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stanfr
USA
268 Posts |
 Posted - 05/23/2007 : 18:21:07
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| Why is the psycho-dynamic approach favored by Sarno over the cognitive-behavioral? Can't the two methods be used concurrently, or is there some inherent conflict? I guess i don't understand the distinction. |
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2007 : 18:46:52
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Psychodynamic theory examines emotions and childhood experiences, which Sarno says are the basis of TMS. Cognitive-behavioral does not go as deep.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2007 : 19:12:18
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The cognitive-behavioral approach does not get at the underlying issues related to your TMS symptoms. You must go much deep than that method allows you to. Stick with what Dr. Sarno recommends and you will be better off.
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Sarno-ize it!
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sonora sky
USA
181 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2007 : 19:49:56
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Here's an explanation I wrote on a recent thread. We had been discussing obsessive-compulsive behaviors, such as checking door locks numerous times before leaving the house...
"The way i understand it, C-B therapists try to help you solve your problems (OCD, for example) by offering techniques that focus on curbing the behavior itself. For example, when one gets the impulse to check the locks, the CBT might have you ask yourself why you feel the need to check the locks again and again. One might reply, "I'm afraid someone will break into my house." The CBT might then advise you to ask yourself whether or not this is a rational thought. The patient replies, "no, I guess not. There isn't a high percentage (statistically) that my house would be broken into." That process in itself is supposed to relieve the fear and compulsive action, and allow the person to move on with their life.
Sarno would disagree with the effectiveness of this method, because it only looks for superficial solutions to a problem that runs deeper, in our subconsious mind. He favors psychodynamically-oriented therapists who seek out the root causes of your ailment (whether it be OCD, depression, or back pain). Such therapists are trained to help patients explore buried emotions in their past (such as repressed rage from childhood) that may be causing our problems in the present."
To add to this, I suspect that C-B therapy can be an effective way to break habits, once the deeper psychological connections have been made (uncovered). We are creatures of habit, and even though we might have "a ha!" moments during our TMS psychodynamic digging, some may find that the realizations themselves aren't powerful enough to break the cycle of thoughts and actions that keep us stuck. (I'm guessing some are going to disagree with me on this.) My current therapist is trained in both approaches, though her focus is psychodynamic. All of our sessions have been psycho-d oriented, even after I requested some C-B "tools" to work through a particular issue. She must also believe that psycho-d is more effective for TMS work.
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armchairlinguist
USA
1397 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2007 : 09:04:15
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I agree with you, SS, I think CB can be helpful in providing a toolbox once we understand the connections. My therapist has made some remarks that suggest she intends to help me on both levels, but my desire and her approach is fundamentally psychodynamic.
Here's a possibly illustrative example of the difference:
We were discussing how I felt about something that happened at work. I was really upset by it, and had kind of realized this might have to do with my experiences growing up in a perfectionist household. We explored this connection quite a bit.
In contrast, I understand that a CBT would do something like work with my surface thoughts about the issue, like "Well, your boss had good intentions, can you see things that way" and help me learn to express myself better, like to say immediately "I'd prefer that you had done this instead of that" [I'm being vague because it's work stuff] instead of just sounding disappointed and mentioning it later. But the core issue would remain unresolved. I don't think this would be very helpful for me now, but it could be a good supplement later on.
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Wherever you go, there you are. |
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which psychotherapy?
