New Program Day 7: Pressure and Criticism

[HollDoll]

Omg literally IN LOVE with you Alan Gordon since coming across this pain program T Y for putting this together!!! For the past year I have been accepting of my acne as TMS (for about 8 months preceding I was not). I've been confused as to why it hasn't been healing "faster" because my back/hip/knee pain disappeared so soon after applying TMS concepts- and after going through your program I am finally able to see what I've been doing to prolong healing- pressure on myself to heal being HUGE because fear factor over symptom has continued to be big bad monster because of how much this particular symptom hits my ego... This program has been SO eye-opening and helpful and hilarious and enjoyable and EXCITING to go through, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS!!!!!

 

[LindenSwole]

This is wild - even the story Alan gives is identical to something that happened to me last weekend.

I only went through 3 days of this program at the recommendation of a therapist and by Friday evening my pain was completely gone. 100% pain free. Woke up saturday and was still pain free; all day sunday was pain free. This is the first time in a year and a half.

Then, Sunday night, my wife's co-worker sent her a text with a screenshot of a picture of me with my recently changed new look (long hair, man bun, beard, etc) and said "I can't even with this look" and i got really mad. My pain came back as if it never left two days prior. Criticism sucks.

But there is no greater proof in the world that it's psychological than being pain free, getting criticized and then the pain returns.

 

[iwire]

[QUOTE="LindenSwole, post: 96509, member: 5986"my wife's co-worker sent her a text with a screenshot of a picture of me with my recently changed new look (long hair, man bun, beard, etc) and said "I can't even with this look" and i got really mad. My pain came back as if it never left two days prior. Criticism sucks.
But there is no greater proof in the world that it's psychological than being pain free, getting criticized and then the pain returns.[/QUOTE]

My first reaction was--"wow" --so Bold and unbelievably rude---what kind of person gives energy to something like that and then shares it with a coworker??
My next reaction was--poor person who texted that-they must be really unhappy
My final reaction was---HEY--so glad you see the opportunity to take the gift from it! perhaps in this case criticism will set you free?

Wear your truth @ LindenSwole Love the proof you got! It encourages me too....

 

[Bodhigirl]

"Fear, pressure, and criticism activate our danger signals, prevent our brains from feeling safe, and perpetuate a cycle of pain. It’s important to recognize these behaviors and the impact they can have, so that we’re able to change them."
I am going through the program again, to reinforce and relearn some key lessons. Because I got my second migraine this week and my fifth in four weeks! Astounding. Got this one just after waking up well-rested and content with my plans for today.
Then, I read this quote from Alan's lesson of today.
I constantly reawaken to how harsh I am on myself. Even with a migraine, I did 45 minutes of intense yoga and breathing. I then went into our gym to do some 7 Minute High Intensity workouts. I got through one and my head was pounding. It's because I am stressing myself out, encouraging myself to power through something when what I need to do is lie down with the dogs in a patch of sun and read something beautiful... not the New York Times or Washington Post, not Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
I have a wonderful support network. I don't use it all the time.
I read up on trigger foods for migraines and out of the 12 Dirty Dozen foods, the top of the list are things I eat every single day. I know that in TMS recovery we don't go running after other solutions and yet I know that there could be a synergy going on here between tension, fear, pressure, self-criticism AND dairy products! One thing can tee me up and another thing can knock me sideways.
So. I am willing to explore the food triggers, would love to hear from anyone else who has tried a combination of abstinence from so-called trigger foods and TMS recovery, glove in hand.

 

[Pemberley]

Hi, Bodhigirl -- I am going through something very similar. After 3 1/2 years of TMS work (and very little progress), I decided to go the food route for a year. I gave up sugar, caffeine, gluten, dairy and then went completely Paleo. Then, I did a food allergy elimination diet. It didn't take away my back pain. But I did discover that I'm a little less "creaky" without grains, I have much clearer sinuses without dairy and I lost 25 pounds without corn products and potatoes. (And I now maintain a healthier weight.) Overall, I decided that good, organic, real food is always going to be good for the body and mind. Without sugar, caffeine and gluten, my energy is better -- and with more energy and a clearer mind, I'm able to notice my fear thoughts and pressure thoughts more. Also, without sugar (including white breads/pastas), the flavors of all food come alive. A sweet potato actually tastes sweet! Enjoying the sensations of more flavors has made me happier.

