Hi Loogy_1234,
Welcome to the Forum and the SEP! You're in the right place after a long journey of testing and dead-ends, like so many of us before you. Many many people have recovered using the SEP.
Words of encouragement/advice:
---pressuring yourself is a natural propensity of TMSers. Observe this in yourself, connect with your symptoms, and forgive your humanness. Include in this the pressure that may arise to do the SEP "right" or "cure myself quickly." A lot of this is superego activity which needs to be seen and understood as "part of the problem" that got us into this "mess."
--This process may take you into some very deep, tender places. This is an invitation to inhabit more of your precious existence. If possible, focus your sense of success on your insights, self-forgiveness, clarification in relationships with others ---rather than reduction of symptoms. Symptoms will reduce by simply connecting what you're learning about your inside experience with Dr. Sarno's understanding of what actually causes symptoms. Relax and have confidence in this process.
--No two people have the same experience in working their Recovery. It is very helpful to not compare your understanding or path to anyone else's including people here, TMS gurus, etc. Part of the process is to individuate. This means, for example a gentle separation from identification with our close-held self-identities as people who need to be a certain way in order to be loved. Think "perfectionist" or "goodist." We learned to give up our true identity to stay in the field of love of our parents as children. This was natural, and at the same time this identification reasserts itself all the time in our present lives, particularly in response to stressors. The TMS recovery process for many is seeing through this identity, not allowing it to run us so strongly, having compassion for when we're caught in this, and in my advice here: see when you're doing this with regard to your progress or path re TMS.
Andy
