| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Missy |
Posted - 06/09/2009 : 14:26:35
I am a formerly recovered TMS patient who saw fast relief from my lower back pain that lasted for several years after being treated by Dr. Sarno. However, my pain returned, as apparently many people experience and I have not been able to rid myself of it for over a year now. I know that the many symptoms are psychosomatic, yet they will not resolve, despite my best efforts.
I went to three group meetings as follow up care and enjoyed no relief. When I spoke to Dr. Sarno, he simply told me that I need psychotherapy. I agree that this might help and would love to give it a try. However, one of the major stressors in my life is financial, as many of you are sure to empathize with given our bad economy. This was a common theme at the group meeting and I had in depth conversation with 5 other patients who had my identical story to tell, including the Rx for psychotherapy from Dr. S.
As an aside, I am in psychotherapy with a care provider who accepts my insurance, but it is not one of Dr. Sarno’s people. None of them accept my insurance, or any insurance that I know of…
So my point is simple. I am curious what a person like me or the other people I spoke to, is supposed to do now. We are stuck, due to our inability to pay $200 per session weekly and have no other recourse. I think something must be done, but no one at NYU seems to think so.
In my opinion, it is wonderful to come up with a cure for the horrible pain we all feel. However, it is unconscionable, socially irresponsible and downright cruel to hold this cure before people like a tease. What good is the cure if only the privileged few can afford it and is it wrong for me to think this? What is the solution? - Missy |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Peg |
Posted - 06/18/2009 : 18:38:21
Thanks for the book recommendation flutterby. sounds good.
>"In my experience, anxiety is not really about what other people think about us, even though ostensibly this may seem to be the case. What anxiety is truly about is the fear or terror of showing some aspects of self – spontaneity, expression of feelings such as anger, disappointment, love, risk-taking, speaking the truth. Visualise yourself being totally true to self, in possession of self, feeling a rock-hard sense of self, fully aware of your own immense power to take responsibility for your own life – will you feel continually anxious? Hardly!"
Excellent. Thanks for the link to the article RSR, it was great.
Peg
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei |
| flutterby |
Posted - 06/18/2009 : 03:05:25
Thank you for pointing me in the direction of the articles, RSR! I hadn't thought of looking under 'News' and was disappointed that there wasn't more about Tony Humphreys' way of looking at things on his website! I can see I'm going to be spending time trawling through his articles!
I think his book, 'The Power of Negative Thinking' will be of great help to anyone wanting to look deeper than 'positive thinking'. Chapter 7, for instance, is entitiled 'The Power of Stress and Illness'. |
| RageSootheRatio |
Posted - 06/17/2009 : 20:18:41
flutterby, thanks for the reference re Tony Humphreys. One article in particular on his web site caught my eye, in terms of his take on "anxiety" (he also talks about the "symptom imperative" in this article, although uses different terminology). I like what he says about looking deeper than the "internal or external signs of stress" and going deeper than meditation, relaxation exercises, meds, counseling, etc to resolve them:
http://www.tonyhumphreys.ie/news/previous/002stressing.html
In part, he says about anxiety:
"In my experience, anxiety is not really about what other people think about us, even though ostensibly this may seem to be the case. What anxiety is truly about is the fear or terror of showing some aspects of self – spontaneity, expression of feelings such as anger, disappointment, love, risk-taking, speaking the truth. Visualise yourself being totally true to self, in possession of self, feeling a rock-hard sense of self, fully aware of your own immense power to take responsibility for your own life – will you feel continually anxious? Hardly!"
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| flutterby |
Posted - 06/17/2009 : 10:57:14
Dave wrote:
_________________________________________________________
Maybe the answer is to stop analyzing yourself.
_________________________________________________________
Maybe.. but then maybe not!
It seems to me that there are many different ways that people find to get relief from their TMS symtoms.
Some treat their pain/symptoms as a welcome sign that they need to explore something that is amiss in their lives - the 'Lassie' approach; others speak sternly to their brain and refuse to accept their symptoms/pain, 'call its bluff', so to speak.
Some seem to make progress by simply giving themselves a strong dose of Positive Thinking, while others need to delve deep and discover the roots of their 'negativity' and heal them.