The flip side of venturing into something like this though is that I started to fall into a trap of pressuring and criticizing myself if I slipped up on my healthy eating. My goal this summer has been to mostly stick with my healthier eating, but still enjoy sampling something that might have gluten, dairy or grains while at a friend's house, a birthday party, etc. At a party on Friday night, I had too much bread and desserts with refined sugar. I felt "glutened" on Saturday morning (foggy head, fatigued, cranky, constipated and my back pain is louder). So I'm getting to know my limits a little more. Next time, in a similar situation, I should probably skip the bread and combine a smaller portion of the sugary dessert with some fresh fruit.

So overall, I think that figuring out trigger foods and TMS work can go hand in hand. Of course, I'm still in pain, so take that with a grain of salt. But if it can help give me the energy to shift my perception of the pain from less fear to more non-judgemental observation, then I think that's only a benefit! I think it's easy to start thinking that "everything is TMS". But what we put into our bodies really does matter. It helped me to keep a food diary (nothing elaborate -- just what I ate each day and if I noticed any symptoms). I was very resistant to this at first since, as TMSers, we know that it's not helpful to track and monitor the pain since it becomes preoccupation. But with food reactions, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to have a symptom. So it does help to look for patterns that way. And also to make sure that you're still getting enough nutrients. (So, for example, I started taking a B-complex supplement since I eliminated all grains.)

To answer your question about the Dirty Dozen: I agree that pesticides don't belong in our bodies. Organic is pricey, and I can't do this with all the produce my family eats. And when I have to buy conventional, I always do a pesticide wash on them (you can save a lot of money by making your own type at home). Plus, growing or buying more organic fruits and veggies made me less likely to let them go to waste and more likely to find new and interesting recipes to enjoy them. And switching up your old, boring, routine meals/recipes is good for the mind too!

Also, my research into all of this helped me figure out something that I thought was just another TMS symptom. For the past year, I started having hip pain at night in bed. Then it turned into full-on leg pain by the spring. It was making me miserable since it affected my sleep, and then it would disappear as I would get up and move around in the morning. One night it would be one leg, the next night the other leg, then the third night both legs, etc. Sounded pretty TMSey at the time. It then occurred to me that leg pain at night can also be a sign of low potassium. During this year of major food changes, I also added exercise after over a decade of little to no exercise -- swimming, water tai-chi and now, for the past 6 weeks, TRE (I can only manage a few of the poses, and they really fatigue the legs). With water exercise especially, we lose a lot more of these minerals. So I made sure to eat more foods that are rich in potassium, and my leg and hip pain are completely gone. If I swim a lot and don't have enough foods with potassium, it comes back. Is it my TMS tricky brain? Maybe. But for now, I'd certainly rather not dwell on it and just real foods with potassium, swim and get a good night's rest.

Now here's one last thing I'd like to add into my whole views on food. My husband is very fit and has lots of energy. (I'm really lucky that he has a garden and grows lots of veggies for our family.) A few years ago, he was having neck pain and then was diagnosed with arthritis in his neck. He also battled depression for most of his teen and adult life. Out of nowhere, when his parents were visiting us, his mother apologized to him for hitting him when he was a child. He closed himself in the bathroom, where I found him on the floor, in tears and having what almost looked like some sort of nervous breakdown. A few weeks later, he noticed his pain was disappearing. Then a few months later, he said it was officially gone. I had just started reading Dr. Sarno, and I said, "Wait a minute! I think I know what just happened here!" He hasn't had any neck pain since. Now, when it comes to food, he basically eats what I cook. But the man can pound through an entire package of Oreos by himself. Afterwards, he always regrets it: low back pain, fatigue, fogginess, cranky, etc. Then, once it's through his system, he's back to his usual high-energy, fit and happy self. I think I witnessed a TMS situation with him, AND I can also see how food affects his body and mind.

Good luck if you decide to venture into food triggers -- and please keep us updated on your progress!

 

[Bodhigirl]

Thanks for this! I have done many elimination diets and detoxes over the years... and sugar has been out of my life for most of 30 years. Gluten too.
It’s a process.
Loved the story about your husband!
No migraines for nearly two weeks. And no dairy. Did have eggs. No downside. I stopped eating eggs years ago but need extra protein sources - haven’t eaten meat since I was 16. Only fish and prefer not to.
It’s a journey. Glad you contacted me re your post. Glad to have read it this morning.
Peace.

