| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| zhimbus |
Posted - 03/04/2009 : 23:45:58
I'm fairly new to this forum, but after reading so many stories and reflecting on my own, I had a realization.
About four years ago, I began to have constant tingling in my toes. At the time, my boyfriend had a waterbed and I suspected that contributed to the problem, as I am overweight and it's a strain to turn your body on a fluid surface. I started getting weekly massages and after about 4-5 months the tingling disappeared.
About 5 months ago, the tingling returned, but this time I ignored the symptoms and now the tingling has moved to my ankles and hands. The massage therapist who had helped me before was no longer in practice, so I went to see someone new. It did not help. I also went for acupuncture and that did not help either.
When I think back on what was different between the two experiences, it occurred to me that the person I worked with four years ago absolutely believed he could help me and he made me believe it too. The massage therapist and acupuncturist I saw recently did not seem confident that they could help.
I know it may seem unrelated to the topic of TMS, but I wonder how many people would benefit from more hopeful caregivers. Not because the treatment itself is actually changing anything, but because it helps the patient to relax, not worry, and begin to believe that they are on the path to recovery. Scientific studies show that people get better while taking placebos, so why can't caregivers offer a placebo in the form of a belief that you will be fine?
I noticed that everytime I went to a new caregiver, I was very focused on how optimistic they seemed about helping me. The massage therapist I was seeing even said she didn't want to treat me anymore because I was not responding. For me, having caregivers give up on me or say they've run out of ideas intensifies the worry and therefore the symptoms. I've realized that I'm looking for more than a specific treatment, I'm looking for hope.
Wondering if anyone can relate to this... |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mizlorinj |
Posted - 03/05/2009 : 07:00:45
The attitude of the caregiver does make a difference. I believe it was Dr. Bernie Siegal who points out that if your caregiver believes in the treatment, your brain picks this up and you will benefit--even if temporarily. If you are told "well this is probably not going to work but. . ." your brain will respond to that too and it won't likely work for you because your doc, etc doesn't believe it will. |
| pandamonium |
Posted - 03/05/2009 : 06:18:20
"I've realized that I'm looking for more than a specific treatment, I'm looking for hope.
Wondering if anyone can relate to this..."
ABSOLUTELY! Of course we'll have a different attitude when a caregiver tells us "I've treated hundreds of patients like you and they have all made a full recovery" than if they say unconvincingly (as in my case) "Well, let's send you to the pain clinic and see if there's anything they can do for you..."
I think that was one of the most powerful things about reading HBP, here was a medical professional who not only knew what pain I was experiencing and described it exactly (that in itself was unheard of) but who could give me a physiological reason for my pain (also unheard of), and who'd treated successfully thousands of patients (amazing). That gave me such hope I cannot tell you, and hope was the one thing that I'd lost sight of about 3 years into my pain.
|
|
|