I think that ultimately, we all have to find our own way but with such a diversity of opinions and methods described on this forum, there is surely bound to be something that will work for everybody! |
| PRCalDude |
Posted - 06/17/2009 : 09:57:19
quote:
Originally posted by Dave
quote:
Originally posted by Missy
In my opinion, it is wonderful to come up with a cure for the horrible pain we all feel. However, it is unconscionable, socially irresponsible and downright cruel to hold this cure before people like a tease. What good is the cure if only the privileged few can afford it and is it wrong for me to think this? What is the solution? - Missy
I personally believe thinking that TMS is something to be "cured" is the wrong way to approach treatment.
Psychotherapy is a tool, nothing more. It is not a magic bullet. Even if you could afford it, if you go to psychotherapy thinking that it will "cure" you then it is likely to lead to frustration and disappointment.
In my opinion acceptance is crucial. Accept the symptoms as a benign indicator that you have psychological issues to address. Accept that you might have psychogenic symptoms for the rest of your life. Accept that even if you don't completely banish the symptoms for good, that you have still made tremendous progress from where you started. Accept that you will continue to make progress. Accept that you cannot afford psychotherapy and therefore you need to do the best you can on your own.
You are lucky in that you are already a patient of Dr. Sarno. You know how to treat TMS. Now, you just must focus more on the treatment since you are going through some rough times.
I believe when treating TMS one should not be looking for a "cure" but rather a fundamental change in the way we think about and react to the symptoms. Psychotherapy is a great tool for some, but it is not essential to recovery. You already have the knowledge and experience. Accept that you just have to work a bit harder right now.
What Dave said. |
| Dave |
Posted - 06/17/2009 : 09:52:59
quote:
Originally posted by sarita
so hillbilly, for you, TMS is an anxiety condition. i am looking for an answer, and i think it makes sense. especially when i analyze myself.
Maybe the answer is to stop analyzing yourself.
You can't "think" your way out of TMS. Our intelligence can be an impediment to recovery. I call it "running up into your head." It's a distraction, just like the symptoms.
Some people make TMS recovery far more complicated than it needs to be. What you call it or how you decide to explain it to yourself is irrelevant. These are just concepts that we humans created -- metaphors, if you will, to attempt to understand how our brain works. Well, I have news for you. The human race hasn't figured out 5% of how the brain works. To believe that Dr. Sarno or anyone truly understands the exact mechanisms of TMS is arrogant. All we can do is create metaphors to allow us to relate to it on some level.
Ultimately recovery is about reconiditioning yourself to think about and react differently to the symptoms. In the simplest terms, TMS is just a bad habit we have to break. Getting there is a personal journey but it always starts with acceptance that the symptoms are benign and not caused by a structural problem. |
| flutterby |
Posted - 06/13/2009 : 16:02:00
quote:
Originally posted by fibri
I do think positive thinking is important, but constantly telling ourselves we are great, if we are not really, is counterproductive.
Looking back I can see that I got myself into a dire pain situation with a surfeit of 'positive thinking', convincing myself that I was fine in a situation in which it was more appropriate to grieve.
A book I have found extremely helpful is 'The Power of Negative Thinking' by Tony Humphreys, a clinical psychologist. It may not be everybody's cup of tea but I think it is worth checking out. I ordered it from the library because I was so intrigued by the title, but found it so 'spot on' for getting to the 'roots' and how to progress from there that I've just ordered my own copy (less than 5 GBP and free p&p from play.com!)
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| fibri |
Posted - 06/13/2009 : 14:59:26
Wonderful post Sarita. I agree with you - we all have to be able to look at our own selves very objectively. I do think positive thinking is important, but constantly telling ourselves we are great, if we are not really, is counterproductive.
All of us should be able to look at our own selves as objectively as we observe others. And see the bad as clearly as the good. Sometimes, saying that "I am not good at my job" is not low self-esteem, it's the plain honest truth. If we can see and accept our own weaknesses, I think it makes us stronger.
I have downloaded the mp3 files from the Weekes link you provided and look forward to listening to them. Thanks for that.
Missy, I sympathise with your frustration. But I also feel that Dr Sarno is only human and may sometimes say things that are not wise or even kind. I thought in looking at an interview of him that he looks very sad. On a very different level, I work in a job where I try and try to convince people to change their attitudes, and I know how hard and frustrating it is to try to get people to change. It's hurt me so much to have to keep pounding away with the same message year after year, with only slow incremental results, that now I am going to change the work I do, because I can't take it any more. Sarno has been working for 30 years, successfully, and still his work is not widely recognised. What frustration! And on top of that, sometimes his method fails to heal, and that must make him feel terrible. No wonder he is sometimes grumpy! Give him a break :-)
I am hugely grateful to him for his work and his books (being in Europe, I only have access to him books.) But I recognise that most of the work is my own responsibility. I also think I would benefit from psychotherapy but I cannot afford it. So I accept that. I just realise my recovery may be slower. But it's a better way of spending my time than being in pain, so however long it takes I am pleased to discover that there is a REASON for my pain, and I can DO SOMETHING about it! All on my own! That is really liberating.