 

[Pemberley]

You’re welcome! Awesome about the no migraines for 2 weeks! And very interesting about the dairy! So true about it being a process… It’s very hard and time-consuming to eliminate foods and really track how your body feels. When I first read about TMS a few years ago, I could easily spot TMS everywhere – while still reaching for things like gluten, dairy and sugar without a thought to how it was affecting my mood and energy.

 

[GettingMyBackBack]

Pressure, long days, etc. definitely seem to aggravate my neck and back pain, Not too sure about criticism, but I'll comment the next time something like this rears its head. I'm just looking forward to the day that my TMS subsides and the tight muscles in my upper back release and then cause the pain in my neck to ease. It's all connected, as any stimulation in one area causes feelings in the other.

 

[kim marie]

It helps a lot when reading the GPD. Steve O. walked in our shoes and totally understands what severe nerve pain is and how it brings you to your knees. Hope is what the GPD brings to the table.

WHAT'S THE GPD I ??

 

[Kozas]

WHAT'S THE GPD I ??

I suspect it's book The Great Pain Deception

 

[Francis.Antonius]

Day 7: Pressure and Criticism

Before we dive into techniques to help generate an overall sense of safety (Day 9), I want to talk about two other self-inflicting behaviors that can activate our brain’s danger signals: pressure and criticism.

Steve Sax's Downfall

In 1983, Steve Sax was the starting second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 23 years old and coming off a fantastic rookie season…life was good.

Then one game, early in the season, he made a throwing error. It got in his head a little. A few games later, he made another error. He started thinking about it more. Then it happened again. It seemed the harder he tried, the worse it got. Soon, every time a ground ball was hit to him, it was an unmitigated disaster.

Sometimes he’d throw the ball in the dirt, sometimes he’d throw the ball so far over the first baseman’s head, it’d sail into the bleachers. It became a national joke – opposing fans started wearing helmets to the games as mock protection.

In practice, he was fine. He could make the throws blindfolded. But come game-time, he was overwhelmed by pressure. It’s as if he forgot how to throw.

The Cost of Pressure

Pressure, like fear, can activate our danger signals.

On the surface, these self-directed thoughts may seem harmless:

“You need to get an A on your test!”
“You have to lose five pounds by your wedding!”
“You need to meditate for 20 minutes a day!”

But it’s not the words that are the problem, it’s the tone behind the words. When we pressure ourselves, our brains hear the message, “You need to do this, or else…” Remember, the opposite of danger is safety and there’s nothing safe about “or else…”

When we’re truly in danger, pressure helps us in the same way that fear does – it enhances our ability to overcome threats. But when we’re not in danger, pressure can make our brains think that we are.

​

Sunday Funday

One Sunday, during the height of my physical symptoms, I decided to do everything “right.” For eleven straight hours, I meditated, I stood up to the inner bully, I felt my feelings, I attended to my internal state, and I gave myself positive self-talk.

And at the end of this marathon session…my pain was even worse! I couldn’t believe it…I’d done everything I was supposed to do, and my pain actually increased. “I’m done trying!” I thought. “I give up.”

And within five minutes of surrendering, my pain decreased 50%.

I did all the right techniques, but it didn’t come from place of enthusiasm or joy or self-care, it came from a place of crushing, uncompromising pressure: “You need to do this, or else…”

Sax’s Redemption

Steve Sax had a rough year in 1983. He even considered retiring. But once he let go of the pressure, he overcame his throwing issues and went on to make five all-star teams and win two World Series.

And even though they ended up naming the condition after him (google “Steve Sax Syndrome,”) the moral of the story is that he battled back by from adversity by not battling at all.

Criticism

Jimmy Kimmel has a hilarious segment on his show where celebrities read mean tweets that people have written about them:

As funny as ruthless twitter rants can be, it’s a lot less funny when we’re the ones getting criticized. If you post a picture on Facebook, you can have 20 comments talking about how great you look, but that one comment making fun of your hair is the one that sticks out.

Like pressure, criticism can activate our brains' danger signals.

Brain researcher, Martin Paulus, found that when we hear a criticism, our brains literally take it as a threat. So imagine the impact on your psyche if you’re constantly beating yourself up throughout the day. Self-criticism is not only mean, it puts our brains on high alert, making it difficult to attain any semblance of peace.

The Triad of Pain

Fear, pressure, and criticism activate our danger signals, prevent our brains from feeling safe, and perpetuate a cycle of pain. It’s important to recognize these behaviors and the impact they can have, so that we’re able to change them.

