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caligirl
22 Posts |
 Posted - 09/22/2010 : 10:23:37
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I have been thinking about seeing a therapist again. The therapist I was previously seeing didn't think I needed to come anymore. Funny how I can smoke screen people into believing I have all the answers. Anyway, I did feel it helped me since I have someone to unload my problems on and to discuss changing my thought patterns. My husband is not a very good conversationalist and I don't really have any close friends.
My question is if anyone has had a positive experience with a certain type of therapist? The book Freedom from Fibromyalgia, by Nancy Selfridge (a former patient of Sarno), says that only a Jungian therapist can help. But I was also wondering if a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist could help with TMS symptoms?
I have a lot of anxiety over money and health, and a huge feeling of responsibility for my mom. She lives with me and my family. My TMS symptoms cropped up six months after we moved in together. We are going to try and sell the house and split, but the market is so crappy right now, and I am already depressed about not being able to sell it for how much we owe and be trapped.
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2010 : 15:59:36
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Hi caligirl,
I don;t think there's any one type of therapy which is better - I think it depends more on the individual. JMO.
I asked a similar question about CBT on the "Q&A with an expert" page on the wiki and here are the answers:
Can a person with TMS go to a therapist who uses CBT?
Hilary N |
Edited by - HilaryN on 09/23/2010 16:03:19 |
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caligirl
22 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2010 : 14:48:47
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Thank you HilaryN. I am making my rounds of phone calls trying to ask therapists lots of questions and see what their experience is with the mind-body model. It has been a bit frustrating so far, but perserverance is the key, right? I believe those of us who are fighters will succeed sooner or later.
I appreciate the reply. I was feeling a bit dejected. I guess I have been lurking and not posting on the board very much. I have had TMS for six years now and really appreciate this site. |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
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avik
128 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2010 : 17:28:40
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Every TMS aware/trained therapist I have spoken to charges a FORTUNE.
What are you suppossed to do when you cant afford $250/hr?
Is there a "next best thing"? |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2010 : 08:36:42
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Personally, I think the "next best thing" (or even sometimes better, depending on one's needs) is a program called Emotional Brain Training. Someone from this board introduced me to it (previously called The Pathway or the Solution Method.) The developer, Laurel Mellin, has just written a new book called Wired for Joy, but I think her older books are also excellent.
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2010 : 08:50:29
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quote:
Originally posted by avik
Is there a "next best thing"?
You can buy a lot of TMS books, videos and audiobooks for $250!
To overcome TMS pain, it's not necessary to "discover" a psychological moment buried in the past. It's only necessary to understand the concept that the mind is capable of creating benign bodily pain. This is a defense mechanism--a protector--against feeling emotional pain the subconscious perceives as more painful.
For $250, you can buy a lot of gas, take a very long ride, and listen to TMS Audiobooks to recondition your thinking.
DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6415
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
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avik
128 Posts |
Posted - 09/26/2010 : 09:06:22
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quote:
Originally posted by tennis tom
quote:
Originally posted by avik
Is there a "next best thing"?
You can buy a lot of TMS books, videos and audiobooks for $250!
To overcome TMS pain, it's not necessary to "discover" a psychological moment buried in the past. It's only necessary to understand the concept that the mind is capable of creating benign bodily pain. This is a defense mechanism--a protector--against feeling emotional pain the subconscious perceives as more painful.
For $250, you can buy a lot of gas, take a very long ride, and listen to TMS Audiobooks to recondition your thinking.
DR. SARNO'S 12 DAILY REMINDERS:
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6415
TAKE THE HOLMES-RAHE STRESS TEST
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale
Some of my favorite excerpts from _THE DIVIDED MIND_ :
http://www.tmshelp.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2605
I respectfully disagree.
There is a reason that Sarno (and virtually all the TMS/MBS docs that have followed) recommend herapy for some patients.
Its not necessarily about "digging" up the past but more about drawing correlations between past and present behavior.
I for one cannot do this alone. Childhood trauma has caused me to relive my childhood fears everyday as an adult; although I recognize the correlations, I need a professional to help sever/cut this relationship. |
Edited by - avik on 09/26/2010 09:27:54 |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
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Hillbilly
USA
385 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2010 : 07:07:52
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It amuses me when people say that only a certain type of therapist can help. This started with Dr. Sarno's assertions that only a therapist familiar with TMS and the unconscious can help. I think this is all clever marketing, but it has no basis at all in reality. Remember, therapists are in business just like banks and pharmaceutical companies, and they need to advertise in order to survive. If someone is Freudian or Jungian trained, do you think they are going to advocate CBT?
