Where to start?

Hi all I know this has probably been posted before so I apologise.

From what i can see there is a few programs on here. I am just getting my toes dipped in and would love to know which program is best to start on and if certain programs build on others. I know there's Alan Gordons multimedia one or is the pain recovery program, the 21 day program and then there's the structured education program too.

Can someone who's been here a long time best advise what I should be doing. I don't want to commit my life to this if that makes sense and obsess via program after program but I would a general roadmap I can follow that has been very successful for others.

If it matters or anyone cares I have had issues with "rsi" for years now and more issues just popped up.

 

I think the structured educational program is a good place to start, as well as reading a book by Sarno to get some more foundation.

everyone is different and finds success with different methods, some swear by Sarno some swear by PRT some love journalling some hate it.

I’m not fully recovered, but I’m in the best place I’ve ever been mentally in my entire life and feel the best physically since my debilitating chronic symptoms began nearly 1.5 yrs ago. Dan Buglio’s methods laid the foundation for me that I still use today. I’ve done a few methods (SEP, Journal speak, a little of Alan Gordon’s) , and personally I regret jumping around. I also really regret spending any time digging up the past but again everyone is different. If I were to talk to myself 1 year ago (when I became TMS aware), I’d say believe in and accept the TMS diagnosis (requires some foundation which the SEP or books can provide), find joy and try and live life as best you can, and start a dedicated non guided meditation practice. I’ve made more progress with 2.5 months of dedicated spiritual based meditation than I did in nearly a year of trying to dig up some hidden trauma or unprocessed emotions. Meditation leads to shifts in daily life, one of them being seeing past the bs of thought patterns that fuel TMS.

 

Rabscuttle's point about not jumping between programs is really worth taking to heart - I wasted months looking for the perfect method rather than going deep with one. JanAtheCPA's note about honesty and vulnerability in the exercises is key too. What helped me alongside whatever program I was doing was paying attention to how my body feels in ordinary moments - not to fix it, just with curiosity. That kind of gentle, non-judgmental attention to physical sensation seems to support whatever else you are working on. Good luck UrbanQuest, you are asking the right questions.

 

Hi @UrbanQuest, welcome to the forums!

Theories about why we get symptoms and how they arise differ. However, over the years, I’ve come to see that all roads out of mind–body suffering share a lot of common ground: recognising, acknowledging and feeling and safely expressing emotions; being authentic, setting boundaries when needed; learning to self-soothe; bringing small joys back into life, and carrying on with daily living as best we can despite symptoms. Taking gentle “baby steps” and being patient is key—the road can be bumpy, and improvements are rarely linear, but recovery does come.

Believing (or at least being open to believing) that symptoms are mind–body in nature—or being willing to suspend disbelief long enough to do the work—is essential.

If I were in your shoes, I’d ask which approach resonates with you most:

• Dr. Sarno’s view—that symptoms serve as a distraction from difficult or “dangerous” emotions (covered in the SEP, and Sarno's book The MindBody Prescription is, imo, a great place to start if you’ve not read one of his books), or
  
  
• Alan Gordon’s model—that symptoms stem from the brain sending a false alarm driven by fear.

Starting with what feels like the best fit is usually the gentlest (and most effective) way forward, because you’re not battling your own resistance.

Given what you’ve said here, if you’d like to “hedge your bets”, this is a daily/weekly rotation plan I put together that covers most mind–body bases to help do that: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/threa...to-cover-most-mind-body-approach-bases.30322/

From what you’ve written, it’s clear you get it—that the specific symptoms themselves don’t really matter, because they’re not the root cause. So many people struggle with this realisation, but you see it, so you’re already well on your way!

 

Would you have a link to this introductory page Jan. I am still trying to navigate the forum but encountering some difficulty.

 

@feldy @BloodMoon @JanAtheCPA @Rabscuttle
Thank you all for your advice. Just a little background. I read AG book and am now listening to his podcast this does resonate with me a lot. From what I understand there is the fear of pain then there's "under the hood stuff". I found sarnos book a bit of a struggle to get through currently reading dans pain free you book and nicole sachs book which I believe she builds on Sarnos theories. I will give Sarnos mindbody prescription a listen via audiobook.

From what I can gather ignore Alans 21 day program and just start with SEP. If anyone would like to expand on why I should ignore the former and jump straight into the latter that would be helpful. I know Dan says keep things as simple as possible and not have a million different rituals or routines.

So with all that in mind would the best thing then (and I know its obviously subjective however having a place to start is better than not starting) just to start with the SEP maybe get a little routine like journaling( but not trying to excavate the past more like getting your shit out just via pen and paper instead of letting it boil up up inside) and maybe do some mediation and obviously somatic tracking and being aware of sensations.

Apologies if the questions are redundant I would like to just nail this in the best as possible( I have perfectionist qualities so I'm trying to do "just enough" and not overly obsess with protocol.)

Again thank you all for the advice so far. I am honestly tired of the pain and disability.

 

The SEP is a simple but effective program that helps you learn about TMS while working on some journaling prompts. It uses a lot of different techniques so it helps you see what you like and what methods work for you. The 21 day program is more about information regarding TMS. I read a couple of days but never finish reading the program.

Don't let perfectionism get you. Just start a program and work on it. Don't worry if you miss a day. Just pick up where you left off and keep going. Give yourself grace during this time and be your own best friend.

SEP link: https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Structured_Educational_Program

 

@UrbanQuest

I agree with @Joulegirl about Gordon's 21 day program. Imho, it's more 'info' than it is 'program', but some people like it.

The SEP covers Sarno's model, it doesn't cover Gordon's model.

The SEP is good because it gets you actively looking at your emotions (and trying out journaling techniques, which a lot of people say they find helpful).

However, as I wrote before, for the reason I explained, if it were me I'd look at what resonates with you the most...

• Dr. Sarno’s model is that symptoms serve as a distraction from difficult or “dangerous” emotions.
  
  
• Alan Gordon’s model is that symptoms stem from the brain sending a false alarm driven by fear.

You've now indicated that Gordon's model seems to be resonating with you more than Sarno, so I'd suggest going down that route first (you can always do the SEP afterwards if you find you need to).

Btw, the suggestions in Gordon's book aren't enough and you want to follow an actual Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) program, then Gordon recommends this PRT workbook (it's written by two of his colleagues and he wrote the forward to it) https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Reprocessing-Therapy-Workbook-Neuroplasticity/dp/1648483763/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LSHJ3QAX2U99&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.B7vxDczqy4Wd9uz387fuZIQ2YChYuQjYnhtccKvQB2l_ROwCOTuLZ3Y5QCVD_O1xXagGGhgJMp7jVfaxHbcccRWo8Wew7uU7a9Me58ddqdpSRbAfAbPI7LDdBYomlRRqhQ5BtFBydBc-Ip8jrbye1WfaGu0w_FXbuji2UvB0Hbv4AhtZy8vMj5cjXNiLq_iMoabMn102iDheHH5kd36Emft_IUVxw8-xqDIpImkSrZk.mRieZyIxOTwcTKaorQgjTlq-Xid900pqZ7hyZRqfx20&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+pain+reprocessing+therapy+workbook&qid=1772465037&sprefix=the+pain+rep,aps,223&sr=8-1

 

Hello! You don't have to ignore one program over the other. Pick one that resonates the most with you and dive in. After, if you feel like you want to learn more, do another. There's no right or wrong answer here.

If I recall correctly, I did Alan's first and really enjoyed it, then I continued with the SEP -- however I never got to finishing it because my physical symptoms diminished/went away -- it's a great program.