I hope you can move forward and recover, even if it takes longer than with therapy. I wish you luck. |
| sarita |
Posted - 06/12/2009 : 17:23:01
so hillbilly, for you, TMS is an anxiety condition. i am looking for an answer, and i think it makes sense. especially when i analyze myself. as i stated in another post, i suffered from horrible anxiety, so bad i had to leave school. now i think i have mastered the anxiety, and what do i have? pain. when i have pain i have no anxiety, and when i am anxious i am PAIN FREE...
sarno, before he went into the theory of the repressed emotions in the unconscious, also believed that the pain was a manifestation of anxiety. he truly postulated this (sorry as you can see english is not my mother tongue).
i am delighted, in awe, with claire weekes. i am currently working hard on questioning all the destructive thoughts i had for YEARS, on realizing how deep they affected me, how they brought me where i am. i am "reprogramming", if you will. i am UNDERSTANDING. i am calming my nerves, as she says, i am disolving the fear that paralyzed me for so long. and i am being successful.  step by step. i am fully understanding how i have fed and fed my anxiety.
but these thought, this actions, these fears are a result of WHAT? i wonder.
a lot of doctors, psychiatrists, agree that the pain is part of depression, anxiety; that the pain is part of an anxiety disorder. but are they really helping their patients with this knowledge??? they are LOST when it comes to treat people with fibromyalgia or any chronic pain. they feed them cymbalta, have them exercise in the pool like 80 year olds and do some biofeedback, therapy for those who can pay. none of them has a clue what causes it. they are treating, managing...symptoms. when i look at some recovery stories here, like Peg's, i think, thank god there is a sarno, a doctor who thinks outside the poor little box of "pain managment", who doesnt fear getting in touch with real emotions, real causes of suffering.
this are my thoughts:
anxiety causes pain, DEFENETELY, but what causes anxiety??? what must we access for the anxiety/pain to subside?
a friend of mine took ssri for 2 years, then she stopped, she sent the depression and fear to hell, forcefully, and is stuck with terrible lower back pain. for years. would it not be great if some good, capable shrink could help her find out what the depression was all about anyways? but she doesnt want to see it, refuses to get help. i know why, there are a lot of very unflattering and nasty things abouit her she does not want to face.
in a dark hour of pain in february, i actually called sarno. from europe.
i explained "my story" to him, and he said, the anxiety, the pain, the fear etc, is all part of one and the same thing, his exact words. so you see, i guess you would agree with him there.
what CAN be the reason for anxiety or hypochondria except repressed, powerful emotional conflicts? i got my anxiety disorder after a period of being so SO happy, so at peace with my music and my mind...i now see i was violating a deep part of me with this "happiness", call it the id. i dont know myself. i am really not sure of anything i am writing, but its a beginning.
i know many people my age who are dealing with the same, for years. i can SEE why they are miserable (its easy from the outside to see thing, some mean examples: some are just not loveable, not being respected, they dont have the love and success they dream of, they are fearful...) but I have never heard them admit any of these things to themselves, things that are so abvious from the outside and which i dont really see in people who dont have tms or depression. if they saw what i see and truly KNEW it, consciously, that would create a break down of their very being, a collaps. then i can only agree with the stuff about the repression, the low self esteem, the need for distraction, the denial etc.
what i mean is, BEFORE a person can acheive results through finding a relaxed state, calming down the nervous system the person has to dig a little deeper. aknowledge things, realize them, be honest with themselves. then get rid of the fear, the fuel for all this conditions....
thanks for reading.
|
| pan |
Posted - 06/12/2009 : 10:13:14
I suffered from somatic anxiety for 2 years and my research led me to the concept of somatization and somatic pain and conditions, to be totally honest my own research into that gave me the smarts to finally realise what was going on and then when I stumbled across this place I realised that Sarno was just reitterating what I had already understood.
The bottom line in my opinion is that you can study and research the concept of somatization for ever and a day! You can then decide to spend some time seeing how this 'may' apply to you whilst reading the testimonies of those who have had success or failure through treating their pain/disorder as somatic! However, all that said it means nothing unless you are prepared to take the leap of faith that is necessary to repudiate the physical and start to walk the walk.
