1. To provide a comprehensive program that includes all possible treatments and avoids the DRUGS vs ALTERNATIVES debate.
2. To stress the importance of a combination of treatments which can change, according to the situation and need, rather than trying to rely on one pill or therapy to handle everything.
3. To provide an approach which takes into account a possibility for improvement in our survival skills, leading to decreased severity, or even remission of symptoms. Until now, the general theory has been, "Use alternatives until your RLS gets really bad, and then you will have to switch to drugs, because the alternatives will not work, anymore." In truth, the drugs tend to stop working, too. We can't think in a linear fashion. It's not a given that RLS will get worse, and it's not a given that we will need more help, as time goes on. We need to be able to adjust to an ever changing set of symptoms and responses to treatments.
4. To provide a concise, understandable, and usable answer, when people ask, "What do you do for your RLS?" I can say, "I use the RLS Rebel Program, which consists of a Reduction Plan and the B.O.T.A., or Bag of Tricks Approach." It's short, sweet, and applies to everyone, regardless of their preferred method of treatment.
5. To encourage each RLSer to take charge of his/her own RLS experience and to provide the RLSer with a plan to be successful.
Will this work, for everyone? When we talk about RLS, we have to always use disclaimers, saying it might not be true for everyone. But with the RLS Rebel Program, I'd say it will yield positive results with 99% of the RLSers who use it, apply it, and stick with it.
How can I be so sure? Because the RLS Rebel Program is really just a generic "one size fits all" format, or outline. It's a plan of attack, but it's NOT the actual ammunition. It's up to the individual RLSer to gather the information, the tricks, and the persistence, and put it all into the Rebel Program and make it work. The program, itself, is just a guideline that can work, to some extent, for practically everyone with RLS.
STILL, a disclaimer and a warning! NOTHING WILL WORK 100% to rid you of RLS. This program, however, can help you reduce the frequency and minimize the severity of your RLS attacks, so that you can achieve greater success at surviving WITH your RLS.
PART I: The REDUCTION PLAN ©
1. Reduce Panic
2. Reduce Chaos
3. Reduce Symptoms
4. Reduce Deficiencies
5. Reduce Aggravators
6. Reduce Situations
PART II: The B.O.T.A. ( Bag of Tricks Approach ) ©
1. Gather Your Tricks
2. Pack Your Bags
3. Apply your Plan of Attack
4. Apply your Relief Plan
Repeat #3 and #4
over and over.......
