I began to have stomach pains about 9 years ago. They began in the fall and got worse every fall for several years. I tried to ignore it, but when it was particularly bad one fall, I had my gall bladder removed, but the pain continued. The pain intensified each year to the point where I saw several gastroenterology doctors and even went to the U of Michigan for another consultation. No one could identify the problem, and they called it “functional dyspepsia.” I started counseling but that didn’t help.
Eventually, the pain began to occur through the whole year and I began to have panic attacks, particularly in the afternoon around 3 pm. I had to stop working and was in a great deal of pain.
I heard about Dr. Schubiner’s program from my primary care doctor. I read Dr. Sarno’s book and went to see Dr. Schubiner in his office. He explained the connection between and mind and the body and I enrolled in his program.
As part of the program, I learned that my pain was primarily due to the guilt and shame that I carried with me due to the fact that when my second husband had died, I had to make end of life decisions that I thought conflicted with my faith. Through the exercises and meditations, I realized that I had been beating myself up for so many years and never realizing how much of a toll this was taking on me. I had buried those feelings and never dealt with them. I even went back to look at my husband’s death certificate and saw that he died at about 3 pm and that was the same time that I was having these panic attacks. It all began to make sense to me. I learned a tremendous amount about myself and about what things in my childhood made me the person I am today. I am so grateful for this opportunity to understand myself better.
My stomach pains went away and now only occur on occasion to a much milder degree and I no longer have panic attacks. I am back at work and feel so much more in control of my life and my body.
Thank you Dr. Schubiner for all your help!!
Sharon W. age 53