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susan828
USA
291 Posts |
 Posted - 03/05/2011 : 17:48:44
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On Page 43 of The Divided Mind, Sarno says "Less commonly, a patient may have emotional and physical symptoms concurrently". My question is...less comminly? Don't most of us have some emotional problems in the first place that are causing the symptoms? I don't get what he is saying.
On the next page he says "The occurrence of two simultaneous psychogenic manifestations clearly suggested the need for psychotherapy". He is referring to a patient that had back pain, got better, then had stomach pain. So here my question is, don't we all jump from one to another (not all of us but many)? Does that mean we all need psychotherapy? I thought just reading these books and having a good understanding helped a lot of people here. |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 06:54:19
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Hi Susan,
He says emotional symptoms - I think he means things like depression or anxiety, i.e. obvious emotional symptoms, whereas some of us can have only physical symptoms, even though they are caused by hidden emotional problems.
The patient he mentions also had anxiety with his stomach pain.
quote:
Does that mean we all need psychotherapy?
I think everyone could benefit from psychotherapy. The only problem is that it has a stigma attached to it and is costly in most cases.
Hilary N |
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susan828
USA
291 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 07:49:24
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| Thanks, Hilary, that sounds right! Yes, it's expensive, even a co-pay is hard to afford for me. The other thing is that there are so few really good therapists. I had one who didn't know who Beck was. I wonder where she studied! I had one who cleaned his house while I talked to him (and he was the head of the institute...too self- assured!). And to find someone who understands and has any knowledge of TMS...it's so hard. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 09:03:31
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I never have a symptom unaccompanied by anxiety...
I suspect most people here could benefit from psychotherapy of one kind or another... |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 09:36:17
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quote:
Originally posted by susan828
Don't most of us have some emotional problems in the first place that are causing the symptoms?
Does that mean we all need psychotherapy? I thought just reading these books and having a good understanding helped a lot of people here.
Yes, HillaryN is correct, and if I may add, what Dr. Sarno is referring to here are AFFECTIVE DISORDERS, TMS symptoms that exhibit themselves in extreme psychological behavior such as depression, anxiety, sleep-disorders, compulsive behavior, and other manias. These are not psychogenic (physical) symptoms, but TMS none the less, because they serve the purpose of DISTRACTION just as well.
The "emotional problem that causes TMS in the first place" is repression/suppression of the emotions and NOT exhibiting or expressing them.
Reading the books would be the first line of defense or first aid for TMS. I find here, that those who seem not able to be "cured", don't seem to have read their Sarno or if they have, not very carefully. I think this is another trick "the gremlin" plays on us by preventing us from seeing what is directly in front of us. The Good Doctor quoted Edna St. Vincent Millay in an earlier book that alluded to this phenomenon so well:
"Pity me that the heart is slow to learn
What the swift mind beholds at every turn."
Dr. Sarno postulates in his later work, that TMS is a PROTECTOR, a defense mechanism. In which case, maybe we should be thankful for it for protecting us from what we are not ready or capable of dealing with yet in our lives.
In the "New Age" ghetto that I reside, I'm nearly surrounded by psychotherapists and not one has ever heard of Dr. Sarno--shocking ignorance of their profession in my not so humble opinion, and show NO interest when I bring up his books.
TMS therapists, unfortunately, are few and far between but personal trainers are a dime a dozen--I guess it's a matter of priorities. A loving family and close friends would probably be a lot cheaper and understand what we need better.
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One more clarification please
