| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Monte |
Posted - 11/11/2009 : 17:18:00
Hello Everyone;
In this update we have some heavy therapy stuff to tell you about, a crazy plantar facisiitis story and I am introducing you to the Three-Pronged TMS Attack.
What are you holding on to or you may ask what are you afraid to let go of? Genuinely think about this—journal about it!
This is a true story about language and intuitive guidance. In a consultation yesterday a person told me about a good friend always telling them that they just needed to let go, just let go and accept where you are she was told. Next, this person, I’ll call Mary, proceeded to tell me 3 stories in a span of 30 minutes about how it was very difficult for her to walk up steps. In each story she stated how frustrating and potentially embarrassing it would be if she didn’t have a rail or bar to hold on to. Finally, I asked Mary what she was holding on to in her life. What are you really holding on to or maybe I should ask you what are you afraid of letting go of? After a few minutes of superficial answers Mary blurted out “I am holding on to my self-hatred, I hate my body, I hate that I was born this way”. I asked Mary what would happen if she let go of this hatred, which she immediately answered, “I would be humiliated, I hate my body and I am afraid of being humiliated”. Mary’s work is just beginning as she acknowledged she needed to work on forgiving herself and others and to go ahead and be humiliated if necessary as she learns to experience her fears. One of the fascinating insights from Mary’s session was the realization that she was receiving guidance from her friend in the words of “just let go” and she was also receiving the exact same guidance in her own language of “I need to hold on”.--Remember that guidance is always with you.
Crazy Plantar Facisiitis: A friend of mine who is well acclimated with TMS and a running partner was becoming increasingly annoyed with his arch soreness. He decided to really massage out the soreness before it turned into something worse. After a strong 15 minutes of massage he got up and started walking with a suddenly, very painful heel. Long story – short, my friend decided that this was not TMS. It couldn’t be he justified, since he himself induced the pain with his own self-massage. He spent the next four months with tennis and golf ball therapy (this worked - for awhile), heel pads, foot ice baths, special calf (this worked - for awhile) and arch stretches and anti-inflammatory. The pain was slowly getting more manageable; he was running okay and making progress as the pain sensations moved away from the heel and into the forefoot. About a month ago we were preparing for our long Sunday run and he informed me that he decided to treat his foot pain as TMS. He finally came to the conclusion that this silly, frustrating foot pain would not hang around for 4-months, move locations and be worse after a few days off than it was when he was running everyday. He stopped all treatments, had a big conversation with himself and went 100% Think Psychological. He completed our 15 mile run and said he felt okay and vowed no ice, no massage and no special stretching. Within 10 days he went from not being able to walk barefoot on a hard surface to running and jumping up and down on his bare feet with no pain. This is a crazy disorder that never ceases to amaze.
The 3-Pronged TMS Attack or you may choose to call it the kindler, gentler 3-Pronged TMS Therapy Approach.
I know it as the most efficient and comprehensive way to reverse TMS that gives you the best opportunity to heal while not getting stuck!
1. Think Psychological - You must start here! We all should know what this means total acceptance, stop all "fix-it" treatments and resume normal activities. Don't be casual here...this is a big, huge deal. You screw this part up and you are stuck with no way out.
2. Think Clean - Identify how you are generating inner tension and repressing emotional energy and transform it, change it. Redirect out of the old patterns and into new clean patterns. Are you open or closed-off, flexible or tight, balanced or scattered? Really think about this as it pertains to your thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and actions and then make changes. Remember awareness that you are generating inner tension doesn't change anything.
3. Alternative Therapy - Journaling, guided imagery, daily waking-working mindfulness, root lock, hypnosis, yoga, personal consultation or session with therapist and prayer. Engage in something or someone to help bring openness, balance, alignment, hope, and guidance into your life.
The key here is to engage in all three of these practices. Each are communicating to a different part of this disorder and effecting positive transformation in a different way. There is a lot more information to expand on in the 3-pronged approach. To be continued in the next update. The holidays are coming and the 3-pronged attack may be needed!
** Be on the lookout for an educational video session on this topic as well.
Announcements: Become a Fan of The Master Practice on Facebook. I am updating here a few times per week and doing some other neat stuff. I hope you can stop by and let me know how you are doing.
www.facebook.com/monte.hueftle - Friend me here.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Master-Practice-Healing-MindBody-Disorders-TMS-With-Behavior-Change/168284296122?ref=search&sid=100000343853136.4023399986..1 – Become a Fan here.
I know this is a really, really long link. It is new and Facebook doesn’t allow you to rename until you have a certain number of fans.
Also I have begun a series of TMS Educational Video Sessions. You can check these out at: www.runningpain.com/tmsvideos.html
Stay the course,
Monte Hueftle
monte@runningpain.com |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Plantweed |
Posted - 11/17/2009 : 07:11:57
Those videos are very helpful Monte, thanks for putting them together and sharing. I like the directness of a human speaking to you, it can be more effective than just reading words, which are more abstract. |
| Dave |
Posted - 11/16/2009 : 14:15:10
quote:
Originally posted by mala
...You say that simply identifying the problem may not be enough...
