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Day 37 Is day 37 the last one?

Hi FD - and congratulations for finishing!

I think the plan is to have 42 days, someday - in fact, I don't think there were even 37 when I first did the SEP. Forest will know.

So how is it going?

Jan
 
Hi Jan! Thanks for your reply!
To be honest with you, I am actually in more pain than when I started. I started going to a psychologist to dig up stuff from my emotional mess. And with the increase in pain comes the doubts about the physical diagnosis. The what ifs... I decided I will keep swimming even with the pain, but I can't do yoga cause it hurts too much. I don't want to go look for another doctor here lest I will be dragged into scary-physical-possibilities I was before. Too bad there isn't any TMS doctors around here (I live in Peru) so I will just take my chances on going for the TMS-treatment. I will keep reading books, journaling, doing psychotherapy and see how it develops. I keep going back to that hour pain-free I had when I just started the SEP cause it gives me evidence of the TMS-diagnosis. I guess that is what I can do for now: keep moving forward!
 
I am on day 34 and I will be "finishing" the program soon as well. I am not sure where I will go from here. Maybe I will just read more about TMS and continue journaling for a while. I am thinking about talking to a therapist about some significant relationship issues I have not full addressed. I have gotten a lot out of the program and I feel I am more engaged in my life as a result of the program. I have had TMS since the age of 6 and will likely to continue to have TMS smptoms even when I am "cured" of my back pain. It is easy to lose sight that this is a journey. I will get better when I am supposed to get better and when I have done the work. I said in an earlier post I was afraid that if the pain went away, I would go back to living my life as I had done in the past. I am happier with the new improved me that I do not have to fear going back to my old self. And if I do, I bet my subconcious will be there to remind me. Good luck on your continued journey.
 
Go back to day 34 and look at Alan Gordon's article "Breaking the Pain Cycle" because you may be having an "exstinctual burst". You may be also pushing yourself too hard and expecting too much. I assume you have been in pain for a while so it may take a while for your brain to unlearn your pain. I was convinced on an intellectual level that I had TMS after reading Dr. Sarno's book, Healing Back Pain, but my subconscious still has difficulties believing it. I didn't believe my back pain had a physical basis so my subconscious decide to give me knee pain instead. I am still working hard to convince my subconscoius. I do positive affirmations every night before I go to bed to help my subconscious understand that my back and knee are healthy. I wish I was a book cure just like I wish the prolotherapy injections, physical therapy and accupunture would have helped me. You will be back to Yoga.
 
I keep recommending the Self-Acceptance Project because I'm finding it to be such a wonderful introduction to (eventually) 24 different authors, teachers, therapists, spiritualists, and even neuroscientists - all of whom have self-help and educational books and audio programs available from Sounds True. By signing up for the 24 free episodes, you get a very few (not even once a week) emails from Sounds True, which is not a bad thing. I really think that they have something for everybody. Peter Levine publishes with them - he's a highly regarded author who has several self-help books and programs about healing old trauma.

I already purchased one of their programs, by psychologist Rick Hanson, PhD and neuroscientist Richard Mendius, MD, titled "Meditations to Change Your Brain". It may be the program that finally teaches and encourages me to meditate regularly, and after 18 months on this forum, my sense is that the folks with the best success do meditate - seriously and regularly. $11.98 (sale price, still going on) for the download version - 3-1/2 hours, and well worth it.

Jan
 
Yeah, the last day right now is 37, however hopefully at some point, fingers crossed, there will be 42. If you want, feel free to add a day or two to the program.

From here, my advice is to think about what areas you need to address and begin to develop a plan to do that. It doesn't have to be anything over the top, just simple activities and techniques you can do.

You can also go back and start the program again. You would be amazed at how much more you take in the second time around.
 
futuredancer said:
Hi Jan! Thanks for your reply!
I am actually in more pain than when I started. I started going to a psychologist to dig up stuff from my emotional mess. And with the increase in pain comes the doubts about the physical diagnosis.
Click to expand...

I came upon tms and this forum initially because my treatment provider was completely baffled by an increase in physical pain with no apparent cause. She very wisely suggested at that point, the possibility that there might be an emotional component to the pain. I'm so grateful now that she turned my thoughts in that direction but, initially I had my doubts. I consulted a psychologist friend for confirmation that such a thing as an "emotional component" to physical pain even existed. He confirmed and referred me to some local psychological therapists.....along with a very direct and compassionate warning of the high likelihood that the pain would get worse before it got better. I did see the local therapist once. He agreed with the others. My appointment with him also came with strong admonishings of the pain getting worse before it got better...finances kept me from additional appointments.

So far, in my journey they have all been correct. The "emotional component" is the only legitimate source of my pain, based on test results and duration of symptoms. I've been chiseling into my sub-conscious without professional supervision while I research the type of psychological therapy that might be most effective for me & work out the financial aspect. When the symptoms get worse I try to remember what the psychologists warned and view it as progress. It hasn't necessarily been that the symptoms have gotten worse before it gets better, as an absolute though. What I'm noticing is that progressively even the "worse" is not as bad as previous experiences, and the better is also progressive. Maybe what they told me would more accurately have been stated the symptoms would likely get worse before they'd be gone entirely. Possibly this is what is happening for you as you work with the therapist?
 
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