I got better from CBT, which doesn't mean you will, but it does mean you can. Haven't had a whisper of symptoms in four years. Check that against those who advocate in-depth analysis.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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Fox
USA
496 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2010 : 07:44:19
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| Caligirl - Selfridge, I believe said Jungian or Freudian - not just Jungian. |
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caligirl
22 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2010 : 10:50:54
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Thank you for the posts.
I finally found a psychologist who is familiar with Sarno. She uses several therapies, including CBT. I know there is no "magic bullet". I am looking forward to being able to discuss the mind body process with someone other than my family, who has a limited understanding.
Fox, that is correct that Selfridge recommends Freudian or Jungian. Personally, I think it is important to find someone who understands the mind body connection.
I was interested in CBT because I do believe I have learned behaviors that need to be changed, and I may not even be able to recognize them all the time. When I grew up my father was verbally abusive and my mother had very low self worth. To this day she is still extremely negative and critical. I am certain I am carrying many patterns from my childhood that are affecting my recovery.
I could have trauma buried in my past, but to find that "one thing" would be difficult. I think it best to focus on my thoughts and behaviours.
Glad to hear that CBT worked for you Hillbilly. I know a pain free future awaits many of us.  |
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Fox
USA
496 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 07:24:00
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| If it helped Hillbilly, maybe CBT is worth it. I'm such a Sarno purist, however, it would worry me a bit to go unorthodox in regard to therapy...If you want to get an idea about CBT, you might want to read a few books by the grand daddy of the movement - Albert Ellis. I saw him speak twice and have read many of his books, and he did make a lot of sense as to how your thinking creates your emotion and your behavior. |
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Dave
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 14:34:12
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The reason Dr. Sarno prescribes psychoanalysis is to help the patient uncover repressed emotions that may be contributing to the unconscious rage that fuels TMS.
However there are two primary goals TMS treatment:
1. Recondition yourself to think about and react differently to symptoms.
2. Explore the potential emotional triggers that cause the symptoms.
For some people, CBT could possibly be helpful in #1. Personally, I believe anything that helps in the reconditioning process is worth considering. Accepting that the symptoms are a conditioned response, and working towards undoing the conditioning, is critical to recovery.
That said, this is essentially treating the symptom and not the cause. If one continues to experience severe TMS symptoms despite accepting that those symptoms are benign conditioned responses, then psychoanalysis may be helpful to uncover the root emotional conflicts that lie underneath. |
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Hillbilly
USA
385 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2010 : 15:58:40
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Caligirl,
Here is a bibliography of published studies showing the effectiveness of CBT in dealing with chronic pain, and back pain specifically. I got these from the Academy of Cognitive Therapists. I would check these against the figures Dr. Sarno has published of screened patients who have not been successful with his treatment plan who were then recommended for psychotherapy. Then, you can make an educated choice for yourself about the mode of therapy best suited to you.
Chronic pain (CBT, in combination with physical therapy, is effective for chronic pain in many medical conditions)
Butler, A.C., Chapman, J.E., Forman, E.M., & Beck, A.T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(1), 17-31.
Chambless, Diane L., Ollendick, & Thomas H. (2001). “Empirically Supported Psychological Interventions: Controversies and Evidence.” Annu. Rev. Psychol. 52:685-716.
Morley, S., Eccleston, C., & Williams, A. (1999). Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of cognitive behaviour therapy and behaviour therapy for chronic pain in adults, excluding headache. Pain, 80, 1-13.
Chronic back pain
Chambless, Diane L., Ollendick, & Thomas H. (2001). “Empirically Supported Psychological Interventions: Controversies and Evidence.” Annu. Rev. Psychol
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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Fox
USA
496 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2010 : 07:27:54
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| Hillbilly - I did not know that Sarno published any numbers regarding the percentage of successful outcomes of TMS patients who required Freudian type therapy...If you can direct me to these figures, I would appreciate it. |
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Hillbilly
USA
385 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2010 : 08:23:04
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Fox,
The numbers are somewhere in TDM.
I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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caligirl
22 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2010 : 10:22:27
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Thank you Hillbilly, I will definitely check the studies out!
I understand what you are saying Dave. I do react differently to my pain and acknowledge that there is nothing physically wrong with me. I have had great success with this. I do have other lingering pain issues that are most likely linked to emotional issues. For example, believing that I don't deserve to be happy or that I'm not good enough. I am hoping a therapist can help me sort through these thought patterns. I suppose it is possible that it could be triggered by a past event, however more than likely this was conditioning and are learned behaviours from my past.
My TMS became full blown six years ago, but thinking back, there are many times during my childhood that I can link to TMS as well. |
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Therapist Recommendation
