Dr. David Hanscom

Dr. David Hanscom The DOC (Direct your Own Care) Journey presents tools to effectively process stress and nurture joy. In safety, your body can and will regenerate and heal.

They are separate but linked skill sets that allow your body to heal. They evolved from his personal journey out of chronic mental and physical pain. As you become a "professional" at living your life, your body will be less exposed to flight or fight chemistry and more time in safety physiology. The DOC Journey course has a sequence of seven legs to teach you the skills to regulate your body's chemistry and they become automatic with repetition. They will become your new way of navigating life, and as you become more proficient at dealing with adversity, you'll have the capacity for creativity and joy. Some of healing concepts are:

-anxiety relief by regulating your stress physiology
-change your relationship to stress from reaCtive to Creative - You must "C first
-the Dynamic Healing model allows you to bring these concepts into your daily life
-stories of hope - you are not alone, feel that you are being heard, and hope is healing
-treating others with kindness allows you to more ably to treat yourself kindly
-play is a profound healing state of safety physiology and a powerful healing force
-allowing yourself to feel pain instead of fighting it, causes it to fade. "You have to feel to heal."
-awareness is at the core of all the tools. You cannot change what you don't know.
-chronic physical and mental pain have a common cause at the cellular level

This is a link to his resources page that presents the body of his work: https://backincontrol.com/resources-2/

It includes two books, "Back in Control" and "Do You Really Need Spine Surgery?"

The DOC Journey app (https://backincontrol.com/doc-journey-app/) and Course (thedocjourney.com) offer action plans out of chronic mental and physical pain. The key to healing is engagement and the outcomes are consistent with attaining this expertise. "To have a good life, you must live a good life."

09/22/2025

Break free from old patterns and step into a life filled with clarity and peace. 🌱 Your transformation begins here.
✨ Grab your copies for both books via the link on my profile bio. Just click my picture and you will see the link below the number of followers. Thanks!

09/22/2025

Make Your Home a “Safe House”

The one place each of us deserves to feel safe and relax is at home, but it is often the center of a lot of chaos. Family members trigger each other, and it is unavoidable. It only varies in frequency and degree. This process is magnified if a member is in pain. Instead of creating a haven of safety and support (the essence of healing), people are pushed away.
Where else are you going to potentially find safety in this world at the level you can at home. Decide that regardless of how upset anyone is, that all arguments are taken outside. The physical structure of your home is a place that everyone has a right to enjoy. Make it happen.

“Make Your Home “Safe House” - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/node/1143066/preview

Healing Your Family’s Pain – Dynamic Healing Moments

Les Aria, PhD – www.lesariaphd.com
David Hanscom, MD – www.thedocjourney.com

Ron was only in his early twenties when he ruptured his lowest disc, L5-S1, while on the job a couple of years earlier. ...
09/21/2025

Ron was only in his early twenties when he ruptured his lowest disc, L5-S1, while on the job a couple of years earlier. A prior surgical attempt to remove the disc had not given him lasting relief. When I first saw him, he was experiencing ongoing severe sciatica down the back of his leg. His MRI scan showed a large ruptured disc. It had probably re-ruptured relatively soon after his first surgery.

Read his full story here: https://backincontrol.com/salvaged-his-own-spine-surgery/?v=da984e42a589

09/20/2025

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks with Dr. Rozina Lakhani, a psychiatrist who specializing in the treatment of stress and is the author of the book, Stress to Joy: Your Toolkit to Restore Peace of Mind in Minutes. She discusses her 3-step approach to coping with stress. She explains the concepts of "circle of concern", "circle of influence" and the "emotional coping account" which are central to learning to manage stress in our everyday lives.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify! Just search the title 😊

You have everything you ever wanted, yet still feel mentally or physically miserable. Why?Because the pursuit of happine...
09/19/2025

You have everything you ever wanted, yet still feel mentally or physically miserable. Why?

Because the pursuit of happiness through pleasure and accomplishments often leaves us empty. A hedonistic lifestyle not only fails to bring joy, but it can also activate your immune system and harm your health.

True healing comes from living with passion, purpose, connection, and giving back. Shifting focus from yourself to others is the secret to a more fulfilling, anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

What do you choose: fleeting pleasure or lasting purpose?

09/18/2025

Taking charge of your life involves understanding your body's response to stress, breaking the cycle of chronic pain, and cultivating a sense of safety and control.

Just like being in the eye of a storm, it highlights the need to calm the nervous system and regain a sense of safety, which is the first step toward healing and taking control of one’s life. By recognizing triggers, shifting your mindset, and using tools like meditation and structured relaxation, you can regain control and reduce anxiety.

09/17/2025

The reason emotional eating feels so addictive is simple: it works! When you reach for comfort food, your brain is actually shifting into enjoyable neurological circuits, creating a quick sense of relief. But here’s the catch: while it may calm you in the moment, it can also build patterns that keep you stuck. Understanding the psychology of emotional eating and the food-brain connection is the first step toward breaking the cycle and finding real peace.

Are you ready to shift from temporary comfort to lasting freedom?

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Oakland, CA
94610

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