Day 1 Getting started

[JoeB1]

Ok, I've covered most of this in my introduction, but I'm about a month and half into learning about TMS. The first program I tried was Zero Pain Now by Adam Heller which is entirely based off of Dr. Sarno's books. It's meant to be a streamlined process, but I ended up returning the program because you only get a 20 day guarantee on it and I hadn't seen results yet. I decided it would be better to go straight to the source and started reading Healing Back Pain and of course that lead me here. It's astonishing how much sense TMS makes. I have tried everything, like I'm sure most of you have, including 4 examinations by chiro, PCP and 2 "spine specialists" who all believe the pain is from disc degeneration and herniation. Intellectually, I know otherwise, but my subconscious hasn't quite got it yet apparently.

 

[Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)]

Hi, Joe. Welcome to the club. I healed from severe back pain a few years ago after learning about TMS and reading Dr. Sarno's book Healing Back Pain. I realized right away that it was emotional and not structural. Examinations can be very misleading. Even if X-rays and MRIs indicate something structurally wrong, they may not cause pain. That can come from our emotions.

You have come to the right place for healing. I'll share with you a recent post from Kevin who healed 95 percent already after doing the SEP.

Welcome to the SEP and to the path of recovery. I am on my final two days of the program and I can say with complete confidence that I am a changed man. I started after 6 months of nasty low-back/butt/leg pain, could hardly walk, stand, etc. was in physical therapy, chiropractor, acupuncture, pain medications, etc.. the usual. My MRI showed 3 disk bulges/herniations touching nerves, so that is what I believe it to be....that is until I read Dr. Sarno and found this site.

I encourage you to really get involved, follow the instructions, do the journaling, take time to read all the suggested readings, and watch the videos. I'd say I'm 95% cured. There is still some very light lingering "annoyance", but I still have some work to do. I've been walking miles with hardly any pain these last few weeks. But even more, if the pain comes on now, it just doesn't bother me like it used to, I sorta just see it, acknowledge it, and go about my business. It took working the program to get to that point, but 6 weeks compared to 6 months is nothing! I made more progress in the first week than I did from two months of PT!!! It's going to challenge you and your "beliefs" in medicine, but you have nothing to lose. We generally wind up here when all else fails.



So give it a shot, especially before considering anything invasive like surgery. If you put the work in, you will get better. Have you read Dr. Sarno yet? I assume you have since you're here, but in case you haven't, definitely read Healing Back Pain. Again, it will challenge everything you've believed about your pain, and backs in general. You'll be encouraged to resume life as normal, i.e. stop ALL "therapies" (PT, chiro, etc.), stop taking medications, and most importantly, stop thinking STRUCTURAL problems are the cause of your pain and shift to psychological as the reason.....again, this can be difficult and takes some time to sink in, so be patient and kind to yourself.

It was a process for me. A few of the bigger moves in my case were: I ripped up and threw out my MRI test results (I found myself obsessively reading over them and comparing them to other results I could find on the web and even here on the TMSwiki site...); I got back to the gym and stopped using a weight belt; and I even cancelled an appointment I had made with a TMS doctor because it was more than a month away and it was hindering my recovery (that is, my 100% belief in TMS was lagging because I had this pending appointment, but as soon as I cancelled it, my recovery sped up significantly). Everyone's journey is unique to their situation, but I've found that really committing to the program and brining what I learn from it into my daily life has had profound results. Also, sharing along the way here in these forums has been extremely helpful - there's something about knowing that you're not alone in your TMS recovery that really helps. I encourage you to look through my past posts for some insight into my experience with SEP. Like I said, I'm just now finishing, tomorrow is my final day, and I feel like a changed person. It's amazing. And I feel as though it is something that one carries on with, not just like a one time 6 week thing and that's that...it has helped me to get to know myself and taught me tools to "deal" with my emotions. Learning and accepting TMS is a life changer for sure.

 

[JoeB1]

Thanks, Walt! Congrats on your healing!

 

[LindaStu]

Hi Joe, I'm still working on 100% acceptance, too. I'll think I'm there, and then have an episode of severe pain (last night) and then find myself wondering if there's really something else wrong with me. I don't know if you did Alan Gordon's Recovery Program before you started this, but the Evidence Sheet exercise was very helpful to me, and I find myself going back to it when I have doubts. Mine was lengthy! Just an idea to help get those subconsciouses changed so we can HEAL!!

