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endlessing reading about TMS

Are you not seeing yourself in the stories and pages? When you are reading about the causes and mechanisms, aren't you noticing stuff in your moment to moment life that resonates with the information?

If you keep reading and reading it is eventually gonna provoke some kind of interior energy and stuffs gonna start to change whether you know it or not...I have found that when I have read about a few different topics. Not just TMS.

Remember: when Sarno wrote those? There was no 'work'...that evolved out of people like us reading it , discovering the contradictions between our outside 'adult' life and inside 'childlike, selfish and vain' life.

Just keep reading. Somethings gonna shake loose.
 
Funny enough, I'm on Day 27 of the program which links to Relapser's curse - there is hope, by Skizzik.. I feel like he describes exactly what I am talking about; the endless reading about TMS, reviewing everyone else's progress in this program while feeling stuck yourself. What I meant by obsessing over the process rather then actually going through the process. I do believe trying too hard is its own trap. And reading is it's own form of TMS.
 
feder said:
Funny enough, I'm on Day 27 of the program which links to Relapser's curse - there is hope, by Skizzik.. I feel like he describes exactly what I am talking about; the endless reading about TMS, reviewing everyone else's progress in this program while feeling stuck yourself. What I meant by obsessing over the process rather then actually going through the process. I do believe trying too hard is its own trap. And reading is it's own form of TMS.
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I think ultimately, yeah, you gotta face yourself. Your issues. Your anger. Your personality. But you can do it slowly. I think reading a lot sort of gets the ball rolling. It’s what I did too!
 
feder said:
I'm just curious if I'm the only one using endless fascination and reading about TMS as an excuse not to actually do the work:/.....
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I think this is REALLY common, and it applies to old successful TMSers like myself just as well as newcomers. For example, I would really like to develop a practice of meditation, but I continue to put it off in favor of going through my newsfeeds to find the latest articles about brain science and emotional health and incorporating PPD practice into traditional medical care - and sharing what I learn here ;) Which is all good, but... I seem to be resistant to this aspect of self care in these tough times.

The distraction mechanism is a powerful one!

Ultimately, whether you're "doing the work" has to come down to your personal and very individual sense of whether or not TMS symptoms are in control of your life and your enjoyment of life. It's never advised to get obsessive over measuring this, but in general, I've always felt that the goal is to "get back your life" - whatever that means to you.

I've been quite successful using TMS skills and techniques to manage symptoms for 13 years, and in spite of setbacks, including one serious one in 2020, I'm still in way better shape at 73 than I was at 60, when I was on my way to becoming housebound. That's how I measure my success.

I credit the SEP for my recovery. Back when I was doing the earliest writing exercises in the SEP, I discovered that my brain was encouraging me to avoid certain topics or incidents when I was making my lists. As soon as I forced myself to write those things down anyway, and then to explore them further, it was not just very freeing - I experienced a "light bulb" moment. I suddenly "got it". With IT being the understanding that healing occurs when I am 100% honest in my conversations with myself. If I can't be honest and face things that make me uncomfortable, then I'm not really truly "doing the work".

And you know what? When you get it you get it. I actually stopped doing the SEP shortly after that. Although clearly I didn't leave the TMS knowledge world! I also still use those journaling techniques (which I call "writing shit down") whenever I have a serious setback, and it works very quickly, overnight or sometimes the same day.

So, @feder - what does "not doing the work" mean to you at this point?
 
JanAtheCPA said:
For example, I would really like to develop a practice of meditation, but I continue to put it off in favor of going through my newsfeeds to find the latest articles about brain science and emotional health and incorporating PPD practice into traditional medical care
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this is EXACTLY what I mean- like instead of actually beginning the meditation practice, I just read all about it lol.
 
feder said:
And reading is it's own form of TMS.
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LOL..then I am constantly suffering from TMS. Baseball, Reading , guitar and Dog is my whole life...very narrow horizons and reading is a huge part of it....hours a day, every day.

I read about guitars I am never gonna buy...I read about historical places I don't have money to visit..Dogs I couldn't own....BUT with TMS I am carrying the 'topic' around with me wherever I go. A Lot of the stuff didn't make sense to me the first time or even the tenth time...some of it has only dawned on me now after 25 years of doing this crap....but I got better without 'understanding' every single detail.

after reading your post, I had a thought to share.. Whenever I have a relapse? I know its over the first morning when I get up and reading isn't the very first thing I do....it's not that I dodge it. I just forget because I am back to 'normal' and pain free is normal.

But, I have immense faith in the process....and you're 'doing it' right...so just keep on keeping on.
 
feder said:
this is EXACTLY what I mean- like instead of actually beginning the meditation practice, I just read all about it lol.
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and I don't meditate very often...and I got rid of TMS. I am a twitchy high strung type and could probably benefit from Meditation...I have enjoyed it the few times I have done it...but I haven't and it's a 'new' add on...Sarno spoke of relaxation techniques , but said also 'to what end'?

this is about anger and it's repression and conditioning.

The meditation I tried during my last relapse was on youtube...it's about thanking the pain, but sending it packing...the guided ones are easier for me to approach.
 
This whole concept of “avoiding the work” is interesting. What is “The Work,” exactly? It depends, right? If it’s the hardest thing, then for me, that’s therapy or journaling. But then again, it’s work to avoid my seeming “addiction” to abusive friends and family. (The wiki and journaling revealed this was one of my problems.) It’s also work to just be nice to myself. Sad. But true. Reading about TMS is probably easier than most things. But it has had the most impact for me because it gives me hope, education and things to try. It’s all work and it’s all important! But living with TMS on a daily basis is terrible work, and a job I want to give up soon! Nichole Sachs, a therapist who healed from TMS and author of a journaling concept called JournalSpeak, said living life comes down to 2 choices: what’s hard and what’s harder. It’s hard to journal. But it’s harder to live with TMS.
 
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