| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| johnaccardi |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 13:04:07
I called Sarno this morning to make an appointment. There's a big problem...it's very expensive and 3 hours from my school, so I didn't make the appointment. There is a slim chance my dad will loan me the money to travel to New York once a week and limit my studying time all for something that he doesn't really know about and certainly doesnt believe in.
So, I decided I'll call Sarno back and get a recomendation for a good Psychotherapist in the Philadelphia area. I already know all about TMS as I have read the books countless times and filled 3 spiral notebooks with journaling. I need Psychotherapy.
I talked to my mom about it just now and she always gives the same advice. She says I don't need to pay for help... she doesn't take it seriously. She says I can just will my way through it...which hasn't worked for the past year and half.
Just looking for some feedback to my situation. Thanks. |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| winnieboo |
Posted - 01/18/2009 : 07:16:39
Posted by Marsha quote:
I think you need a good therapist to help you get out of your depression.
Posted by johnaccardi quote:
I need Psychotherapy
What's the hesitation? Even going to someone on campus would help ALOT. No one has to know! Not even your parents (if you are over 18). Isn't psych help part of your student health plan? It might even be free on campus?! Again, there seems to be so much resistance on the forum to psychotherapy. Just GO!! Give it a shot and if you hate it, quit or find someone else. I can guarantee you will like and appreciate it. It's a slot of time every week that's just for you, dedicated to you pouring out what's on your mind with a professional standing by to listen and help you sort it out. |
| skizzik |
Posted - 01/18/2009 : 03:50:12
nice post logan |
| Logan |
Posted - 01/17/2009 : 19:00:19
John,
Don't judge the possibility of a full recovery from the posts on this forum...
That's like looking around the waiting room of a dentist's office and thinking most Americans must have bad teeth. Some of us are simply here for our 6 mos. maintenance. Or like right now, here to check on the progress of someone who's on the brink of a breakthrough (that's you.)
[Some are also here b/c they haven't quite gotten the regular brushing/flossing down and so they've got some recurring "cavities" to deal with until they do...but that's a whole other post]
It is possible to kick TMS to the point where 99.999% of the time you are 99.999% pain free. I am.
I do sometimes check in here to keep myself from having trouble with TMS equivalents when I know I'm in the midst of a particularly stressful time...but I AM PAIN FREE. I have been pain free since 2003.
No more neck/shoulder pain. No more of the pain that plagued me for 4+ years. You can be pain free too. It hasn't been too long. You aren't too far gone. There're people who suffered for 20+ years who used Sarno's theory and are now pain free. So please, don't despair.
I think your plan is a good one and I'm confident you will emerge from the work 6 mos. to a year from now feeling dramatically better. |
| marsha |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 17:07:37
Life is a roller coaster. Good times and bad. The more you think you won't get out of this the more likely you won't. You can only do the best you can. I think you need a good therapist to help you get out of your depression. Your attitude appears to be self defeating. You are a young man your future is ahead of you. Get some help..you will survive and thrive. |
| johnaccardi |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 15:49:00
Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate these responses, they're very encouraging. I can make Sarno happen, but not until the summer, that's when I'll have time. So my plan is this:
I have recently enrolled in Dr. Schubiner's online program. I believe this will help me a great deal. It seems to be successful for most people and even if it doesn't rid me of my symptoms, it will give me a better understanding of myself and put me one step closer to recovery. If my symptoms are still with me by the summer time, I will go to Sarno, and I plan on calling him soon to tell him this plan.
Also, I've been reading a lot about people's experirnces with TMS and MBS symptoms throughout this forum and the Dr. Schubiner forum and it's quite depressing. It seems that no one ever fully gets over the symptoms. I am in this position where I know 100% its TMS but I feel like I might be stuck in this vicious cycle forever, or that when I finally become free it will be too late...I will have already sunken too deep into this weird, depressive state and lost everything in the process. |
| marsha |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 13:37:31
I think you should see Dr. Sarno also. It appears that you are really suffering . Although TMS is extremely painful it will not damage your body. It is pain to avoid deep emotional feelings. TMS is making you sick..go to see the doctor who is best able to help you.
I have been a patient of Dr. Sarno's. The first time in 1999 and just again in October after a relapse. I was pain free for 8 years . I am beginning to fell better again. It is hard hard work. For some pain relief comes fast and for others it takes a long time. Don't give up.
See Dr. Sarno..a visit with him and his lecture will put you on the road to recovery. |
| Logan |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 08:48:32
Hi John,
I just wanted to add my two cents to all the good advice you've gotten here.
My first thought is that if Sarno agreed to take you on as a patient, then maybe you should consider taking him up on the offer...