Just want to point out that it is not an attainable goal to identify "the" problem. Even if we could, how do we know we are right?
This is why Dr. Sarno says to "think psychological" -- it is not so much to find the specific trigger for the pain (for which there might not be any) but rather to recondition our response to the pain.
Instead of fearing the pain and thinking it might be due to a physical issue, embrace the pain and believe that it is due to psychological issues.
Personally I consider it a bonus when "thinking psychological" actually reveals emotional issues that I have been repressing. This is important, but not as important as disarming the power the pain has over you. |
| mala |
Posted - 11/14/2009 : 02:47:34
Thanks Monte for your prompt response. This is how I understand what you are saying. Sarno says that when we are in pain we should think psychological. In other words try to pinpoint what is bothering us, think of what is happening or has happened in our lives that is causing tension.
You say that simply identifying the problem may not be enough, we may have to actively change the way we think especially when the thought is inducing tension.
The thing is that I have read that Sarno does not really think we have to change anything. Simply being aware emotionally is good enough for the pain to stop. Having said that he does recommend psychotherapy for some patients. So it is a bit confusing.
Any thoughts on that?
Thanks
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
| Monte |
Posted - 11/13/2009 : 16:56:17
Hi Mala,
Thanks for your note. First realize that I devote over 30 pages in The Master Practice to Think Clean...what is it, how do you do it, why it works etc., as well as 30 minutes of audio on the cd with actual "think clean" language. So this is a very small sampling.
Remember: this is a chronic disorder that is caused by our chronic thought and behavior patterns that are doing two things:
1. Generating Inner Tension
2. Repressing Emotional Energy
Think Clean helps you to stop generating inner tension and it allows you to experience emotional energy instead of repressing it.
This is a New Internal Alignment
This is not Pollyannaish, positive thinking. You
are creating a new internal alignment of thought based
on how you feel emotionally. You are recognizing how
you feel and you are making the connection of where
your thoughts are focused based on how you feel. Then
you are cleaning out the old chronic patterns of thought
(worry, complaining, controlling, pleasing, self-conscious,
striving) and replacing them with new, more open and allowing
thoughts.
Your life experience—your body is telling you,
that you cannot keep repeating the same dominant
chronic thought patterns that are creating tension and
repressing emotional energy and expect your body to
suddenly, magically become pain free!
I want you to understand that you must redirect your
thoughts away from this pain disorder, away your body,
away from, how am I going to fix this and away from
the chronic worry, people pleasing, controlling,
perfection, striving and being so overly self conscious
thinking patterns. You must begin telling a different
story.
Now feel the emotional difference. I don’t want to
be in pain. Why can’t I just feel good? I hate my life. If only I
wasn’t in pain. How can I fix this? This is so hard. I ‘m stuck.
This sucks. What am I going to do? I don’t know what to do.
Versus
I understand that my thoughts are creating inner tension. I
get that. Pain is a Signal for me to pay attention. I get that.
When I feel pain I can begin to change my focus. I’m starting to
get this. I have a choice where I direct my thoughts. I can do this. I
do know what is going on here. I have been stuck in a certain way
of thinking. When I pay attention I start to catch myself and I
can re-direct my thoughts. That’s the first step. It may be slow
going at first but I can do this.
In a real life situation you interrupt your worry, complaining, pleasing, controlling, striving thoughts with a question to help direct you into a "cleaner" thought behavior pattern. "here I am in my fear and worry, how can I be in this situation and be a little more open?" and now let that guide you to a new thought
or "how can I be more flexible in my attitude about this job?" now let that guide you out of the tight/restricting thts and into more open and flexible.
There is more to this but this is way to long as it is.
Think Clean is a practice that works with Think Psychological.
It is also important to integrate practices like journaling, guided imagery, being mindful, yoga, root lock, etc. that will take you out of all this thinking stuff.
Monte Hueftle
www.runningpain.com
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| mala |
Posted - 11/12/2009 : 16:36:48
Hi Monte.
I always find yr posts very interesting. You have talked about 'Thinking Clean' now many times. Can you elaborate a bit more and give us one or two examples on thinking clean.
Thanks.
Well done on the video links.
Good Luck & Good Health
Mala |
| Fox |
Posted - 11/12/2009 : 06:27:46
My PF was and is definitely TMS - as I have mentioned in other posts. I am much better in regard to my second bout (different foot) of PF - this time not in the heel - but in the mid and front of the foot (this time diagnosed by MD - I went because the swelling this time worried me)...All I have done is lay off walking (I'm a walker - not a runner) for two weeks and using an ice wrap for a few days - until the swelling went down only. I am now, after about 2 months, walking 30 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes every day. I still have some pain but it is about 85% better. I threw away my Dr. Scholl's PF gel pads - they were helpful when the PF was in the heel (in the other - the first - foot) and at that time I needed a little gel between my heel and hard surfaces - but I made the mistake of continuing to use them after the first foot problem resolved - by a combination of Sarno and just plain waiting it out - and I believe that keeping them in use gave my brain the excuse to start thinking that maybe I had an arch problem in both feet(my mother used to say that I had high arches) - hence the beginning of PF in the other foot. |
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