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arnett
4 Posts |
 Posted - 04/14/2009 : 13:52:28
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I would like to propose that each and every person on this forum begins to take some action to make Dr. Sarno's theories become widely known and accepted.
Each time you encounter a newspaper article that should address TMS but doesn't, write to the newspaper and to the people involved in the article and let them know, in a non-threatening way, that there is an answer out there and has been for years. Provide links. Let's complile a list of meaningful links. I like the Stossell interview on 20/20 and the reviews on Amazon. The RSI pages are great as well. The Success Stories here would be convincing, I think.
I did this today and found that a doctor who commented on a NYT health piece was receptive to my information. For all I know, I may have just influenced the possibility of someone else becoming pain free.
Anybody with me? |
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drziggles
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2009 : 15:34:05
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| excellent idea! |
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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2009 : 22:52:21
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Hi Arnett, great idea! I feel exactly the same way. Congratulations on contacting that doctor--I think that actions like that can make a big difference.
I don't know if you know about the TMS Wiki (tmswiki.org) yet, but you may find it a helpful tool to use during your activism, and and I think that I can speak for all of its members when I say that we would love to do anything we can to help you. We already have 240 pages and 50 members, including 4 who work on the wiki routinely, so that the wiki grows every day (the members have TMSHelp usernames HilaryN, Pandamonium, Peg and ForestForTrees).
We would love it if you would join it, too! It would be a great place to put your list of links because they could be nicely organized and formatted. It is completely advertising free and nothing is sold on it anywhere.
You may be interested in the following pages:
Whenever people write letters to the editor, the letters can be used by other people if we post them on the wiki. We've already posted two example letters for people who want to tell their personal doctors about TMS as well as notes and a handout for giving presentations about TMS. People are definitely encouraged to recycle these as well.
I recently was lucky enough to go to the first TMS Conference in Ann Arbor. (It was meant only for professionals, so I feel lucky to have been allowed to go.) I made a short presentation about the wiki which was extremely well received. Afterwards a participant said, "In doing psychiatry I get humbled at how sometimes completely ineffective I am and how transformative an interactive discussion between two patients can be. Please know that what you are doing here may be as or more important than what we are doing as well, so you are going to fulfill a critical goal." This was a recognition, I think, of how powerful grassroots TMS activism can be.
Anyway, thanks for your enthusiasm and let me know if there is anything I or the wiki can do to help. |
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scottjmurray
266 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2009 : 00:57:23
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Eh, well, I'm working on a BA in psychology. Then it's on to grad school. I think that counts. So far only a handful of people I've met have been receptive to the ideas. Once I have my degree, however, they'll all have to listen to me. BAHAHA
~*~
author of tms-recovery . com |
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pandamonium
United Kingdom
202 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2009 : 03:12:57
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Hi Arnett,
I have written to my doctor, it's one of the letters that Forest refers to on the wiki. We are happy for anyone to copy the text, change it for their personal circumstances and send to their own doctor.
There are many of us (patients and professionals) working hard behind the scenes to spread the word of TMS. Even if you only convince one person that's a start. |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2009 : 07:30:56
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Well done, arnett! Well done, Scott! And drziggles, of course, for struggling against mainstream prejudices.
The Success Stories forum is a great resource for convincing people about TMS, so the more people who add their story the better. A big thanks to Dave, the owner of this forum, for creating that.
We're categorising the success stories by symptom on the wiki, in the hope that people doing a search on the Internet for their symptom will find the appropriate Symptom page, but it's a huge task!
Forest did a huge amount of work on it in the first place and I am now working on it.
If anyone wants to help out, please contact me. For example if you have a particular interest in a symptom (maybe you're suffering / recovered from it yourself, or you know someone else suffering from it) you might like to work on developing that particular page.
pandamonium found about TMS when she did a search on "annular fissure" - of course, that was prior to the wiki, but imagine if more people could do that for their symptom.
Hilary N |
Edited by - HilaryN on 04/15/2009 07:51:05 |
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arnett
4 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 11:38:45
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| Thanks for the wiki site. Very helpful. I notice that at times I am all over spreading the word, which is a good thing. But it is also a form of goodism. I am going to continue concentrating on myself and to send out links as I am able. |
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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
Posted - 04/16/2009 : 12:42:14
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Sounds good. It's definitely important to find balance. Good luck!
tmswiki.org |
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scd1833
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 04/21/2009 : 10:02:29
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I believe in spreading the word about TMS, but the fact is, to quote sarno, that "only about 20% of people are receptive to TMS theory and concepts." the problem is, is that people won't generally open themselves to the concept until they have tried many/all of the "conventional" and "alternative" therapies and are at their wits end about what to do about it. THEN they may be open to the idea because none of the theories work or even make sense with all the bizarre symptoms etc.
I've tried to explain it to many folks, and only one or two have actually had any success with it, most folks just can't believe in it.
it really takes a suspension of your disbelief, which is difficult/impossible for many. |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2009 : 10:21:47
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One or two? That's great!
I don't care if I have to tell 100 people - if one of them gets better, it's worthwhile.
Hilary N |
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forestfortrees
393 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2009 : 13:43:47
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Well said, Hillary. How many times do you have a chance to transform a person's life the way that a TMS diagnosis has transformed some of our lives? I think that it is always key to maintain balance in one's life, but when you find one of the very few people who are actually ready, that is something that you get to carry with you for the rest of your life.
Hilary wrote a little while ago about someone who she was able to reach the last time she gave her annual presentation at the RSI day. Pandamonium may have reached someone by posting her success story on a chronic pain forum. Sure, successes like this are rare, but they definitely happen.
In terms of the wiki, we've had about 180 different people find us through search engines so far. We should start getting more and more as more sites link to us and Google starts featuring us more. Even if it doesn't, that means 3 lives transformed, even using the pessimistic numbers that Hilary was using. They may never thank us (though some do, and that just makes you feel great), but it still happens.
tmswiki.org |
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time for action