Whilst the concept of somatization and somatic stress/anxiety can be explained and discussed endlessly on paper the core truth of it to the individual costs not a penny and is available to anybody willing to cast the fear aside and jump into the unknown. |
| Hillbilly |
Posted - 06/12/2009 : 09:38:39
I like what CRK wrote. I also like what webdan65 wrote.
I am no fan of Sarno's. I don't like the phraseology he uses to provide the "exclusive, yet elusive" cure for TMS. I have written tomes of criticism centered around this very subject right here on this forum. You say you are well-versed in TMS, but are you well-versed on somatization and stress-related disorders? After all, that is what Dr. Sarno is describing in all of his books and lectures, yet he excludes discussing widely accepted treatment of these disorders, which keeps people paying the Sarnotherapy rates and reaping poor results. Those results are printed in TDM, so you can see them. Being one of his patients, you should be privy to more recent outcome studies, if such have been conducted.
There are countless authors out there who have written much more scientifically and thoroughly on this subject. They go into great detail about the affect of troublesome thought on hormonal and nervous systems of the body. David Barlow and Michelle Craske have literally revolutionized stress-disorder treatment in the past two decades. I wish you luck with the road you choose to travel for treatment. I am linking an interview with Michelle Craske about her work. Please don't get caught up in the trap of "But I have TMS, not an anxiety disorder." If that is so, I welcome anyone who can intelligently explain the difference.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| crk |
Posted - 06/11/2009 : 10:26:58
Hi Missy,
I think the previous posts have some wonderful ideas for you, and I hope with all my heart you can turn them into fuel for healthy changes. TMS may seem like a disaster, but it can also lead you to a healthier, happier, richer life than you ever dreamed possible.
I believe you CAN move forward without a therapist. A good therapist is a wonderful tool, but just because you don't own a chainsaw doesn't mean you can't cut down a tree. You have an ax; you were born with it. If it is more work than a chainsaw, then so be it. At least you'll be moving forward.
Do you know what almost every good self-help book and therapy philosophy has in common? Personal responsibility and a positive message.
Some messages you might find helpful, to give to yourself.
"It's up to me. 100% is up to me and how I look at it. I choose to believe in the best for myself." "I am in control of my life and I love being in the driver's seat." "Today I am going to own my life, my thoughts, and my choices. I will allow no one else to have that control." "I have incredible strength and intelligence and I am finding the answers I need." "I control the thoughts I choose, and I choose only those thoughts which provide genuine benefit to me." One of my favorites: "I do not seek a life free of problems, rather, I seek a life of finding solutions, and enjoying the benefits those solutions create."
Say stuff like that to yourself first thing every morning and see what happens. TMS treatment is about knowing your rage and your hurts, but you must move forward from there! You must balance the rage/sooth ratio and start focusing on the positive.
Best wishes.
|
| Dave |
Posted - 06/11/2009 : 09:56:45
quote:
Originally posted by Missy
The part I am a bit perturbed about is his insistence that the continuation of the symptoms necessitates my participation in his therapy program.
This is Dr. Sarno's program. It should come as no surprise that psychotherapy is prescribed when symptoms persist. The assumption is that there are emotional issues contributing to the "pool of rage" that you have been unable to get in touch with and thus need the help of a trained TMS therapist.
Note that these are your words and not Dr. Sarno's: "threaten someone with continuing pain" ... "no viable option for a cure."
I understand your frustration but think you need to take a step back and look at how you are thinking about TMS symptoms and treatment, and Dr. Sarno himself. Perhaps you are looking for sympathy and "social responsibility" rather than accepting that you have more work to do. The "cure" is a never ending journey that is our own personal responsibility.
That said, if you can find a psychotherapist on your insurance why not give it a shot? Maybe you will find someone who is familiar with Dr. Sarno or at least open to his ideas. However, you need to find a Freudian psychoanalyst, not a CBT, which is a rarity these days. |
| Webdan65 |
Posted - 06/10/2009 : 21:23:12
Missy:
I totally agree. Hearing that from Dr. Sarno must have sucked and been a blow considering the financial plight you are in and lack of results so far.
However, part of getting over TMS is NOT believing everything a doctor tells you because they are often wrong. Especially traditional doctors about the reasons for chronic pain.
Consider this for a moment. Even the great Dr Sarno may be wrong when he says you won't get better without therapy. Why take his word as the gospel truth? It's his opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.
He's discovered some amazing things - yet he isn't perfect. There are many ways of accomplishing the same end goal.