Before we start down the path of overcoming these destructive behaviors, there’s one more step in the process: the ignition for change.

​

Day 7: Pressure and Criticism

Before we dive into techniques to help generate an overall sense of safety (Day 9), I want to talk about two other self-inflicting behaviors that can activate our brain’s danger signals: pressure and criticism.

Steve Sax's Downfall

In 1983, Steve Sax was the starting second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 23 years old and coming off a fantastic rookie season…life was good.

Then one game, early in the season, he made a throwing error. It got in his head a little. A few games later, he made another error. He started thinking about it more. Then it happened again. It seemed the harder he tried, the worse it got. Soon, every time a ground ball was hit to him, it was an unmitigated disaster.

Sometimes he’d throw the ball in the dirt, sometimes he’d throw the ball so far over the first baseman’s head, it’d sail into the bleachers. It became a national joke – opposing fans started wearing helmets to the games as mock protection.

In practice, he was fine. He could make the throws blindfolded. But come game-time, he was overwhelmed by pressure. It’s as if he forgot how to throw.

The Cost of Pressure

Pressure, like fear, can activate our danger signals.

On the surface, these self-directed thoughts may seem harmless:

“You need to get an A on your test!”
“You have to lose five pounds by your wedding!”
“You need to meditate for 20 minutes a day!”

But it’s not the words that are the problem, it’s the tone behind the words. When we pressure ourselves, our brains hear the message, “You need to do this, or else…” Remember, the opposite of danger is safety and there’s nothing safe about “or else…”

When we’re truly in danger, pressure helps us in the same way that fear does – it enhances our ability to overcome threats. But when we’re not in danger, pressure can make our brains think that we are.

​

Sunday Funday

One Sunday, during the height of my physical symptoms, I decided to do everything “right.” For eleven straight hours, I meditated, I stood up to the inner bully, I felt my feelings, I attended to my internal state, and I gave myself positive self-talk.

And at the end of this marathon session…my pain was even worse! I couldn’t believe it…I’d done everything I was supposed to do, and my pain actually increased. “I’m done trying!” I thought. “I give up.”

And within five minutes of surrendering, my pain decreased 50%.

I did all the right techniques, but it didn’t come from place of enthusiasm or joy or self-care, it came from a place of crushing, uncompromising pressure: “You need to do this, or else…”

Sax’s Redemption

Steve Sax had a rough year in 1983. He even considered retiring. But once he let go of the pressure, he overcame his throwing issues and went on to make five all-star teams and win two World Series.

And even though they ended up naming the condition after him (google “Steve Sax Syndrome,”) the moral of the story is that he battled back by from adversity by not battling at all.

Criticism

Jimmy Kimmel has a hilarious segment on his show where celebrities read mean tweets that people have written about them:

As funny as ruthless twitter rants can be, it’s a lot less funny when we’re the ones getting criticized. If you post a picture on Facebook, you can have 20 comments talking about how great you look, but that one comment making fun of your hair is the one that sticks out.

Like pressure, criticism can activate our brains' danger signals.

Brain researcher, Martin Paulus, found that when we hear a criticism, our brains literally take it as a threat. So imagine the impact on your psyche if you’re constantly beating yourself up throughout the day. Self-criticism is not only mean, it puts our brains on high alert, making it difficult to attain any semblance of peace.

The Triad of Pain

Fear, pressure, and criticism activate our danger signals, prevent our brains from feeling safe, and perpetuate a cycle of pain. It’s important to recognize these behaviors and the impact they can have, so that we’re able to change them.

Before we start down the path of overcoming these destructive behaviors, there’s one more step in the process: the ignition for change.

​

 

[Francis.Antonius]

A great book that I read and would highly recommend is "Passing through Panic and Fear" by Dr. Caire Weiks... I'm just re-reading it as the goal for her and I think all of us as chronic pain folks is to as you put it Alan, be "authentically indifferent" towards all of it... the fear, pressure and internal critic especially!

 

[Tilli]

Holy crap Alan...are you talking about me ? I sit here crying because you hit the nail on the head. There are bully type people that can see this in a person and take advantage of it and feed into the fear, criticism and pressure. It is so hard to tune them out. But by you bringing this all out with the excellent example of the baseball player ? it helps a ton. Like the saying goes ...we sometimes are our own worst enemy.

