Educational Program Day 1

This is the first day of your quest to become pain free. It is going to be a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Today is the first day you take action in healing from your chronic symptoms. The first couple of days of the program will help educate you on the theories of TMS, why it occurs, and how to overcome it. Right now some people believe in TMS and are engaging in these steps whole-heartedly. Some others have their doubts, but are willing to do this program anyway. If you have doubts, I must stress the need to accept the diagnosis. Continue to educate yourself about the validity of TMS and the astounding success people have had using this approach.

This program is designed to expose you to multiple techniques that are designed to help you recognize and then release repressed emotions that have been causing your chronic symptoms. The organization of the program is fairly straightforward in that every day will consist of an educational exercise, journal activity, and a question to ponder. The educational exercises are designed to inform you of the TMS theory and help you understand what is causing your pain, and how to overcome your symptoms. The second part of the activities are a series of journal activities that are designed to help you recognize all the triggers of your symptoms, and help you understand the emotions that have been repressed because of these events. There are several different journaling techniques that you will be taught and guided through. By using different techniques you will be able to look at events and situations from a different perspective, and gain new insights into the possible triggers of your symptoms. Lastly, every day of the program will end with an activity called question to ponder. These questions are designed to help jumpstart your mind to begin thinking about certain issues you might be avoiding or forgetting to address in your journaling. While you do not need to spend a significant amount of time on these questions, it is important to keep these questions in the back of your mind as you go about your day.

In designing this program we examined multiple online message boards, researched TMS books, studied the latest research on journaling, and learned from our own personal experience in overcoming TMS. These sources have shown that the methods outlined in this program can be effective in people who are treating TMS. We also found that the methods outlined in this program can be an emotional experience, as people begin to recognize deep strong feelings that they have been repressing. It is also vital that anyone going through this program be evaluated by a medical or mental health professional so they can rule out any serious condition. In our research for the program we found very little information on the success of these activities in treating people with PTSD, depression, or anxiety. If you have one of these conditions and wish to do this program we strongly recommend you do so under the care and guidance of a medical or mental health professional.

Educational Exercise: Learning about TMS is one of the most important aspects of the treatment. Dr. Sarno has stressed the need to read and re-read the material daily for many days. The program he gives his patients is to be read for thirty days so it sinks into the brain. Today your task is going to allow you to gain a better understanding of Dr. John Sarno, his treatment approach, and its success in treating a wide range of people. Watch the following 20/20 segment about Dr. Sarno. After you watch this short video, write a brief response to your feelings about this video.

Success Story: Reading how other people became pain-free can help you not only accept the diagnosis, but also give you guidance throughout your treatment. It is highly recommend that you read at least one success story every day. Today you will read TMS Wiki member Peg's account of her struggle with chronic pain, and how she finally became pain-free. The story is located on her member profile. You can find it be clicking this link.

Begin Writing Your Own Story: Receiving support from other people in your recovery can help you gain understanding and clear up any issues that may arise. The first step in doing this involves making a thread post about where you are right now in your treatment. Write a short post about the level of acceptance you have of the TMS diagnosis, and of any doubts or worries you may have at this point. You can make a thread post by going to our TMS forum.

Question To Ponder

What would a life without TMS mean to you?

DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer.