TMS experts advice wanted... complicated problem: back pain/scoliosis

Hello @YF_86. Sorry that you don't feel you've received much help. Part of the problem might be too much technical detail about your symptoms, whereas the forum is devoted, as I'm sure you understand, to overcoming symptoms with mindbody techniques - which means that the symptoms themselves don't matter. OR, if they do, we are not qualified to give opinions about them! I'm a retired tax accountant, for example. I can speak professionally about the Internal Revenue Code and about how we need to blame Congress for our tax laws, not the IRS - but I can't give advice about body mechanics!

However, given your Dx of scoliosis, I can definitely steer you to one of our favorite TMS luminaries, Nicole Sachs, LCSW, because this is her story. Along with other symptoms, childhood history, journey with (literally with) Dr Sarno, life setbacks, and her growing body of work and resources. You can start with her book, The Meaning of Truth, or with her podcast - she tells her story in detail in the early episodes, so you need to start in 2018, and just keep going. She has a website with a lot of information (thecureforchronicpain.com)

For great information from a back surgeon who left his career to focus on his successful pre-surgery mindbody program, check out Back In Control by David Hansom, MD (his website is backincontrol.com).

I am also happy to provide a response for a couple of your questions:

My common response to questions/statements like this is: THIS is your brain on TMS! It is keeping you nicely stuck in fear, but you do not have to fall for this bullshit, so why not start the TMS approach and see what happens? If you do the SEP or Alan's program, it's free. You have nothing to lose, since the programs are not physically invasive, and if do the work with true commitment and what I call "brutal" self-honesty, you will be able to look back at this question with compassion and maybe even amusement. You do not need to be 100% on board to get started.

Do the emotional work. Just reading and asking questions here is not enough!

Good luck,

~Jan

 

Would it help to know that this, or any type of obsessive behavior which keeps you stuck, IS your brain on TMS? Just repeating myself, which we have to do here often.

It's ultimately up to you whether or not to let your primitive fearful brain control you. You can do this, if you have faith in your own strength, and enough self-compassion and love for yourself that you believe you deserve to recover.

 

That is a "Yes, but...." answer, which will get you nowhere. It's the classic answer of someone who is obsessed, and also the classic answer of someone who is stuck in victimhood.

You need to work on the obsession and the victimhood. Starting with who taught you that this is such a problem? Your family, perhaps?

Look, you're the only person in your fully-functioning life who cares about your scoliosis. You are obviously intelligent and you already understand TMS theory, and you already know that the scoliosis has nothing to do with your pain. That's a GREAT start, okay? So first of all, will you give yourself some credit for that?

If you're struggling socially, that's because victims are not very enjoyable to be around. Sadly, they are self-absorbed in their victimhood, obsessing about it instead of paying attention to other individuals and being emotionally open for others. This can be addressed in therapy. It looks like OCD or social anxiety, but since I'm a tax accountant, I'm only guessing, of course - I can't diagnose.

You ask "How can I start the TMS approach...?" The answer is that you just start it. You said in your first post that there is no manual - yes there is - we have the Structured Educational Program - no cost, no sign-up. Just do it. But you have to do it with honesty and commitment. You must be particularly honest about your family and your childhood. The work is completely private, no one needs to know what you work on, and you do not need to keep any of the writing exercises once you've done them with commitment.

I also recommended that you learn about Nicole Sachs and I still recommend that - I gave you info about her in my first response.

My final recommendation is a bit tough - it's tough love, in fact. Do not post anything on our forum again about your scoliosis. When referring to the probable reason for your TMS symptoms, just call it social anxiety - two words only, without any details, because that's what it looks like to me, and for what we do here, it's good enough. And in describing your back pain, just say "back pain" - no details are necessary.

I also recommend that you do not post any more questions until you are well into the SEP, and until you have listened to several of Nicole's beginning podcast episodes. Most beginner questions are answered early on. The SEP invites you to comment on how you feel after doing each "day", so feel free to do that, because we want to hear about your progress.

Good luck,

~Jan