I believe strongly in the power of your own mind. If you chose to agree with Sarno and buy into his belief that you won't get better without therapy - you are right. You won't. You ARE stuck. But that is your own choice to be stuck. Sarno doesn't control you. You control your own thoughts.
I'll agree that the mental programming you received from Sarno - a figure of authority - will take some work to undo. But that's no different than traditional doctors convincing us (aka programming) to believe that we are broken, frail and damaged. As we all know - that isn't true either and we have overcome that mental programming and gotten rid of the pain.
You can overcome Sarno's comments too.
The fact that the pain returned and hasn't responded means there is likely more work to do. Dig deeper emotionally. Journal more. Work to reprogram your mind. Resume activity. Ignore the pain. This is what worked for me and countless others. It probably worked with you the first time around too.
What is different this time around? Are there stresses in your life that are different than the first time with TMS?
I'll be candid. What disappoints me is that you asked "I am curious what a person like me or the other people I spoke to, is supposed to do now."
Yet, after we try to answer your question with our thoughtful and heartfelt suggestions, your last reply pretty much states that you just want to complain. You reject all offers of help and just say - I'm here to state that Sarno and the system isn't fair. Ok, point taken. Now what?
As for the system, there are some people taking active steps to spread the word about TMS and help others in similar situations. Why should it be all about someone ELSE providing for a more socially responsible system?
Get involved. Contribute. Write a success story about your first experience with TMS. Share the emotional side of your current plight and see what people suggest. Perhaps you sharing more about the emotional side of your current situation will help someone else who can't afford therapy or even a visit with Dr. Sarno.
If you want to vent, vent. We all need to do that. Get it out of your system and then move on.
Your future lies in nobody's hands but yours. You either grab the reigns and take control or let the rest of the world own your future.
The choice is yours.
I really do wish you the best and my offer still stands for speaking offline.
Dan
EDIT: The other thing to note about your reply. You said:
quote:
There are already hundreds of threads on this forum about why people do not recover...
Why is it that you notice the hundreds of threads why people DON'T get better? I notice all the success stories and inspiring and uplifting thoughts and comments from others on the forum. Is your glass half empty or half full? |
| Missy |
Posted - 06/10/2009 : 17:52:58
Thanks for all the replies. However, here is some info you may not have considered. I am not struggling with acceptance or the actual symptoms. I have done everything I know to do to cure the pain, yet it continues. I am very well versed on TMS and have worked closely with Dr. Sarno. The part I am a bit perturbed about is his insistence that the continuation of the symptoms necessitates my participation in his therapy program. He actually told me "You will not get better" without it. There are already hundreds of threads on this forum about why people do not recover and this is not meant to be another. I am just making my opinion clear that I do not think it is right to basically threaten someone with continuing pain, yet leave them no viable option for a cure, especially when they agree with the diagnosis... Thats all. For those who do not know it, Dr, S can be very cranky and sometimes downright mean. I agree with his genius, but think the social responsibility of the treatment program should be handled better. |
| sarita |
Posted - 06/10/2009 : 12:38:37
thanks hillbily. and everyone else. |
| Hillbilly |
Posted - 06/10/2009 : 12:09:21
Missy,
I would like to add to what Dave said. I believe he is completely correct in advising you to accept the symptoms, accept your position in life, accept your financial limitations, etc. Acceptance alone is the most powerful word in the "cure" you seek. The habit of fear is the thing that must be cured, and only you can do it. It cannot be accomplished by talking to a therapist. They can get you amped up and ready to face and accept your symptoms, but only you can experience them in their worst and face them down.
There is a new show on A&E called "Obsessed," which I think is very telling and informative for people with psychogenic symptoms. The therapists actually expose the patient to the thing that gives them tremendous anxiety and coaches them in staying with it and not escaping through obsessive behaviors. This is precisely what people with psychogenic pain must do, and do again and do again.
The key to this whole thing is in the definition of the disorder. It is harmless. If you are struggling with the pain, you are not accepting that it is harmless. You simply can't. If it is harmless being felt sitting or standing alone, it is harmless in the middle of a crowded mall or football game or any of a million other places it is experienced. How can something that is harmless cause so much grief and turmoil?
