollen allergies. An allergy is the immune system overreacting to external triggers."

From page 342 Appendix A: TMS Equivalents --Serving the Same Purpose as Pain

 

I'm curious about tms, allergies and children. My son as been allergic to peanuts almost since birth and to ragweed since he was about 7. Do kids get tms? If so, how can parents help?

 

I'm sure kids get TMS. Kids live in a more stressful time than we did.
Dr. Sarno does say that allergies are caused by TMS.
I have allergies most of the year except in winter. I don't think it's because pollen, etc., is dead in winter.
I think it's because things are more quiet and peaceful in winter. For one thing, screaming kids are indoors.

 

That's when it starts, maybe in the womb?

 

It's interesting to notice my tendency to refocus on physical symptoms (allergy symptoms). While I may continue to treat allergies for the time being, I intend to prioritize the emotional/psychological dimension of my life in order to address TMS. Thank you everyone for your thoughts.

blake, I think you asked some great questions about children and TMS--maybe warrants a separate post or maybe a question to one of the TMS doctors/therapists?

 

Allergy symptoms have been one of my TMS equivalents, and I'm having some difficulty getting it to subside. I was tested for everything, and am not truly allergic to anything, but I have extreme symptoms of runny nose, watery eyes, and drainage into my lungs that creates a cough. So I know that my immune system is over-reacting to pollen. I take an antihistamine every day to control the symptoms, while I work on it as TMS. My most recent bout came on shortly after I had eradicated my TMS pain symptoms. Eventually, I figured out that the symptom imperative was at work.

I have often wondered if the symptoms are there because of an unconscious need to cry, that my conscious brain won't allow me to do.

 

Ellen, go ahead and have a good cry whenever you want to. It can be ads therapeutic as laughing.

Both provide a great relief from whatever bothers or ails us.

 

I've had allergies and sciatica too, as well as asthma. Working with TMS has eliminated the allergies and asthma, but sciatica will still flare up with stress. I believe for me the difference is that I never really focused strongly on the allergies or was fearful about them. With sciatica I catch myself all the time, thinking fearfully or wandering back to wondering about structural issues. When I take my mind off of it it usually starts to improve, in true TMS fashion.

 

In the index to Dr. Sarno's THE MINDBODY PRESCRIPTION there are five citations for "allergies".

 

This is interesting, Tarala. I've been able to get rid of the TMS pain symptoms, but find the allergies and other TMS equivalents harder to eliminate. I'm wondering if one of the stumbling blocks for me is that I take medication for allergy symptoms (as well as the other stubborn TMS equivalents), whereas I had stopped taking medication for pain and migraines prior to eliminating the symptoms completely. Perhaps taking medication is telling my brain I don't really believe I can overcome this by using TMS healing techniques, thereby setting me up to fail. Is it possible to take medication for a TMS symptom and still make progress on healing? Ah, I may have just uncovered my next Ask-a-TMS Therapist question.

 

Hi, Ellen.
It seems to me that taking allergy medication really is telling your subconscious you believe it is not TMS.
Go ahead and ask a TMS therapist about it.

 

Ellen, I am interested in the answer to your question as well. When I corresponded with Dr. Clarke a few weeks ago, he recommended treating allergies and treating TMS. It seems, though, that treating allergies may undermine the TMS treatment, as you suggested.

 

It's a really good question Ellen. I could equally imagine that stopping allergy medication might lead to an increased focus on the physical symptoms. I have taken both pain and allergy medication whenever symptoms were making me crazy (meaning my focus shifted completely to the physical). There may not be a black and white answer here.

 

I have an asthma that often seems to come at allergy season... I wonder if it's TMS. I'm beginning think that it is.