Ann Miller
Well known member
I recently did an interview and was asked about what I saw as a common mistake that those who have TMS, have been trying to heal and yet have not found symptom relief are making. The answer was easy. Program hopping… where an individual dabbles in this modality and that one, reading a bit here, listening to a podcast there and never ever commits whole heartedly to one method. Hear me out.
At first, we do indeed need to read, learn and research. Information and awareness are key to understanding how our bodies respond to perceived threats, the fear/pain/more fear cycle and how to break out of that loop. At a certain point though, we begin to try a method. Maybe we try journaling, or somatic tracking, or indifference. We do these new methods for a few weeks or a couple of months and when no miracle happens, we grow even more distressed, more despondent and more fearful. And then we go on a quest to find another solution…maybe an app or a retreat or a therapist and we give that a go for another month or three ... .and if we aren’t feeling remarkably better, we become hopeless. We doubt that we can be healed through any method. We doubt that we will ever be pain free. We suspect that our trauma is too ingrained, our neural pathways too deep, or our brain just isn’t like everyone else’s brain.
It’s easy to see how we got here. In fact, we’ve probably program hopped all over the medical community seeing this doctor and that specialist, trying western medicine, eastern medicine and everything in between. I throw no stones in this arena. I once was on a regimen of Chinese herbs that included dried powdered locusts, so believe me, I understand desperation. All this searching and questing sets up a pattern of unreliable results. It’s no wonder we doubt the methods when we begin TMS healing; we are used to being let down and moving on to the next possible solution.
Here is my advice. Read to understand the concepts of TMS, mind/body pain, neural plastic pain. Look at the common programs out there or hire a coach who can help you wade through them all and then choose one program and WORK IT. Don’t quit after a few weeks or a few months. This is your life we are talking about. Quitting just sends more messages of doubt to your nervous system. Work your program. Don’t work ALL the programs. Just the one you chose. The only way out is THROUGH. There will be hard times. Your pain may flare. Your anxiety may increase. Keep going. Get someone to support your journey…pay for it if you need to. Don’t quit and don't hop around. I promise you, that life on the other side of chronic symptoms is amazing!
www.pathsbeyondpain.com
At first, we do indeed need to read, learn and research. Information and awareness are key to understanding how our bodies respond to perceived threats, the fear/pain/more fear cycle and how to break out of that loop. At a certain point though, we begin to try a method. Maybe we try journaling, or somatic tracking, or indifference. We do these new methods for a few weeks or a couple of months and when no miracle happens, we grow even more distressed, more despondent and more fearful. And then we go on a quest to find another solution…maybe an app or a retreat or a therapist and we give that a go for another month or three ... .and if we aren’t feeling remarkably better, we become hopeless. We doubt that we can be healed through any method. We doubt that we will ever be pain free. We suspect that our trauma is too ingrained, our neural pathways too deep, or our brain just isn’t like everyone else’s brain.
It’s easy to see how we got here. In fact, we’ve probably program hopped all over the medical community seeing this doctor and that specialist, trying western medicine, eastern medicine and everything in between. I throw no stones in this arena. I once was on a regimen of Chinese herbs that included dried powdered locusts, so believe me, I understand desperation. All this searching and questing sets up a pattern of unreliable results. It’s no wonder we doubt the methods when we begin TMS healing; we are used to being let down and moving on to the next possible solution.
Here is my advice. Read to understand the concepts of TMS, mind/body pain, neural plastic pain. Look at the common programs out there or hire a coach who can help you wade through them all and then choose one program and WORK IT. Don’t quit after a few weeks or a few months. This is your life we are talking about. Quitting just sends more messages of doubt to your nervous system. Work your program. Don’t work ALL the programs. Just the one you chose. The only way out is THROUGH. There will be hard times. Your pain may flare. Your anxiety may increase. Keep going. Get someone to support your journey…pay for it if you need to. Don’t quit and don't hop around. I promise you, that life on the other side of chronic symptoms is amazing!
www.pathsbeyondpain.com
