Reading has been instrumental to this process, and these books have helped me make much more progress than I would have been able to on my own. These are the books that had the biggest impact on my journey.
TMS
The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by John Sarno
This was the first TMS book that I read that introduced me to the concept, by the person who first put a name to the phenomenon. This book awakened me to the possibility that what I was experiencing might be coming from my brain and not my body. And even though that initial idea didn’t cure my pain, it put me on a path to doing so.
Unlearn Your Pain: A 28-day process to reprogram your brain by Howard Schubiner and Michael Betzold
They call TMS MBS (Mind Body Syndrome) but it’s the same concept. This workbook is life-changing and offers a concrete path to accepting the TMS diagnosis and eliminating your pain.
Think Away Your Pain: Your Brain is the Solution to Your Pain by David Schechter
While Dr. Schecter’s book is a bit of a rehash once you read the two above, I credit him with being the physician who finally allowed me to accept my TMS diagnosis and dispel my pain not once, but twice. If you believe you have TMS and are ever in the Los Angeles area, making an appointment with him could change your life.
Trauma & The Body
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
TMS gave me the answer of ‘what’ was happening to me but it didn’t give me the ‘why’. This remarkable book gives that answer, and what’s more, provides insight into how people who are prone to TMS can heal emotionally to lead richer lives. Following the advice in this book for a period of time is a little like being color blind and putting on those newfangled glasses that allow you to see colors. It wakes up your body to emotions and realities you forgot existed.
Meditation
Teach Us to Sit Still: A Skeptic’s Search for Health and Healing by Tim Parks
This was the first book that I read that indicated to me that my pain could influenced by a mind-body connection. Long before I learned about TMS, I spent all of my time searching online for ‘chronic pelvic pain cure’ and similar searches. I eventually ran into this beautifully written book that was by one of my favorite authors so I figured…why not?
Tim, suffering from chronic pelvic pain, stumbled into the cure for TMS and trauma through pure trial and error. He got heavy into meditation and it changed not only his pain but also the way that he looked at the world. It’s a wonderful, humorous look into how a skeptic with no interest in ‘woo’ stumbles into the world of meditation, body awareness, and acceptable through sheer desperation.
Unclenching 