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journaling

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by hellokitty, Oct 14, 2014.

  1. hellokitty

    hellokitty New Member

    I'm wondering why I developed all kinds of chronic health issues (digestive, hormonal, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and more) even though I was journaling my feelings and emotions? This all started about 8 years ago after an emotional trauma and everything just kept snowballing. It started with lots of guilt, shame, and self condemnation, and I did write about that stuff, but apparently it didn't help? Am I missing something?
     
    hellokitty, Oct 14, 2014
    #1
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  2. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    I think this is a terrific and important question, hellokitty. Thanks for bringing it up.

    I've heard many cases like what you've described and many example of the converse: people like myself and SteveO who haven't done any journaling and have still recovered. I think it's about how you live your life on a day to day basis. Are you preoccupied with your body? Are you constantly in fear? Are you able to find regular moments of relaxed happiness?

    I think that this is why Dr. Sarno considered information to be the penicillin of the disorder. For example, in The Divided Mind, he wrote,
    The psychoanalysts in the above clearly had done a great deal of depth psychotherapy, but still had symptoms. Likewise, in the following quote, from Mindbody Prescription, (pp. 164-165) he explains how one can have TMS even after extensive psychotherapy:
    Journaling and depth-oriented (psychodynamic) psychotherapy can be wonderful tools, but, I think it's a mistake to consider them the core of TMS treatment. On the contrary, I emphasize what I call "the present based approach." It asks the question, "where is my tension coming from right now." Depth-oriented psychotherapy and journaling can be very helpful at figuring out the roots of the current tension, but the real "action" still happens in the present, which is why I call this a present-based approach.
     
    Forest, Oct 14, 2014
    #2
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  3. hellokitty

    hellokitty New Member

    Ahh.......it makes total sense now. Thank you Forest. It has just been pretty recently (in the past year or so) that I've been aware of the mind body connection. Even though I was journaling 8 years ago when it started, I believed that everything was physical, so I went down the path of trying to fix things and heal from that perspective. I pursued nutrition, diet, supplements, detoxing, going to so many traditional and naturopathic docs, etc etc, until last year, when I finally realized that all the organic pure food, high quality supplements, and detoxing were not helping. Also, even though I journaled, I was constantly living in fear, guilt, shame, self hatred and condemnation for a long time. And I was obsessed with and afraid of my symptoms. I recently finally had an ah-ha moment when I realized that my mind made me sick, so my mind could make me well. Now after "discovering" and learning about TMS and reading several books about it, I'm trying to reprogram my subconscious mind that I created all this and that the symptoms are all because of repressed emotions and conditioned responses.
     
    hellokitty, Oct 15, 2014
    #3
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  4. Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)

    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021) Beloved Grand Eagle

    Hi, Hellokitty. I'm so glad that you were able to have the ah-ha moment that Dr. Arno says tells us, convinces us,
    that our symptoms are TMS and not structural. You will reprogram your subconscious by discovering your
    repressed emotions. That will lead you not only to become free of pain but to live a happier, healthier, most positive
    life than you ever imagined.
     
    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021), Oct 16, 2014
    #4
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  5. hellokitty

    hellokitty New Member

    Thanks Walt! I know that I am destined to have an awesome life. In fact, I already do. :happy: By the way, I'm reading your book right now and enjoying it a lot. I loved your story about picking up the case of beer - it was so funny! I know it probably wasn't funny back then, but the way you told it was hysterical - made me laugh. dancea
     
    hellokitty, Oct 16, 2014
    #5
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  6. Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021)

    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021) Beloved Grand Eagle

    Hi, hellokitty. I'm so glad you're reading my book (written with Herbie).
    I thought my story of lifting the case of beer would lighten things up for readers.
    It began several weeks of intense back pain but led me to learn about Dr. Sarno and TMS,
    so I feel it was worth the pain.

    Maybe you could suggest that friends and family read my book, too, and help spread the word.
    Thanks and have a great and healthy weekend.
     
    Walt Oleksy (RIP 2021), Oct 17, 2014
    #6
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