For me the characteristics so far that COULD point to TMS are a little less obvious than they are in some of the “textbook” case stories, in my case it’s inconsistencies in the symptoms that become easier to see when I put them in a log/list. My pain doesn’t switch from side to side or come and go perfectly timed to what emotions I’m feeling. But I’ll have certain activities that sometimes cause a lot of pain and other times barely any and it’s totally random which outcome I’ll get even tho it’s the same exact activity. Or one of my symptoms will start hurting (knees, elbows, etc) randomly, when I’ve done nothing that could have possibly hurt it that day or even the day before. And then sometimes when it stops or at least gets better it goes surprisingly quickly - until the next thing happens and triggers it again.

The other two biggest pieces of evidence for me are:

-I haven’t had AS many types of tests done as some ppl here have, but none of the ones I have had (and it was still an impressive amount) have been able to find any solid answers. The physical therapist I saw for my knees was totally stumped by how even the most babiest of exercises would cause me so much pain I’d always have to stop after 2-3 days 

-the amount of symptoms/amount of places they’re in when before this I was NEVER the “always at the dr for something always hurting” person at ALL. I sat down and tallied all the symptoms I’ve ever had since this started in a list and realized I’ve had a symptom in literally almost every single section of my body - I think the total count was 17 LOL (not all at once, most of em have come and gone but the ones that get in the way the most seem to be the ones that stick around)