I like to remember a quote
“ your opinion of me is none of my business “ this helps me at times when I’m feeling attacked.

 

[Tilli]

Day 7: Pressure and Criticism

Before we dive into techniques to help generate an overall sense of safety (Day 9), I want to talk about two other self-inflicting behaviors that can activate our brain’s danger signals: pressure and criticism.

Steve Sax's Downfall

In 1983, Steve Sax was the starting second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 23 years old and coming off a fantastic rookie season…life was good.

Then one game, early in the season, he made a throwing error. It got in his head a little. A few games later, he made another error. He started thinking about it more. Then it happened again. It seemed the harder he tried, the worse it got. Soon, every time a ground ball was hit to him, it was an unmitigated disaster.

Sometimes he’d throw the ball in the dirt, sometimes he’d throw the ball so far over the first baseman’s head, it’d sail into the bleachers. It became a national joke – opposing fans started wearing helmets to the games as mock protection.

In practice, he was fine. He could make the throws blindfolded. But come game-time, he was overwhelmed by pressure. It’s as if he forgot how to throw.

The Cost of Pressure

Pressure, like fear, can activate our danger signals.

On the surface, these self-directed thoughts may seem harmless:

“You need to get an A on your test!”
“You have to lose five pounds by your wedding!”
“You need to meditate for 20 minutes a day!”

But it’s not the words that are the problem, it’s the tone behind the words. When we pressure ourselves, our brains hear the message, “You need to do this, or else…” Remember, the opposite of danger is safety and there’s nothing safe about “or else…”

When we’re truly in danger, pressure helps us in the same way that fear does – it enhances our ability to overcome threats. But when we’re not in danger, pressure can make our brains think that we are.

​

Sunday Funday

One Sunday, during the height of my physical symptoms, I decided to do everything “right.” For eleven straight hours, I meditated, I stood up to the inner bully, I felt my feelings, I attended to my internal state, and I gave myself positive self-talk.

And at the end of this marathon session…my pain was even worse! I couldn’t believe it…I’d done everything I was supposed to do, and my pain actually increased. “I’m done trying!” I thought. “I give up.”

And within five minutes of surrendering, my pain decreased 50%.

I did all the right techniques, but it didn’t come from place of enthusiasm or joy or self-care, it came from a place of crushing, uncompromising pressure: “You need to do this, or else…”

Sax’s Redemption

Steve Sax had a rough year in 1983. He even considered retiring. But once he let go of the pressure, he overcame his throwing issues and went on to make five all-star teams and win two World Series.

And even though they ended up naming the condition after him (google “Steve Sax Syndrome,”) the moral of the story is that he battled back by from adversity by not battling at all.

Criticism

Jimmy Kimmel has a hilarious segment on his show where celebrities read mean tweets that people have written about them:

As funny as ruthless twitter rants can be, it’s a lot less funny when we’re the ones getting criticized. If you post a picture on Facebook, you can have 20 comments talking about how great you look, but that one comment making fun of your hair is the one that sticks out.

Like pressure, criticism can activate our brains' danger signals.

Brain researcher, Martin Paulus, found that when we hear a criticism, our brains literally take it as a threat. So imagine the impact on your psyche if you’re constantly beating yourself up throughout the day. Self-criticism is not only mean, it puts our brains on high alert, making it difficult to attain any semblance of peace.

The Triad of Pain

Fear, pressure, and criticism activate our danger signals, prevent our brains from feeling safe, and perpetuate a cycle of pain. It’s important to recognize these behaviors and the impact they can have, so that we’re able to change them.

Before we start down the path of overcoming these destructive behaviors, there’s one more step in the process: the ignition for change.

​

So I just connected my pain from today
My left leg , foot and toes are in excruciating pain. I had a few projects that I needed to finish for some people this morning and I was struggling with the machines i was working with. I wanted to get them done in time for Christmas and I wanted them to like them and be happy with my work. So the pressure and fear of not finishing and not being good enough found a place to come out in my body. Dang it
I stressed myself out for no reason and am paying for it in pain. I’ve got to stop this !!

 

[Erbear]

Over the last few days, it seems like the stuff that Alan is writing and speaking about was done specifically FOR ME. Its resonating with me in ways that few TMS things have (though The Great Pain Deception comes close). For example , this morning I woke up with to my typical morning ritual. I wake up feeling ok, but as I contemplate and get ready for the morning commute, the symptoms begin to kick in: first in my legs, then my shoulders, until I walk out the door to my car limping and in pain.

