Graham Tuffee Adelaide, South Australia

Steve Ozanich and I met through Fred Amir's TMS forum. We had both experienced significant TMS symptoms and found ourselves on a recovery parallel. I had chronic back pain at the time, but years of various (typically TMS) pain symptoms prior to that. Steve and I were able to compare notes and help each other in the understanding of TMS and the application of the recovery principles. The mutuality was of great value. Steve's personal experiences and insights and his commitment to his own recovery were an inspiration to me. I have had no medical treatment since recovery, 12 years ago‚ and I am 64 yo. I trust that others will find his book, his story, and his passion for knowledge and self- help, equally inspiring.

--Graham Tuffee Adelaide, South Australia

Kim Antonson, NY

I discovered Steve Ozanich's work on The Rapid Relief from Back Pain Yahoo Group several years ago and it was apparent from the beginning that he had a solid understanding of TMS, as discovered by Dr. John Sarno. Not only did he understand it, he was able to clearly articulate in ways others could understand, because had healed from his chronic pains it was heartening to hear his story and also see his willingness to step forward and help others free themselves from pain.

I found Steve's guidance to be enlightening, humorous and extremely helpful at a time in my life that I was battling chronic sciatica. His posts were supportive, well written and helped me gain an even deeper understanding of TMS, how it was affecting my life and what I could do about that. I'm happy to report that I was able to break away from my pain and am now pain free and I fully attribute Steve for helping me with that.

I'm very much looking forward to reading his new book, which I'm sure will help many, like myself, beat their struggles with chronic pain.

--Kim Antonson, NY

James A. (Jimmy) Piver, Beaufort, Jr., NC

Your ability to communicate what you have learned and experienced and the input and research from so many people, including physicians will IMO make your book a standout in the field without parallel!!! Of all the books and materials I have read and studied on TMS and Mind/Body/Healing, your words expressed on TMS Forums and in personal emails to me have been the most helpful and I can happily say I am free at last!

--James A. (Jimmy) Piver, Beaufort, Jr., NC

Allan J. Masison, Weymouth, Massachusetts

A few years ago I suffered from spinal stenosis which is a condition whereby calcium accumulates in the spine and impacts the spinal cord. I could only walk for a few steps at a time and when I did I used a cane. The cure is to have surgery to remove a portion of the vertebrae to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord. I was scheduled for such surgery at the Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston.

Dr. John Sarno wrote a book, entitled - Healing Back Pain. He contends that most back pain is a result of a psychosomatic process. He acknowledges that the pain is very real and "ot in one's head." The key to the pain being psychosomatic is that the pain becomes chronic by lasting several months. To recover, one must recognize that the pain is emotionally induced and not the result of a physical process such as a pinched nerve or a herniated disc.

The recovery process varies considerably. Some have an "aha" moment and the recovery is very rapid such as in a day or two. Others may take months.

There is a forum for suffers of back pain to provide help for those who are trying to recover. Steve was a huge help in my recovery process. I enjoyed his postings on the forum and we very quickly formed an email alliance. I lost count of all the emails. I never met Steve in person but I felt that he was my very close friend and tutor. I would easily give him credit for accelerating my recovery.

We seemed to see eye to eye on many of the concepts particularly in analyzing the hidden rage that is the basis of Dr. Sarno's clinical evidence. Suppressed anger or hidden rage is buried in the subconscious and the pain is a distraction. To recognize the anger or rage is to eliminate the pain. Easier said than done‚ sometimes.

The concept is initially difficult to accept and Steve was an immense help to me in this regard. One cannot argue with success. No one knows how many have been helped by Dr. Sarno's book which is now the number one best seller in its class on Amazon. It is difficult to do this by oneself and having outside guidance can be so beneficial. I cancceled my surgery and I have been pain free ever since‚ I am 81 years old.

--Allan J. Masison, Weymouth, Massachusetts

Dmitriy Zamoshchin, Vitebsk, Belarus or Aurora, Colorado

I cannot praise Steve enough for the words he wrote 3 years ago when he suggested to me to simply allow my pain - that it would somehow help melt my ego in the TMS healing process. Those words connected deeply with me, and it was the final stone that pulled all the TMS material together for me. It healed me from my back pain. I hope his book will help many people to heal as his words helped me then.

--Dmitriy Zamoshchin, Vitebsk, Belarus or Aurora, Colorado

D.L., Philadelphia, PA

Steve you are a light in the window, I cannot say in words how helpful it is to communicate with you, how you give me hope, and help me understand this TMS condition. You are one of the reasons I can still put one foot in front of the other, you give me hope for a better life. Debbie L., Philadelphia, PA

--D.L., Philadelphia, PA

Georgia Blancquart, (Nice, France)

My name is Georgia, I am from France currently living in California. A few years ago I developed pain in my lower back, buttocks - as well as bladder pain. No doctor could help me and I felt helpless, depressed and could not do much. I cried most of the time. The pain was so bad. Doctors could not help me, pills would not help at all, and then, I met Steve through the internet. Steve helped me tremendously! IF IT WASN T FOR STEVE, I DONT KNOW WHAT I WOULD HAVE BECOME! I WAS HELPLESS - FOR MONTHS - AND HAD NO MORE SMILE ON MY FACE!