 

[JoeB1]

Thanks for the reminder Linda! I did get through about half of Alan's program. I still need to make an evidence sheet!

 

[jwiles]

Hello, good luck on your journey. I think it takes a good deal of time for some people to heal but if you keep at it you'll get there.

 

[JoeB1]

Hello, good luck on your journey. I think it takes a good deal of time for some people to heal but if you keep at it you'll get there.

Thanks, man! I certainly will. I appreciate the support!

 

[KevinB]

Hi JoeB1,

My name is Kevin. Walt shared my post above in this thread. It's true, at that point about a week ago I was nearly done with the SEP program and about 95% cured. I'm happy to say that I am now at a 100%!!! I still have to remind myself to think psychologically every day - my mind wants to go to the physical because that's "easy" and what I had become used to. For instance, I recently learned that my wife is pregnant with our first child and while this is amazing, it has cause some fear. I've noticed my mind wanting to look for some physical ailment to distract me, even searching other body parts other than my typical low back, buttock, leg sciatica nonsense. But I know what's up now, I know what it's trying to do. So I can pause, take some breaths, let the feelings surface, look at them, and release them. I'm also still journaling and seeing a therapist... I'm continuing with these things because I've had some pretty deep and painful childhood issues that I really need to face, and for me I needed a professional for guidance. I aim to be cured of this, to be RID of it, not just temporary relief. I feel that in order to achieve this I must unlock much of these buried emotions and traumas. I've tapped into a lot already and although they are painful, it really is worth the sense of lightness I'm getting along the way. I'm 38 now and this shit has been causing issues my entire adult life.... I always hoped they'd just go away, but they wouldn't and it took manifesting in TMS for me to finally begin to face them. It's strange, in the beginning all I wanted was to be free from my back pain, now I'm truly GRATEFUL that I went though it because it led me to the work I'm doing on myself now and that is very freeing.

So keep at it. Be honest with yourself, be brave through the emotions - they can't hurt you, but feeling them can set you free.

Be well my man.

Kev

 

[JoeB1]

Hi JoeB1,

My name is Kevin. Walt shared my post above in this thread. It's true, at that point about a week ago I was nearly done with the SEP program and about 95% cured. I'm happy to say that I am now at a 100%!!! I still have to remind myself to think psychologically every day - my mind wants to go to the physical because that's "easy" and what I had become used to. For instance, I recently learned that my wife is pregnant with our first child and while this is amazing, it has cause some fear. I've noticed my mind wanting to look for some physical ailment to distract me, even searching other body parts other than my typical low back, buttock, leg sciatica nonsense. But I know what's up now, I know what it's trying to do. So I can pause, take some breaths, let the feelings surface, look at them, and release them. I'm also still journaling and seeing a therapist... I'm continuing with these things because I've had some pretty deep and painful childhood issues that I really need to face, and for me I needed a professional for guidance. I aim to be cured of this, to be RID of it, not just temporary relief. I feel that in order to achieve this I must unlock much of these buried emotions and traumas. I've tapped into a lot already and although they are painful, it really is worth the sense of lightness I'm getting along the way. I'm 38 now and this shit has been causing issues my entire adult life.... I always hoped they'd just go away, but they wouldn't and it took manifesting in TMS for me to finally begin to face them. It's strange, in the beginning all I wanted was to be free from my back pain, now I'm truly GRATEFUL that I went though it because it led me to the work I'm doing on myself now and that is very freeing.

So keep at it. Be honest with yourself, be brave through the emotions - they can't hurt you, but feeling them can set you free.

Be well my man.

Kev

Thanks so much for sharing your story, Kevin! It's very inspiring! I believe TMS first hit me at age 21 as chronic fatigue syndrome and I tried everything to get better and eventually just learned to live with it and then shoulder pain off and on throughout my twenties. Crippling back pain hit me at 35 and now I'm 37 and becoming more and more hopeful and physically active as I learn about TMS and talk with others about it. I'm happy for you and your new found freedom and look forward to the days when I can share my story!