I like to keep things simple, as I have found that the more complex and convoluted a thing gets, the harder I have to strain to understand it, and that just adds to the problem. The "cure" is in the definition of the disorder. If you are still easily upset by the fact that the pain is still there, you are no doubt concerned that something else is afoot instead of a strong emotional reaction to a stressor, or you think you have to get into your subconscious to root out and feel that long-since-repressed emotion. If you accept the pain as harmless, it can't morph into something harmful. But to prove it, you have to face it head-on, day after day, until it dies away on its own. If it is harmless, you won't be any the worse for challenging it to a duel. Even if you shake in fear of doing something, do it anyway. That is the barrier to your freedom.
Susan Jeffers wrote a book called "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway," in which she recounts her own struggles with paralyzing fear that plagued her and limited her throughout her life. I have only read excerpts of the book, but the title is the main idea. Fear feels like hell on earth, especially strong fear, but it can't harm you at all.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Dave |
Posted - 06/10/2009 : 08:03:56
quote:
Originally posted by Missy
In my opinion, it is wonderful to come up with a cure for the horrible pain we all feel. However, it is unconscionable, socially irresponsible and downright cruel to hold this cure before people like a tease. What good is the cure if only the privileged few can afford it and is it wrong for me to think this? What is the solution? - Missy
I personally believe thinking that TMS is something to be "cured" is the wrong way to approach treatment.
Psychotherapy is a tool, nothing more. It is not a magic bullet. Even if you could afford it, if you go to psychotherapy thinking that it will "cure" you then it is likely to lead to frustration and disappointment.
In my opinion acceptance is crucial. Accept the symptoms as a benign indicator that you have psychological issues to address. Accept that you might have psychogenic symptoms for the rest of your life. Accept that even if you don't completely banish the symptoms for good, that you have still made tremendous progress from where you started. Accept that you will continue to make progress. Accept that you cannot afford psychotherapy and therefore you need to do the best you can on your own.
You are lucky in that you are already a patient of Dr. Sarno. You know how to treat TMS. Now, you just must focus more on the treatment since you are going through some rough times.
I believe when treating TMS one should not be looking for a "cure" but rather a fundamental change in the way we think about and react to the symptoms. Psychotherapy is a great tool for some, but it is not essential to recovery. You already have the knowledge and experience. Accept that you just have to work a bit harder right now. |
| HilaryN |
Posted - 06/10/2009 : 06:05:21
Hi Missy,
In addition to the excellent advice above, why don't you and the other patients write to your insurance company and point out the financial advantage to them of paying for TMS treatment over paying for surgery?
Hilary N |
| Webdan65 |
Posted - 06/09/2009 : 20:45:42
Missy:
$200 a week and access to Sarno is out of the reach of many people. Actually MOST people are likely unable to be treated by Sarno due to location. And $800 bucks a month for therapy is steep for anyone.
Don't let that be the reason you can't be cured of this TMS bugger.
Placing blame on Sarno or "the system" for not providing free of charge psychotherapy services does nothing but feed the anger which might be part of the TMS symptoms in the first place.
Believe me, I know how frustrating it can be to have symptoms, yet know for sure that TMS is the culprit. Why won't it go away we ask ourselves when we are 100% sure it's TMS.
Your message portrays you as helpless, stuck, unable to get better because you cannot afford therapy with a TMS trained doctor. While you may feel that way, you are anything but stuck.
A few options:
Talk to your current therapist and ask them to read the book Healing Back Pain or MindBody Prescription. Put them in touch with Dr. Shubiner. (A TMS Doctor in Detroit who has studied under Sarno)
Dr. Shubinerr has indicated he is VERY willing to speak with other medical professionals to bring them up to speed. Dr. Shubiner can be found at yourpainisreal.com. Shubiner has an online course for about $250 which is very good.
A caring therapist should be willing to learn more about this mindbody connection. If not - find another therapist on the insurance approved list. Interview them before you start working with them.
But keep working. Journal, talk to your brain, resume physical activity. There are some amazing posts on this board. Spend time here. Read the success stories. Ask questions. Seek advice from others here on the forum.
My suggestion is to stop blaming "the system". Ask yourself - what small step can I take today to move in the right direction. What small step can I take today to resume physical activity. If walking is painful - Walk around the living room once a day for a week. Prove to yourself you can do it. Small Steps side step the FEAR response when we try to undertake anything "too big" or overwhelming.
By the way: Two amazing books I'm reading:
"One Small Step can Change your Life" by Rober Maurer. This is where I'm learning the Small step technique.
"Get off your BUT" by Sean Stephenson.
Both books are life changers. Seriously.
Missy, if you'd like to talk offline - email me through this forum. Click the members link to the top right, search for me to get to my profile - and then click the link to email me. I'd be glad to speak with you.
Dan
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