Mind-Body FAQ 4: Can nonpain symptoms be Mind-Body Syndrome?

Wondering if other symptoms besides chronic pain are caused by Mind-Body Syndrome?

Q: Can non-pain symptoms be Mind-Body Syndrome?

A: Yes, absolutely.

We’ve seen any number of patients over the years with symptoms of IBS, brain fog, fatigue, numbness, tingling, anxiety, depression, itching, tinnitus, swallowing issues, visual issues, and more who have done quite well by following mind-body principles.

Again, if you think about what chronic symptoms are—an attempt by our brain to protect us from something going on in our lives—you can see how pain would be just one potential response. Frequently our brain will work to keep our attention focused away from what’s threatening. If we’re dealing with fuzzy vision or numbness in our toes, it’s much harder to focus on an important work deadline or a problem in our primary relationship. Our brain is quite good at creating these distractions, and they clearly don’t always feel painful per se.

One of my clients who had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome came into an appointment one day and, when I asked her how she was, said “Great!” I paused and said, “I’ve never heard you say that before. What’s going on?” And she said, “I stopped talking to my mother.”

It turned out that she had been spending an enormous amount of time and energy dealing with that particular relationship. When she drew a hard boundary that needed to be drawn, it freed up that energy to flow back to her rather than to her mother, and she felt much, much better physically.

When I lecture on TMS or discuss it with groups, I always try to use the term “pain and other symptoms” to make sure that everyone knows we’re not just talking about pain when we talk about using the power of the mind to help heal chronic, physical symptoms.