Do You Have Mind-Body Syndrome

(TMS, Neuroplastic Pain, or Neural Circuit Pain)

Good News: The more "yes" answers you have, the more likely it is that the brain controls your pain.

This means it is reversible.

Some of these criteria originated from

Dr. Howard Schubiner’s FIT criteria.

1. My symptoms showed up during a time of change in my life; good or bad, big or small. (Financial, job, relationship change, moving, divorce, trauma, injury, family changes, etc)
2. Symptoms began without a physical precipitation
3. Symptoms persist after an injury has healed (3-6 mo)
4. Symptoms are in a distribution pattern that is symmetric
5. Symptoms occur on one whole side of the body or occur on half of the face, head, or torso
6. Symptoms spread over time to different parts of the body.
7. Symptoms radiate to the opposite side of the body or down a whole leg or arm
8. Symptoms that occur in many different body parts at the same time
9. Symptoms that have a quality of tingling, electric, burning, numb, hot or cold
10. Symptom shift from one location in the body to another
11. Symptoms are more or less intense depending on the time of day, or occur first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night
12. Symptoms occur after, but not during, an activity or exercise
13. Symptoms occur when one thinks about them or when someone asks about it
14. Symptoms occur when stresses increased or one thinks about stressful situations
15. Symptoms are minimal or nonexistent when engaged and joyful or distracting activities, such as when on vacation
16. Symptoms are minimal or non-existent after some kind of therapy, such as massage, chiropractic, Reiki, acupuncture, an herbal or vitamin supplement
17. Symptoms are triggered by things that are not related to the actual symptom, such as foods, smells, sounds, light, computer screens, menses, changes in the weather
18. Symptoms are triggered by the anticipation of stress, such as prior to school, work, a doctor’s visit, a medical test, a visit to a relative, or a social gathering; or during those activities
19. Symptoms that are triggered by simply imagining engaging in the triggering activity, such as bending over, turning the neck, sitting or standing
20. I catastrophize when I experience pain and will do anything to make it go away.
21. Symptoms are triggered by light touch or innocuous stimuli, such as the wind or cold
22. I am frequently frustrated by by pain, try to figure it out, fix it, and/or focus on it.
23. I have experienced difficult traumatic experiences in my life.
24. The expectations of me were very high in childhood.
25. I am hard on myself.
26. I struggle with guilt, shame, or fear.
27. I have anxiety or depression.
28. I have more than one type of symptom. (sleep, energy, stomach, pain)
29. I have seen many doctors, but western medicine bio-medical approach doesn’t seem to help resolve my pain.
30. I have tried other therapies with no long-lasting relief of symptoms.
31. The doctor’s haven’t found an infection, cancer or structural damage.
32. Imaging shows normal abnormalities that most people have such as degenerative disc disease, disc bulges, scoliosis or others.
33. I struggle with one of the following: people-pleasing, sensitivity to criticism, self-critical, controlling, over-scheduling, earning salvation, being judgmental, or perfectionism?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           For Spiritual Individuals & Practitioners:
34. I start to worry that there's something wrong with me when my spiritual practices seem not to work the way I was told they would.
35. I struggle and feel the pressure to manifest my dreams, learned to set my expectations high, ignoring the present, only to feel guilty, worse, and ashamed when it doesn't happen, despite what social media promises.
36. I've heard well-meaning sayings like "Everything happens for a reason", "I create my own happiness", “It is best for you”, “You needed the hardship to learn”, and “It’s all part of God’s plan”. It drives me deeper into despair.
37. I fear the judgment of other spiritual groups & individuals.
38. I fear doing the wrong thing ‘in the eye of spiritual awakening’.

This pervasive wellness culture is built on toxic positivity and being relentlessly optimistic or busy with constantly optimizing your life. But the truth is that negative emotions are a normal part of life and PART OF EXPERIENCING TRUE HAPPINESS. Life is not a pass-or-fail exam. Life is a classroom. It's okay—and healthy—not to be always OK. Spiritual bypassing is a superficial way of glossing over problems and avoiding feelings in a way that might make us feel better in the short term but ultimately solves nothing and often leaves us feeling worse. If you feel like the spiritual explanations you’ve been relying on aren't hitting the mark anymore, you are not alone.