Could you get better without ever seeing the man in person? Yes. I did. Even though I was as scared as you were that 1) I didn't really have TMS and 2) if I did, then only Sarno could help me. But when I emailed him with a description of my symptoms/personality/progress since reading the Mindbody Prescription [at that time it'd only been maybe 2 mos.], he emailed me back and told me I didn't really need him.
What I did then was buy the DVDs and played them constantly for a few weeks while I was doing household chores. I also saw a therapist in my area for a couple of months. She didn't know Sarno's work but she did believe in the mindbody connection. Therapy helped me see that I was in some denial about how enraging my childhood had been. I knew it wasn't "perfect" but I had no idea how much my parents' benign neglect/high expectations had impacted me.
The Sarno DVDs and the insights I gained in just a few therapy visits gave me the boost I needed to kick the fear to the curb and to embark on an intensive, self-directed regimen of reprogramming my brain. Belief and behavioral reconditioning - that's the whole key right there. Simple but not so simple or quick to do, as you're well familiar with after a year + of journaling.
I think the fact that you've been working earnestly at this for a year, and that you're pretty young for a TMS sufferer, is why Sarno agreed to see you. I bet he could help you dramatically within just a few visits.
I don't know you, John. But I'm guessing you're (also) a really good kid who your parents have always relied on to do the right thing and to take care of yourself emotionally. It sounds like they're afraid to endorse your TMS "theory" because doing so would somehow be an admission that you're not the flawless kid they thought they'd raised and - this is their parental guilt/fear talking - if that's the case then it stands to reason that they're to blame.
Like my parents, I bet your parents are well intentioned people but...if Freud contributed anything to human understanding it's this: the conversion of a "savage" infant into a "good" boy or girl is never an easy one, never without trauma to the psyche. They did what parents do. They did their best. They love you. But right now you need to do what's right for you.
Can you perhaps take out a small student loan to cover the costs of seeing Sarno? Is there any way you could make it work? It's worth thinking about. |
| pandamonium |
Posted - 01/14/2009 : 02:58:38
Wow Webdan at your pic!
So, you have scoliosis? I had scoliosis too and it was in no pain whatsoever, zip, zilch, nada. Just had a curved spine that's all. So all this talk of "messed up back" causing pain is just rubbish.
By the way if you want to try and straighten your back there is an organisation here in the UK that can teach you techniques, they have a good success rate. Unfortunately they cannot help me because I have had a spinal fusion from T2 to L2 but if you were interested you could contact them and ask if they know of anyone in the US doing similar work?
Take a look at their results page, it's amazing what exercise can do! http://www.results.scoliosissos.com/21-40.html |
| johnaccardi |
Posted - 01/13/2009 : 14:44:44
Thanks webdan...great response |
| RageSootheRatio |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 07:54:31
Just to add to what Webdan65 posted ... couldn't agree more how important our own programming is ... no matter what anyone else says, if we don't believe it, we won't!
I also found another "self-talk" technique helpful ... "afformations" (Yes, AffOrmations, NOT affIrmations) ... rather than saying, "I know Dr Sarno's work will help me" .. (and if you don't believe it, then saying to yourself, "yah, right!) ... an affOrmation would ask, "Why WILL Dr Sarno's work help me?" and then just keep asking yourself that question and letting your brain start answering that question for you ... because you believe in Dr Sarno's work enough to be posting onto this board .. there must be something that speaks to you...
hope this is helpful for someone. If you want more information about how to use afformations, just do a google search. |
| Webdan65 |
Posted - 01/09/2009 : 05:53:33
John:
What I've found is that my belief that I'm going to get better was THE most important thing that helped me. Our SELF TALK - meaning the things we say to ourselves - and the things other people say to us become our "programming".
With TMS, Dave is right. Your current "program" is to expect failure. To be afraid of your symptoms.
Unless you can change your "programming" and what you say to yourself on a minute by minute basis, you won't get out of your problems.
Shad Helmstetter says in his book "The Self Talk Solution", that the strongest program always wins. You are looking externally for people to tell you you will be alright. But your internal program is full of fear that nothing will work. And it's pretty clear that your belief that you won't get better is the strongest mental blueprint.
Despite the positive words of encouragement from this forum, if YOUR head doesn't believe it - it won't work. It's gotta come from you.
Read through this post where I talk about mental programming:
http://tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5176
Then buy either book by Shad Helmstetter:
"What to say when you talk to yourself" or
"The Self Talk Solution"
And begin immediately a very proactive dialog with yourself affirming, declaring the new set of beliefs and thoughts that will help you out of your situation. I put my script in that post above. Make one for yourself and read it aloud or record it and listen as much as possible.
It takes discipline and time - but you can get there.
Me, I'm back at the gym and pretty much 98% out of my chronic pain. Used to be every move I'd make would send off spasms. Funny how that was happening while going to physical therapy and having them tell me 3 times a week how messed up my back is. Their "program" was telling me I was broken. Once I fired them and took control of my own mental blueprint or program, I started working my way out of it.
