Day 1 Feeling hopeful

Hello everyone!
I’ve been reading about TMS for several months now. Started with the Curable app, did Nicole Sach’s online course, and have just stumbled across this forum. So thought I’d do the 30 day program. Despite all of my reading/listening to podcasts, I think I’m still stuck because 1) I have only accepted the idea of having TMS about 90%, and 2) I haven’t really attempted much journaling or other such work. I’ve been meditating and just starting some therapy with a social worker though. Anyways, hoping this structured program gives me the jump start I need!

I’m 48 but I’ve had chronic pain since university (age 22). I was living in a mouldy house and my asthma became very severe. Then I started developing neck pain. Then a year later, foot pain and exhaustion. Then a few years later, back pain. Have also had knee pain and hand pain, and most recently IBS. Received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia two years ago.

All of these problems have been explained as having a physical/medical source by doctors and physios (eg. Loss of curve in neck, bursitis in foot, etc). But this “revolving door” of symptoms never made sense to me, despite all of these medical explanations.

When I learned about TMS all of this stuff started to make sense to me. I totally fit the personality type (perfectionist, hard worker, sensitive, pleaser, etc). I think what holds me back from accepting a TMS diagnosis 100% is the fact that I’ve had “real” medical issues which also complicate my symptoms (like breaking my ankle or having some minor surgeries). I think I get confused about which symptoms are from my “medical” injuries/problems and which ones aren’t.

Anyways,hoping to move from 90% acceptance to 100% acceptance with the help of this program and forum. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to this new chapter in my journey!

 

Hello...two thoughts on your post...

1- You need both your conscious and subconscious to believe in TMS. So, the structure of journals and rereading TMS literature is very important to help the ideas sink in to your brain. Do your best to stick to the program and that should help move you to 100% acceptance.

2- Remember, real injuries heal. Once they heal, there is no reason for them to hurt. The brain sends you pain signals when a problem exists, like your ankle being broken and you needing to sit down. However, once that injury heals (usually a few weeks or a few months), your ankle is strong again so there should be no pain. If there is, it is very likely TMS. Dr. Sarno has a great blip about this in a book where he notes how bones, in his example the femur (largest bone in our body) will actually be stronger than before once it heals from a break. For me, I got mono, then never recovered. The real disease lasted a month or two. The next year was all my brain. Once the virus was gone, there was no real reason for me to feel fatigue and pain. All TMS at that point.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

 

ssxl4000, Thank you for your post! Very helpful comments - much appreciated.

Here’s where my thinking gets messed up...so I broke my ankle last year. The fracture has healed, but I now have foot pain. My physio and Dr have explained that my stiff ankle has re-aggravated a pre-exiting foot problem I’ve had for 5 years (bursitis). MRI confirms an inflamed bursa in my foot. But I bet if I asked dr Sarno he would have said that lots of people have inflamed bursas without pain! So my problem is knowing whether my past structural problem (broken ankle) has caused a legitimate new structural problem (bursitis), or is this just TMS. So confusing! I live in Canada and no one here seems to know about TMS and we don’t have any TMS physicians. So I’m on my own in terms of figuring this all out.
Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

 

Howdy...bursitis can definitely be caused by trauma, but, it should be temporary. It should go away once the trauma heals. It seems very likely your brain is continuing the pain on its own. One of my problems, my brain would make my spleen enlarge, causing abdominal pain. This happened when I had mono, probably legitimately. But, then it kept happening (and still does on occasion) long after mono.

I think you're right about what Sarno would say. If a patient can have misaligned discs in their back, no cartilage between bones, etc., and not feel pain, surely a little inflamed sac should not be causing you agony. One thing that can help convince yourself is to be mindful of when you feel the symptoms. Perhaps it feels okay during some physical activity, but then hurts when you are resting. That seems to be fairly common among pain sufferers, and is a good sign of TMS. Or, perhaps it happens sometimes after a certain activity, but not others. Or, perhaps it comes and goes quickly. All are good evidence for TMS.

Keep working at the program. With all the stuff they make you read and the exercises, you should make progress. Good luck!

 

Thank you so much! The support is so helpful as I’ve never connected with anyone or talked to anyone about this.