Pelvic pain success story... Kind of

I think people dont post success stories because life gets in the way. Not because there arent a ton of successes.

I have healed from 4.5 years of pelvic pain diagnosed as pudendal neuralgia. Jesus Christ, Mindfulness, Ekhart Tolle, and Alan Gordan's newest program is how I got better. I learned to be ok with hurting. Both emotionally and physically. Most importantly I recognized my anxiety. Anxiety=pain in my opionion. Fear and Anxiety. Then you start to develope anxiety about pain and even anxiety about anxiety. It doesn't stop unless you engage in life.

Life is much better now. I owe it to you guys to post a success story. Even as simple as this one. I will respond to any questions. Life used to be terrible. Now its good. Really good.

After 4 years I really realized how simple it all was. It just took a long time for it to sink in with me. I had to stop trying to fix myself.


Mc

 

That is amazing! I am so happy for you. I remember you posting a while back and you sounded much like me (hopeless and desperate) so the fact that you have recovered after so long brings much encouragement to me and I'm sure many others.

You seemed to have tried TMS before without much success. What changed for you? You mention engaging in life. Was it really a matter of saying: so what if I have pain, I'm just going to live anyhow? (I hear people saying that a lot but it seems more doable for people with minor pains.). What techniques did you use e.g. journalling, meditating, etc.? What was the best thing to tackle your anxiety. Again, so please for you. Thanks for taking the time to come back and share. Anything you can add would be much appreciate.

(P.S. Why are you a 'kind of...' success story?! )

 

Hi MC, thanks for your success story. Happy for you and anyone getting over this hell and writes a success story.
I have been diagnosed non-bacterial prostatitis (although I've found some bacteria, but no sign of infection, have done too many test and visited too many Uro's)
I soon have 4 years anniversary, yay!
I think pelvic pain is one of the hardest TMS equivalents to overcome (I know I have overcome some other TMS eq before) they all came from my fear over my health.
From what I've read from your previous posts, I understand it is the fear and obsessive thinking that drives the TMS, right (not childhood traumas)? I have a not so good childhood and so on, but I feel that, Like Claire Weeks states, it doesn't matter (not for the pain, but maybe for the future TMS eq to come).
It is the Sensitization, the fear and bewilderment that is causing the pain. If I understand correct, you to are a person that live in your head a lot? You obsess? (I obsess about so many things, also about health)
My pain started with stress, guilt and obsessing about bacteria's in the area. I feel the bewilderment each day I wake up. I am obsessed.
Like you say, I think in my mind it is so simple (but yet so hard). To de-sensitize. To stop fear and to heal. I think that is the real reason why I'm stuck. It doesn't matter what personality you have or what emotions you might have as long as you got fear. But that is the hard part. HOW TO STOP FEAR? REALLY STOP FEAR?
Like you seemed to be stuck a while, I really logically see how/why I would get this TMS eq, but it has not "clicked" in my head yet.
My strategy is just to keep on believing. fake it til you make it. Mornings are worst. Every morning, every day I have to pep talk my brain that I am safe, that I am good. Shut up my inner bully (it whispers doubt to my ear all the time) I do my meditation (feels good) to de-sensitize. I read success stories (thanks). I say to myself I'm safe, but I'm missing the last confidence.
Like Ewok says, Anything you can add would be much appreciated.

Thanks a million.

 

Ewok, I wrote kind of because I still experience pain. However it is now just a nuisance and I don’t notice it unless I look for it. I am certainly no longer afraid of it. I would say it is about a 1-10 as opposed to the 7-10 it once was. Most of the time it is not there. I work as a firefighter and lift heavy weights just like I used to. I am not limited in any way and the discomfort has no impact on how I choose to live.

I tried tms for several years with varying degrees of success. I spent several years trying to convince myself that it was tms and that Dr. Sarno’s theories were correct. That was time wasted.

My turning point came with Alan Gordon’s new program. I employed the somatic tracking technique as much as I could for months. It is essentially a form of meditation. I did not lay down to meditate or anything like that I just learned to sit with my emotional energy throughout the day. I think it is what helped me the most.

I also did make the decision that I was just going to live regardless. I had severe pain but was able to find new hobbies that would distract me and make my life more enjoyable. I knew enough to know I couldn’t make it worse unless I worried about it. You can’t allow yourself to worry about it. It took a great amount of mental discipline for me to recover.

Jojo, you really just need to decide 1,000 times a day that you are not going to fear. Watch your thoughts. Employ some form of active meditation and be aware of what you are thinking. Behave as though you are not afraid.

I also stopped trying to get better. Reading what you wrote makes me think you’re trying too hard. I did not stand up to the inner bully, or read success stories or officially meditate. I didn’t visit this site for a very long time. I found a handful of tools that calmed down my nervous system and employed them consistently until I felt better. I didnt really even think about tms.

My advice would be to find something you like doing that you can do relatively comfortable and begin to re engage. Set goals that don’t revolve around pain. That is what helped me

 

mc1986 your story is a true success, not a "kind of" success and you should feel proud to have co
me so far. I hope you continue to enjoy life.

 

Hi MC
Thanks for your reply.
You are so right. I will stop even reading the success stories for now. It helps to read about others success but at the same time it makes you focus again on TMS. I have read a lot and I don’t think I get any wiser.

