| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| shocksystems |
Posted - 05/29/2006 : 04:56:22
All:
I am currently suffering from chronic pain and have been for years. I am taking heavy amounts of painkillers to deal with the pain. I am convinced that TMS is my problem and I have been reading books and internet forums since January as well as seeing a physician who treats TMS.
I think I am very close to a break-through, but have not had any relief in pain yet. I think that psychotherapy might be effective in achieving a break-through. The box that I keep my feelings in is like Fort Knox. It has been quite a challenge to get my feelings out, the guards are on high alert.
Any words of advice in regards to psychotherapy?
If I cannot find a psychotherapist who is a "believer" in TMS in my area what should I look for instead? I suspect I do not need someone who is familiar with TMS specifically but I am not sure the type of psychotherapy I need. I think I have read that cognitive psychotherapy is not the most effective type for TMS patients. What is the term for the type of psychotherapy that is most effective?
Is it important for a psychotherapist to embrace Freud in order to be effective at treating TMS?
Thanks in advance,
Jim
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| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 19:15:44
2Scoops,
It's been a couple of years since I spoke with Donald Dubin, so my recollection is sketchy at this moment. Also, in the intervening period I saw a psychiatrist for depression, (a TMS equivalent), so my mind is a bit swiss-cheesy these days.
I visited with Donald in conjunction with a TMS exam with Dr. Schechter in L.A., CA. I had two sessions with him at his office near Dr. Schechter's. Actually, I was feeling pretty good back then. I saw Dr. Schechter to confirm that my chronic pain in my hip was TMS and NOT structural.
Lo and behold, upon examination of my collection of old films and physical exam, Dr. Schechter concluded that I did NOT have TMS but should get a hip-replacement, sooner than later.
This was quite a shock to me. I returned to SF, I had a few sessions with Donald via phone. He felt that Schechter could be wrong. He said I had one of the best understandings of TMS he had seen, (after reading Dr. Sarno's books, twice each, word for word, I would think so).
I needed Donald to help me reconcile the shock of the un-expected and un-desired, non-TMS dx. He is very knowledgable of TMS theory and gets it straight from the horse's mouth as it were. When I was consulting with Donald Dubin he was meeting in person with Dr. Sarno in NY. He mentioned to me at the time that the Good Doctor was working on a new book, which was The Divided Mind, I presume.
If I can recall any more details, 2Scoops, I'll post. I'm sure they are down in my unconscious somewhere. |
| 2scoops |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 14:46:54
Tom, did you receive any benefit from talking to Don Dublin. If you don't mind me asking, what types of things does he help uncover. I don't mean personal, maybe in a more general sense. |
| Fox |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 13:05:34
Choose a local Freudian at www.apsa.org/ |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 08:30:11
2Scoops,
I paid him $150, per session, in cash. This was a couple of years ago. I don't know if it could be covered by insurance. I think that would be up to your plan. Trying to figure out how insurance works, helps to fuel my TMS stress  . |
| 2scoops |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 08:17:00
I am interested in maybe doing therapy with Don Dublin, but it's becuase of the money. Does he accept insurance or is there a way to get some kind of help from insurance? |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 08:10:53
Jim,
Doesn't Dr. Martinez have any TMS psycho-therapists that he refers to?
You may want to check-out this site for TMS practitioners: http://www.tarpityoga.com/directory.html#MA
I noticed a Dr. Siegel in Mass but don't know how convenient to you he is.
I did some TMS therapy with Donald Dubin by phone. He is in L.A.,CA.
I have also worked with a traditional psychiatrist for depression, but he had no interest in TMS when I brought it up though he was schooled in psychosomatic medicine. His preferred method was, the "modern" way, to find the right amount of drugs.
I quit using the Lexapro, that he prescribed, when I felt it was making me worse, after I had to go to the ER for an anxiety attack that I feared to be a heart-attack. The doctor agreed to use the traditional talk method and we got me through the crisis.
In retrospect, I feel it would have been much more productive to have therapy with someone schooled in TMS. I would compare it to if you have a BMW it would be much more efficent to take it to a shop that specializes in that make than to a Mercedes dealer. Any good mechanic can repair any car, but, it is more efficient and you are more likely to have a satisfactory result if you take it to a specialist. They are familiar with the product, know where to get the needed parts and have the special tools for that make. |
| shocksystems |
Posted - 05/30/2006 : 02:55:48
Tom:
I see Dr. Eugenio Martinez in Boston.
Cheers!
Jim |
| tennis tom |
Posted - 05/29/2006 : 19:26:58
Hi shocksystems,
Which TMS doctor are you seeing?
Regards,
tt |
| Carolyn |
Posted - 05/29/2006 : 19:26:55
I went through the process of trying to find a therapist about a year ago. I started with my insurance list and started calling them but since you don't actually get to talk to the therapist, I'd end up asking the receptionist who would usually relay it to the therapist and come back and tell me 'well-- they've never heard of Sarno- they are not specifically Freudian but they use a variety of different methods - but why don't you come in'.- so that was not much help in the screening process.
Actually making appointments and interviewing therapists that way would, I think, be pretty time-consuming and very expensive and it takes a few sessions to kind of get a feel for one anyways. So I finally just picked one who listed psychosomatic disorders as an area of specialty and worked at a pain clinic. I figured it couldn't hurt even if I just learned some stress management techniques. She turned out to be pretty CBT focussed but in the first couple of sessions she did pick up and challenge some beliefs that I held that were very obvious once she pointed them out and probably were contributing to things that cause internal rage. But after the first few sessions I wasn't sure she was doing much for me and I always felt like she didn't really think my pain was psychologially induced. However something about the process of just verbalizing things to another person acts like a more powerful form of journaling and I always left the office feeling much 'lighter' and with muscles that were noticeably more relaxed. It only lasted for a few hours though.
I stopped seeing her because my insurance wasn't paying the bills. I had the feeling that at the rate I was uncovering things, therapy could be a VERY long-term and very exepnsive thing. It certainly couldn't hurt you and might help. Maybe if you can actually find a TMS therapist or a Freudian therapist, progress would be more rapid? I did feel like I picked up some techniques that she used that I can use on myself sometimes when I am journaling.
Good luck.
Carolyn |
| art |
Posted - 05/29/2006 : 15:49:26
I don't think you need a Freudian...For one thing, they're few and far between these days...For another, and this is strictly my personal opinion and shouldn't be given much weight, it's a costly, time consuming process, although I think these days they've streamlined the process somewhat
I think there's a middle ground. TMS and it's theoretical underpinnings are actually pretty simple. I'd probably interview some therapists, bring the books and sound them as to how receptive they'd be..Main thing in my opinion is to get someone who feels right and who has some background and or belief in psychosomatic illnesses |
| Dave |
Posted - 05/29/2006 : 10:02:14
Good old fashioned Freudian psychotherapy, with an open opinion about psychogenic/psychosomatic disorders.
Unfortunately CBT is the therapy of choice these days, and it may be difficult to find a therapist who does not dismiss Freud as a quack. |
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