Steve began by helping me understand the relationship between mind and body. THAT THEY ARE ONE. THEY HAVE TO BE IN HARMONY. He also showed me how emotions, our past, our present and our repressed emotions manifest in physical ways if we don't realize them and express our fears (we don't have to get rid of the past or what happened to us, no one can, but we have to understand how our emotions affect our physical being!). Steve emailed me pretty much every day when I was losing hope to keep me going, told me to read again the books of Dr. John Sarno (Mindbody Connection and Healing Back Pain, also Dr. Sopher's book) He told me to read it over and over and to think about what I was reading and reread it again and again, to really comprehend it, to really have my unconscious mind get it! He explained to me how to face my pain AND NOT LET IT WIN OVER ME! I would print out and read Steve's emails over and over again and I started to feel better over a few months. Of course at times the pain would intensify, as Steve explained it might, because I started to understand that the pain was real but that it came from my repressed emotions. What an unbelievable breakthrough it all was!!!

Steve often told me: Never give up, NEVER GIVE IN TO PAIN. I am so thankful for him. His unconditional love and support are rare! IT IS ALL FROM HIS HEART! I am currently a healthy 46 year old woman, free of pain for years now; I work out, travel, work with children and enjoy my life again. I am so thankful to you for the rest of my life Steve. Merci my friend, Good luck with your book. I KNOW IT WILL HELP MANY OTHERS.

--Georgia Blancquart, (Nice, France)

Bart D. Schmidt, O.D. Estes Park, CO

I have TMS. I did not realize it for many years. I just suffered with back pain. Then, I read a book about TMS, but was still not convinced that it was real. I started checking out the Internet and happened upon a group, where I met Steve Ozanich. After some back and forth with Steve, I learned even more about the problem of TMS. My back pain had grown even more intense, to the point that I could hardly walk. I even had what is commonly referred to as foot drop. I was willing to try most anything short of surgery to relieve my pain.

I began confronting my past and my feelings. At Steve's urging, I sat down one Saturday and wrote out all of the things that were bothering me in my life. It took pages and pages, with most of it centering around my parents. When I got done, I read all that I had written. Then, I tore the pages to shreds. I was amazed that my back actually felt a bit better! I continued this task for several days, each day feeling a bit better. Many weeks of confronting my feelings and discussions with Steve followed. Soon, I was able to walk around the block again. I became a TMS believer!

Throughout it all, Steve was there for me. He offered suggestions, counseled me, and convinced me to keep a positive attitude. Without his help, I would not be where I am today - free of back pain. Thanks Steve!

--Bart D. Schmidt, O.D. Estes Park, CO

KH, North Carolina

Steve Ozanich has been front and central to my healing over the past several years. He makes more sense than most physicians and therapists combined simply because he has lived the TMS experience and knows TMS so well! He provided a listening ear when I knew that my primary care provider and my family did not fully understand TMS and the impact it has had on my life.

Steve has patiently coached me on a path to healing from TMS that I am certain I could not have navigated by myself. With all the analyzing and thinking I've done over the past 25 years, I hadn't realized that I had been ignoring so many feelings due to a controlling superego. I am now learning to acknowledge my feelings and let them be valid and OK; it is largely because of Steve that I have reached this point and I am very grateful to him.

I'm sometimes amazed at his astounding knowledge of TMS; he has really done his homework and shares his wealth of knowledge in a friendly and non-judgmental way. I know that he feels a strong sense of duty to help others find their own path to health and he is tireless in his pursuit.

It was Steve who introduced me to the concept of the shadow or dark side which has helped me to better understand how I get derailed and also has helped me to acknowledge and accept my shadow so that I can clearly see the path. He taught me that it is necessary to "force" my mind away from my body‚ when one is in the depths of TMS, "force" is really what one must do.

I have been extremely lucky to have Steve as my mentor. I have a longstanding case of TMS and would consider myself about 70% healed. The farther I get along the path, the more I experience a friendly world wherein I can comfortably live without pain and tension. Another thing Steve has told me repeatedly is to have faith. It is with a firm understanding of TMS, in all of its guises, and undying faith in the path of healing that one heals from TMS.

--KH, North Carolina

Diane R. Hampton, NH

Because I knew Steve was a layman who personally experienced success with TMS and openly shared his healing with many others, his advice and encouragement connected more deeply with me. He understands our successes and our setbacks because he has been there himself. He is one of us. Steve has many people skills: warmth, caring, compassion, and an intuitive ability to know when to gently encourage, when to push, and what special communication technique will work with each person. For me, it was his wonderful sense of humor that helped rid my "bad back‚" I'm thankful Steve was on my side!

--Diane R. Hampton, NH