IBS, Pain, anxiety

Hello everyone,

I'm a 25 year old male and I want to tell my story. First of all I think my personality really fits into what is described as the TMS- personality. During all my life I had felt slightly anxiety, although not at levels of panic attacks. I have been suffering from gastrointestinal issues for around 4 years. Also started developing major pain in the upper back (traps, rhomboids) as well as a few cases of sciatica. However, I have always relationed this pain with the fact that I was a strength training athlete and have been doing "heavy" weighted lifts for the past 7 years. I say "heavy" because I do not think the lifts were tremendously heavily, they were acomplished as methodically as possible and gradually built up. However, it could have been somewhat exacerbated by my poor posture, which I did in fact have (kyphotic posture, anterior pelvic tilt). After a long year of physiotherapy (heat, ultra sounds, massage) and spine manipulations by a chyropractor no results were attained on my upper back pain. I also have stopped going to the gym at all and have been unemployed for the past year. It's causing me a high amount of stress and depresssion.

November 2017 I came across the name of Dr Sarno in a comment of, guess what, a generic trigger point (stretch this, stretch that) "cure" youtube video (which I have been doing for the most part unsucessfully).

This was a turning point in my life, as I was getting into Dr Sarno's work, and discovering this forum, and TMS specifically. I gradually got better by just reading some success stories here and Alan Gordon's programme. Also started going to the gym again which I definitely love.
However despite believing that I was suffering from TMS, someway I also thought that a muscle imbalance was also contributing and continued to be a little obcessed with the pain, although not as much obcessed as I was before. I know now what i did wrong but for that part, I was letting it affect me. Therefore, despite the initial progress, the pain was slowly starting to become more part of my life again.

Because of this I finally decided, once and for all, to buy healing back pain by Dr Sarno. I received it last Friday and by saturday I had already read more than half of the book. Fully commited to the TMS therapy and more aware of how it was contributing to my pain, I have been feeling so much better. The pain is no longer bothering that much, and if it does I simply don't care about it and start talking to my brain and thinking phychological, as advocated by the book. However, and this I where I feel that I need your help. Coincidently (or not), since friday I have been experiencing moderate anxiety, especially before or at bedtime, and somewhat inducing me a state of panic. And it is terrifying, I mean, the pain was making my life miserable, but having panic attacks was not definitely any better.

I think we all agree that this anxiety is TMS related and I want to know how can I deal with it, since most of the techniques used to get rid of the back pain are not getting me anywhere with the anxiety, which by the way is getting worse (today I was anxious the whole day).

In retrospective, I am now thinking that my back pain started when I finally decided that I was living with IBS for the rest my life and was in peace with it (had done tests to verify any serious illness or infection). But now since the back pain is no longer working aswell, my brain is using the anxiety against me which I don't know how to fight, or if I have to fight it at all. I still have IBS symptoms, however, as i said, it doesn't affect me that much, i have learned to live with it. In the long run, I think the IBS symptoms will be reduced, but for now, I am fine whatever the outcome of it.

Anyway, this is a brief ride on my TMS story and hoping you can give me some tips on the anxiety and panic attacks. Nonetheless I feel like having my story here is a nice relief by itself (hope my subconcious gets it, haha!)

Thanks for reading and keep doing this fascinating work!

 

Dear Spiritu,
When I dealt with anxiety attacks (long before I knew of mind body syndrome/TMS) I worked with a therapist and had a great deal of success using the same strategies that are suggested by Sarno and others for pain; acknowledging the anxious feelings, reminding myself that they are not dangerous to me--that I am safe and not trying to "escape" the feelings--which perpetuates the anxiety and escalates the situation. A lot of people on this forum have mentioned Claire Weekes books-- and you tube videos about calming anxiety-- I have watched some of these and they are great. (you will find her resources if you search her name.... ) I hope these things help. I too had an increase in anxiety symptoms when I began the program for mind body syndrome---It seems others have too.
Good luck!

 

Hello sweetheart,

Anxiety is a Symptom Imperative and is something I briefly suffered with during my long recovery. I second @iwire's suggestion to explore Claire Weekes because she really is The Patron Saint of overcoming anxiety and panic attacks.

Here are some free audios to give you a taste of her work. As with other TMS methods it is something you need to gently assimilate and patiently practice, and it is worth this commitment because these practices can be life-saving in those terrible moments.

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/claire-weekes-audio.2569/ (Claire Weekes Audio)

This link offers a few key insights:

http://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threads/lessons-from-claire-weekes.3873/ (Lessons From Claire Weekes)

Both posts were made by @Eric "Herbie" Watson and it is well worth reading his past posts because he has given so much love and sage insight to the people here.

All the best in your continued healing.

Plum