Again thanks for your advice.
I think you will be 100% pain free again. It’s just a matter of time as long as you don’t give it any attention.
I know I have recovered from pain in my colon, pain in muscles, vertigo, heartburn, dry eyes, back pain etc before. Sometimes it just took a day after my fear dropped and sometimes 6 month after (you never know when the «coin is going to fall down» and click the brain so to speak)

Take care

 

I suffered from IC until my doc prescribed Amitriptyline. It works, people. I believe in TMS but not for bladder pain.

 

Except many people have recovered from bladder pain using TMS therapies, so it really doesn't matter if you believe in it or not. People get better from it solely through TMS.

The fact that you got better with Amitriptyline (an antidepressant) should be even more evidence that this sort of pain is nerve and psychological related. Not physical.

 

I'm glad it worked for you but it doesn't work for many others. There is also the placebo effect to consider as well as the damage many pharmaceuticals are doing to the body, especially if taken for prolonged periods.

 

@mc1986 Those tips are great, thanks. I'm wondering if you ever discovered the reason why your pain manifested as pelvic pain and not back pain or knee pain or something else? This is something that perplexes me.

 

I tried some other meds before this one worked so that kind of debunks the placebo effect. I don't want to get into a protracted discussion on this; just passing on what worked for me and if you Google this drug and interstitial cystitis together you'll see a ton of success stories. What have you got to lose by trying if you're miserable and in pain? TMS was the cause of my hip which orthopedics wanted to replace but I was able to work the mind-body concepts in Sarno's books but bladder didn't work that way. Like I said, I'm just trying to pass on what worked for me and don't really want a debate or discussion but if I can help answer questions, I'd be happy to.

 

Totally, and that's great. I'm glad you're feeling better.

But you didn't phrase it that way. You phrased it as " I believe in TMS but not for bladder pain." Which completely disregards all the people who have treated their bladder pain and interstitial cystitis through TMS therapies. Many many people have gotten better from IC through TMS. Treating the mind body is a valid treatment for it.

Again, I am glad you have found something better for you. And I don't think we're trying to debate you either, but when you claim to not believe TMS for bladder pain, there are many people out there who would beg to differ.

 

With all due respect, you are completely a thousand percent incorrect. I suffered from IC as well. The Amytriptiline helps you to be less anxious and reason better. TMS can manifest in absolutely any area of the body. It's irrelevant WHERE. It all stems from the brain.

If you choose to believe it's the pill and that works for you, wonderful. But that is not what happened.

 

I think the amitriptyline conversation could be had elsewhere. I also don’t think the black and white thinking is helpful in general. I think it probably helped John and I’m happy for him. I took amitriptyline for 3 years. It didn’t help and sucked to come off of. But I’m happy it helped john as it obviously does some people or else it wouldn’t be prescribed. The idea that traditional medicine never works is silly. I’m glad you feel better John.

I am however a bit confused as to why you sought out a success story to post about a medication being the only cure for a symptom I didn’t even mention?

Ewok, I don’t know why I had pelvic pain. Just a vulnerable spot I suppose. I’m not sure it matters. It’s all the same in my opinion.

I likely won’t follow this thread any more as it has been hijacked. Ewok feel free to send me a message if you want to follow up any more.

 

I just want to clarify lest you are referring to me as the said hijacker lol. I have nothing against antidepressants or psychotropic drugs and indeed they do help...in an indirect way though. I take Prozac for example but that is not what "cured" me of my IC or RSD. That helps with mood and reasoning and ability to change chronic thought patterns. I still had to do the work though.

 

Now it’s my turn to write a success story. I am 95% better, physically and menthaly .
Hard to believe that a taxi driver struggling in pain day and night,taking breaks every 20 minutes in every car park or loading bay now being able to drive his cab 8 hours / day with no pain or very minimally discomfort.
I want to say a big THANK YOU to all who supported me during my worse period of my life and I want to reassure everybody that Pelvic pain/prostatitis / PN/PNE can be healed!
I want to say thank personally to Kevin Jarvis ( the author of “ My personal underworld “) who supported me every day on messenger when I couldn’t see any hope. Also a BIG THANK YOU to Steve Osanich who gave me a very important home work to follow
Also Ezer story helped me tremendously I thank you for that !
As well millions thanks to Carbonevo , c90danwaiell ,Balto and many others for taking their times and reply me with reassurance messages!


My healing story began last summer after I came back from a holiday. The key for me was praying God and meditation. Eckard Tole , Dr. Sarno, Steve Osanicz , Tim Parks ( Teach us to sit still) where pieces of my puzzle as well.

There is NOTHING to figure out with TMS . Pain is just a physical manifestation of anxiety and depression. You develop fear of pain ,anxiety, then paradoxically fear of anxiety and fear of depression...... so on ...When you learn to calm down and listen your body from inside the healing will happen!
I am meditating every morning and evening , I found a nice buddisth retreat here in Dublin and joined them since last August.
Thanks God to reveal me such a powerful tool !
I will probably write a detailed story in the future when I will find time to do it.
It was hard for me to come back here and write because when you feel good by nature you will try to not remember the bad days !
God bless everyone and I promise to those who still struggling that you will get better!

 

Hi!
I love what you say here. I had to stop fixing myself.
What exactly did this mean for you?
Thankyou