Success then setback

Hi everyone,

It's been over a month since I posted in the forum. I took time off the SEP to do Dr. Schechter's mindbody workbook, which I'm finally finishing up.

I really started my TMS healing journey in February when I picked up some of Sarno's books again after having a new setback in my pain. I became convinced that my new pain was the symptom imperative showing up in a new place, and went to see Dr. Schechter who confirmed the diagnosis of TMS. Well, after that I had a lot of successes. I started working out again (not to the degree I wanted to, but much more than I had been), and I reduced my daily pain medication by half. I felt like I could be on my way to recovering from TMS. Well, about a month ago, I was exercising and felt a twinge in my upper back...a place that I haven't had chronic pain in. I figured it would go away, but decided to rest and baby it for a while in case it was a legitimate injury. Maybe that's where I went wrong. It's a month later and this new pain has become my new focal point, barking much louder than my other chronic pain I've had for almost 3 years. Feeling frantic, I've gone back to the chiropractor (which I stopped doing once I knew I had TMS), have gotten massage, and am living life with an ice pack always on the area. I'm so frustrated that I had made good progress and now here I am at what feels like square one.

Interesting enough, I should actually take heart that this happened because once again the symptom imperative of TMS is rearing its ugly head. Of course as I was getting better this pain showed up in a brand new area! That is TMS at its best! It's tricking me into thinking my body is damaged and wants me to focus on the pain again.

I am committed to stop focusing on the physical, put my ice pack away, and get back to journaling consistently and immersing myself in the TMS studies as I had a while back. Sorry for the rambling post, just needed to put my thoughts/progress out there.

 

Hi, Denise. I think your new back pain is because you hold out some belief it may be structural. You need to work on believing in TMS 100 percent. Dr. Sarno says it's okay to get chiro treatment and use pain killers, so long as you believe totally in TMS. My back pain went away through journaling and discovering emotions I had been repressing. But I also got back pain relief using Voltaren Gel. A little rubbed on the aching area and pain goes away. It has to be ordered from a doctor.