Day 6 No Feelings while journaling

Hi there, @sleepyjay. This sounds like your lovely TMS brain doing its best to make you feel uncomfortable and uncertain about the writing exercises so that you will give up.

Don't be fooled! This kind of reaction actually is a good indication that you are on the right track! In fact, pushback from your brain starting at this point in the SEP is absolutely typical, so hooray for that!

You could take a short break, like a day or two, and use that time to explore self-compassion. There are a ton of free resources on the topic, including free public library downloads of e- and audiobooks by experts such as Kristin Neff and Tara Brach. Dr Neff's website is compassion.org.

Also, go ahead and talk back to your TMS brain - you can literally thank it for trying to protect you, but assure it that you are physically very safe, and it's okay to be doing this.

Finally, give yourself credit for doing this work, and for checking in with questions. You'll get there!

 

Manjuno, you'll see that I highlighted the word "should" in your statement. "Should", as my therapist regularly reminds me, evokes PRESSURE on yourself. Self-pressure leads to self-judgement, and self-judgement leads to symptoms, and you end up remaining stuck where your TMS brain wants you to be.

Think of this as just another distraction by the TMS brain mechanism, to keep you from doing the work.

Look - reactions to the writing exercise are just as individual and unique as the many different ways in which we all experience TMS symptoms. @sleepyjay described their example of experiencing a strong sense of detachment. You are describing the experience of judging yourself for failing to feel what you think you should feel. These are both legitimate responses to doing the SEP.

The question is: now what? Your brain wants you to quit doing the work. YOU can choose to do it anyway.

I don't recall strong emotions from the writing exercises. What I do remember is a couple of "aha!" moments - where I recalled childhood experiences that weren't at all severe or even traumatic - but they did illustrate just how long I've been carrying around certain fears and neuroses, or they explained things about me which were based in family dynamics.

My therapist recommends curiousity about whatever you uncover, without judgement.