I'm still this crooked: http://twitpic.com/t8tr
Now that I've gotten my head straight I can actually do stretching to fix the muscle imbalances caused by long term pain - and do it without setting myself back into the chronic patterns.
Because I fixed my head first, I've gotten rid of the "chronic" part of the pain and I'm back to they gym lifting weights and even running on a treadmill. It used to be that I could barely walk fast without pain and spasms.
Dave is right - FEAR is part of TMS and banishing the fear is paramount to your success. I know first hand that is really difficult. But it IS possible.
Time to reprogram your thoughts and your mind. Go for it friend...
It takes work, but you can do it. In my opinion, no other process worked for me like taking control of my own thoughts.
(and yes, Schubiners program is very good.) |
| scd1833 |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 21:05:31
have you thought about getting the dvd of sarno?
initially I was "cured" of my back pain when I saw sarno on ABC's 20/20 on TV. I recorded the 10 min. program on my vcr, and watched it about 20 times that weekend after 4 days all my back pain completely went away, just from watching the tape!! after that I got the books and within 6-8 weeks my tennis elbo and chronic knee pain were gone also. |
| scd1833 |
Posted - 01/08/2009 : 20:58:55
have you thought about getting the dvd of sarno?
initially I was "cured" of my back pain when I saw sarno on ABC's 20/20 on TV. I recorded the 10 min. program on my vcr, and watched it about 20 times that weekend after 4 days all my back pain completely went away, just from watching the tape!! after that I got the books and within 6-8 weeks my tennis elbo and chronic knee pain were gone also. |
| Cee |
Posted - 01/07/2009 : 14:55:57
Hi. I wanted to make an appointment with Dr.Sarno about two years ago but was tolds that he only saw patients from New York or CT.....so I never got the appointment.
Cee |
| johnaccardi |
Posted - 01/07/2009 : 12:03:54
debbette,
Thanks for the therapist recomendation, but I'm actually going to try the Schubiner online program and see how that works. I sent a letter to sarno, telling him of my situation and asking him when I could call him. He wrote back saying to call on mondays, tuesdays, or wednesdays between 9:30 and 11.
I only go to school in philly...I live in Jersey, but I never told Sarno that. I only told him that I go to school in philly, it was even my return address and he was willing to make an appointment with me. |
| debbette |
Posted - 01/07/2009 : 07:26:47
John,
I'm curious, how did you get Sarno to agree to see you if you're in the Philly area? He didn't even return my call. |
| debbette |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 19:05:39
John, I see a Psychotherapist in Philly. I've only seen him 3x but I do feel he's helping me. He is not familiar with Sarno/TMS but he does takes my insurance (!). If you'd like, I can give you his number.
|
| tcherie |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 15:42:31
In my opinion the fact that people say that you have to believe that it will work first, isn't something that I think is an empty, blindless hope.
I think it is a well-established fact that people who see their illness or health challenge in a positive way have an increased chance of getting better, while people have died because the doctor said, "they did not have the will to live."
I think that WILL has a more profound effect than we can possible understand. I believe it changes your blood flow, your energy, over time (for some immediately, everyone is different).
So I think everyone who believes in TMS keeps preaching the same message because your body does react to your core beliefs. If you are consistent with your core beliefs and you make positive changes in your attitude, how you do things, and react to situations, you will start to get better. The pain will eventually go away.
It may very well be an uphill battle, but you have to believe that you will reach the top. Believing you will reach the top causes you to do the basic actions which lead to success. If you have no belief, you may go through the mechanics, but your body knows that what you are doing is mechanical. |
| mizlorinj |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 14:23:37
John, Dave's right--you need to change your perspective. If you don't believe something's going to work for you, it isn't going to. You need to believe the therapy will work. It has worked for many people once they applied themselves.
I'd be dissecting the fears and writing about them NOW. This is not a brand new idea and it has worked for many people. Believe that it will work for you too! You have nothing to lose by trying that approach! Acknowledge the pesky voice that arises and conquer it with "quiet please--I am going this route and it is going to work for me."
The Pathway book of the Solution program is still a good way to learn to dissect issues. I know you had once looked into it.
-Lori |
| Dave |
Posted - 01/06/2009 : 09:23:05
quote:
Originally posted by johnaccardi
I am just so scared that it wont work, and psychotherapy wont work, and even Sarno wont work. I fear using every resort I have and still walking away with this horrible symptom. It feels like an endless uphill battle.
The FEAR is a TMS symptom. It is difficult to banish but you have to keep working on it. For treatment to work you must have faith that it will work, take a long term view, and not get frustrated by lack of day-to-day progress.
It is a good idea to start psychotherapy but you need to try to take a positive attitude and banish the fear. |
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