This morning though, I observed how much fear plays a role in this. As I get ready for work, I begin cataloging my pains, then the fear kicks in. What if walking hurts too much? What if things hurt when I try to climb up on the train? What if there is a delay and I have to sit there on the train, unable to move, getting stiffer and stiffer? How will I feel when step off the train? Better? Worse? I watched internally how I hesitated to do movements I thought would cause pain. Getting in the car, I first tried to figure out how to get in without pain, instead of just getting in the car.

All the while I was trying to think positive, to move my thoughts, to think the right things. Getting more irritated when things wouldn't work. I was putting EVEN more pressure on myself.

Buts its fear. Its all fear. When I sit at work and lose myself in a project, the pain falls into the background. When I get up the fear kicks back in, and the pain returns.

I appreciate this post. I feel and have felt so similar in the past. When I see how I do this to myself, then I feel pressure to "not put myself through this" as well as self-critical. So the pattern has been so circular. I worried about the pain getting worse where I get incapacitated, at work with a client, or in a bathroom and maybe I couldn't stand up of get off the toilet (BTW this has never happened), or stuck on a plane, or getting luggage out of the overhead compartment. There were days it felt like every step would be my last step where I am standing up all right. When I was beginning to get better, I would have almost a complete day without any of this. It was miraculous. Then it would come back. Then I would be upset with myself that "I was the cause of this" or "I let this happen." "I didn't write enough in expressive writing" or "I am not doing the emotional work." This is so spot on. It is comforting to know other have suffered from this, because I felt like such a wimp, but had to pretend that I was fine on the outside. Pressure to be fine describes it for me.

 

[Erbear]

Can you tell me the author of this book? I looked it up an Amazon and couldn't find it. The three P's was what caught my eye: Perfectionism, procrastination and paralysis. That's what I'm stuck in!

I have the book. Traditionally, each 12 step program where they have literature are written as a group and edited as a group. So the authors remain anonymous. My book, is yellowish. There is a work book as well.

 

[Erbear]

Plum, you took the words right out of my mouth! Eugene, there are several different reasons why you could have had a set-back, perhaps it's an extinction burst (which I'll be writing more about later). For the time being, try to take solace in the fact that you've been given legitimate evidence that you can feel better. You'll get there again, you've proved that it's possible.

When you get to a point where the pain can no longer successfully bring you to a place of fear, despair, and hopelessness, it will have no power over you. Remember, the goal is not to get rid of the pain, the goal is to break free from its emotional grip.

The "extinction burst" principle has been helpful. When I feel things get worse, I say to myself, "what has changed? Has there been a physical injury?" I say, "no." What has changed? I have been working this program and have had days with less pain than there has been in years. "This must be the ego and the neurocircuits wanting to not go away without a fight and they want a last-ditch effort. It is truly like disciplining a child or an animal, where it appears you have made progress and there is some regression afterward. I have also heard it called the "lightning bolt" where there is growth goes upward and then it regresses a bit, and the grows upward and then regresses a bit. It is said that I am integrating and sorting out the two options, the old and the new. w I am not sure it applies here. But it seems to help me to know that it is all part of the process rather than I am not making progress. It is also teaching giving me an opportunity to not fear the pain and to realize it is only temporary and that good can come out of it.

 

[plum]

This popped up in one of my feeds so I thought I’d share it here, it’s Rick Hanson writing about pressure, the impact it has upon us, and how to dial it down. I’ve come to see how much pressure and criticism play a part in TMS and how it is often very subtle, habitual and therefore off the radar. It’s truly worth revisiting this brilliant program at the moment because I’m sure a good many of us are experiencing flare ups.

https://www.rickhanson.net/lower-the-pressure/ (Lower the Pressure - Dr. Rick Hanson)

 

[Erbear]

Thanks so much for the information. I will read it today. Erik

 

[Erbear]

This popped up in one of my feeds so I thought I’d share it here, it’s Rick Hanson writing about pressure, the impact it has upon us, and how to dial it down. I’ve come to see how much pressure and criticism play a part in TMS and how it is often very subtle, habitual and therefore off the radar. It’s truly worth revisiting this brilliant program at the moment because I’m sure a good many of us are experiencing flare ups.

https://www.rickhanson.net/lower-the-pressure/ (Lower the Pressure - Dr. Rick Hanson)

Thanks, it was a good read.