overwhelmed

I am starting the sep program again and feeling overwhelmed because it says that we should spend some time on week 0 before starting the program, and on week 0 it says that we should read the \recovery program, and that could take weeks and weeks. i didn't read this before i started the sep the last time.
Alan Gordon’s TMS Recovery Program provides a wonderful overview of the psychological component of TMS, and offers tools to help you identify some of the areas that you might begin to address through journaling. We highly recommend that you read the TMS Recovery Program this week, before beginning to journal.

HAVE i got the wrong idea? I am also overwhemed by anxiety and new symptoms at the moment, which makes it difficult to concentrate etc....

 

Sarno was always really clear that turning anything into a ritual is a back door for TMS to come in again. He was trying to avoid the state of mind you've just described:

This is a learning program and most people all learn a little different. worrying about 'doing things right' is the obsessional portion of TMS. It is ok to review things, go over things again.etc.... I read the book over and over again as I recovered but as he warned with the twelve reminders, I didn't let it become a ritual.... all motion is good motion.

 

I don't understand, how is what i am doing turning it into a ritual?

The state of mind has been going on for the last 3 or 4 weeks, and I am hoping that it might be an extinction burst, because it started when I realised that my pain has decreased to about 20 per cent. since then i have been anxious, depressed, obsessional, with all sorts of new symptoms turning up for a few hours or days, leaving me even more anxious, and a worsening of existing symptoms. I'd be very grateful if you could tell me what you think, and I am already grateful for your replying at all, at this mad time of the year!

 

It does not matter exactly how you proceed. It is all to the good. There is no magic formula.

Worrying about getting it "just right" is normal with the suffering you've had. But it is nice to take a few breaths, and just dive in. It is all valuable information --both the SEP and the Pain Recovery Program. Doing the Pain Recovery Program can be done by reading and listening.

No one knows exactly what you need to do to get better. These are all guides, supports for what is an internal process for each person.

Knowing this, observing this is part of your learning. You're putting things into an understandable framework; you're seeing patterns in the "behavior" of TMS in you. This is great.

In any program, the point is to personalize the learning for you. With that said, simply "go forth" and learn.

 

Thank you Andy, I will.