Day 8 Day 8

I am hopeful that as I continue to write in my journal more of my symptoms will improve. I was excited that after reading Dr. sarno' book I found relief from one chronic issue. However, my other symptoms remain unchanged. I know it is a process, but I was hoping to find quicker resolution of my insomnia and GI issues. The journaling is difficult for me. I am so used to hiding my emotions that it's hard for me to connect with them now. I will try to make it a habit to write in my journal because I know there are so many benefits from writing out my feelings regarding different stressors from the past and present.

 

Hi, aa3405. I thought I'd not like or be good at journaling, and wondered how beneficial it would be to me. But when I started writing each day, I found it easy an rewarding. I limited myself to half an hour a day, usually in the morning, and was amazed at how many repressed emotions I came up with. I came to realize my boyhood wasn't all happy. I remembered times that were not so good. I'm 83 and grew up during the 1930s Great Depression. Like a lot of people back then, and in today's economic hard times, my folks never had much money even when they worked, and they worked hard. Mom cut up potatoes and chickens at Campbell Soup Company and Dad drove the streetcars in Chicago. Long story short they divorced when I was about 7 and that effected me more than I thought. So in journaling we learn more about ourselves and our early lives and relationships.

You've already found relief fro some of your TMS symptoms. Keep journaling to discover the other repressed emotions.

What do you mean by GI issues?

As for insomnia, I've been there. I found a few ways to get to sleep:

Drink some hot tea (Chamomile, not any with caffeine) or hot milk before bedtime.
Don't watch TV news before bedtime (I don't watch it at all).
Try to slow down your mind an hour or two before bedtime. Read a book, listen to soothing music,
or just sit and meditate while you do deep breathing (breathe in through your nose to a count of about 6.
Hold the breath a few second, then breathe out in a "gush" through your mouth. Think or say
"I feel at peace. I'm ready to go to sleep."

If you can't sleep right away, do deep breathing with your eyes closed, and say a mantra like
"I'm sleepy. I'm going to sleep now." Reapeat it over and over.

Or count to 100 backwards. Amazing how this puts one to sleep. It may take two or more
laps of 100 but it also works.

Don't take worries to bed with you, and don't think about what repressed emotions you may have.
That'll keep you awake.

Think positive, that you will fall asleep and that your symptoms will all go away.

Hope this helps.

 

aa3405- I am hopeful that as I continue to write in my journal more of my symptoms will improve. I was excited that after reading Dr. sarno' book I found relief from one chronic issue.

Eric)- Ok you have some solid evidence above that the journaling worked, so with that in mind- Remember, just be patient and content the healing will occur over time and with your practice of becoming reprogrammed. You don't need think ( I wish it would hurry up ok) This thought line is from the id or inner child and it will lead you away from doing any work. So tell it to hush off and go about your learnings ok- Also, the tms has a way of making you think to hurry up which just holds you back too, so be aware of the wiles of tms too. You keep on your journey- journal about what's bothering you in the now- past and any future thoughts. Then get another journal and journal all your happy memories and your milestones like the 1 issue that the knowledge therapy has helped you with. You can call this your happy journal of course. Pay attention to what you are missing in life and work toward obtaining that , it could be something you never think of much, maybe something you've thought was way past accomplishing now- its never to late to dream and bring that dream to pass.

aa3405)- However, my other symptoms remain unchanged. I know it is a process, but I was hoping to find quicker resolution of my insomnia and GI issues. The journaling is difficult for me. I am so used to hiding my emotions that it's hard for me to connect with them now. I will try to make it a habit to write in my journal because I know there are so many benefits from writing out my feelings regarding different stressors from the past and present

Eric)- Your other symptoms will change in time, see we took 20 years to accumulate these syptoms so we follow with the program and recondition our old thinking patterns to new ones , then we change and start to heal. Sometimes it leaves with bits and spurts at other times like in my case it was like melting away so see we all have that special time when we heal that brings us back in touch with relationship to life again. That's the whole ticker right there,
getting your hope with relationship fulfillment.

Keep us posted