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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
 Posted - 02/20/2013 : 04:59:49
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| A common mistake is for one to read too many books when they could be working on their habitual strain instead. I think the yield of return from most of the additional books read is very low once you've read some basic books listed in my keys. Once you see the concepts at work, I strongly recommend forget additional tms books to read. Just work on your recovery. |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 05:19:31
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I have to agree with Ace on this one. I have read many TMS books, probably many more than most people on this forum, and all of this information -- while informative -- has not really served me well in my recovery efforts. But I am an academic who likes lots of information. Too much information, however, tends to bog one down in a lot of details which becomes confusing. Each one of these books says something different and are not always in agreement. We need simplicity in what is required of us and not confusion. I think many people desire more information because they are filled with doubts about the cause of their suffering. Ace recommends that you try his keys to healing for at least 3 months and see if you detect any changes, even if those changes are slight. Read them everyday and do the affirmations around negative talk and thinking as well as stressful situations which make you feel tense or anxious. I know some of you are intellectuals, but there are times when one has to put that egghead part of themselves to one side for the sake of being well.
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 06:01:32
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Ace1, I agree completely with the principle of diminishing returns coupled with the self-imposed strain of additionally seeking for answers that actually lie within oneself. While 'the map is not the territory,' books are guides and help us plot co-ordinates. Too many us spend a long time reading about faraway lands (healing) at the cost of making the actual journey. This is of course folly but it is very human too.
I would add however that not all books are created equal and what reaches you or reaches me may not reach another. In respect of this I believe there is space for the sharing of resources only if one is very clear that this is what we are doing. I've not read any tms books since I read the writings of Claire Weekes. She reached me. It's that simple.
Thanks for flagging this point though Ace1. It is incredibly important and represents one of the biggest bear-traps on the healing road. |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 06:41:33
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| Many people on this forum have read Claire Weekes' book "Hope and Help for Your Nerves." I too read it but I simply did not get any benefit from the book and never looked at it again. That is not to say that others will not get help from this book, only that I didn't personally. |
Edited by - shawnsmith on 02/20/2013 06:43:42 |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 06:51:42
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quote:
Originally posted by shawnsmith
Many people on this forum have read Claire Weekes' book "Hope and Help for Your Nerves." I too read it but I simply did not get any benefit from the book and never looked at it again. That is not to say that others will not get help from this book, only that I didn't personally.
Fair play Shawn.
She reaches me because fear was/is a huge player in this game for me. |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 06:55:57
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Oh, oh but wait dear Ace1...
While lolling in my bath it occurred that we may be circling something more pernicious here. Could it be the case that the endless reading represents a ravenous hunger for the elusive and much-coveted book cure? |
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All1Spirit
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 06:59:39
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Claire Weekes was a pioneer in anxiety treatment over 50 years ago. Her techniques were more for panic and anxiety episodes and not for chronic conditions – there is no float through when the pain and symptoms are constant.
Too many books: searching for answers is stress but when we are in pain we are neurologically hard wired to seek resolution. I saw in the community anxiety groups I ran that after information the next best thing for healing and recovery was connection to others who understand and are working a program.
Face-to-face meetings were good but the most helpful was the member phone list, always someone to pull you around the next corner and keep you going. While on line forums certainly connect people they often provide such anonymity that they do not address the biological communal connections we need as humans – we are simply pack animals and one of our major stressors is feeling like we have to do it alone.
For thousands of years and up until less than 100 years ago everyone you knew personally and your entire family was a short walk or a horse ride away. This sense of not being connected to a reliable support system creates huge amounts of chronic fear.
"Around and Around the Circle We Go....
The Answer Sits In The Middle and Knows..." |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 07:12:33
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quote:
Originally posted by All1Spirit
Claire Weekes was a pioneer in anxiety treatment over 50 years ago. Her techniques were more for panic and anxiety episodes and not for chronic conditions – there is no float through when the pain and symptoms are constant.
Too many books: searching for answers is stress but when we are in pain we are neurologically hard wired to seek resolution. I saw in the community anxiety groups I ran that after information the next best thing for healing and recovery was connection to others who understand and are working a program.
Face-to-face meetings were good but the most helpful was the member phone list, always someone to pull you around the next corner and keep you going. While on line forums certainly connect people they often provide such anonymity that they do not address the biological communal connections we need as humans – we are simply pack animals and one of our major stressors is feeling like we have to do it alone.
For thousands of years and up until less than 100 years ago everyone you knew personally and your entire family was a short walk or a horse ride away. This sense of not being connected to a reliable support system creates huge amounts of chronic fear.
"Around and Around the Circle We Go....
The Answer Sits In The Middle and Knows..."
A strike for individual differences then. My pain ticks both the chronic and constant boxes and floating does help me. Incidentally her methods are profoundly beneficial for my Parkinson's suffering boy. In the end all the books are variations on a theme. |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 07:16:37
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quote:
Originally posted by plum
Oh, oh but wait dear Ace1...
While lolling in my bath it occurred that we may be circling something more pernicious here. Could it be the case that the endless reading represents a ravenous hunger for the elusive and much-coveted book cure?
This is a very good observation Plum. There are scattered reports of people obtaining a book cure, that is a quick recovery after reading a particular book. Ace has stated in other posts he considers this to be due to the placebo affect and I agree with him. Many times people will indeed recover rapidly but because they have not done the work needed they most likely relapse sometime in the future. I personally don't like the book cure testimonials. It is like a lottery where someone purchases a ticket with a view to solving their financial problems. They may or may not win, but even if they do win, if they have not learned the skills of sound financial management they will quickly find themselves having financial problems again no matter how much money they win. Does that make sense? |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 07:26:44
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| It makes complete sense sweetie, and I agree with you. Looking back over my life I see the different ways tms has flashed and flared, and equally I see that each 'cure' was superficial. The good ole sympton imperative. This is why I'm commited to true and deep healing now. Thanks for those thoughts chick. |
Edited by - plum on 02/20/2013 07:27:13 |
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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 08:01:27
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Actually, once you "get" it, then most of the reading is redundant and can be confusing.
It does come down to behavior modification, and some aspects of that have to be understood. The new so-called "third wave" of CBT is, I think, especially helpful.
The reality of it is that you have to "get out of your mind", as they say, and return to active living.
In fact, not to be slighting in anyway, but Ace1''s "Keys to Healing" are the Cliff Notes to the entire process, from understanding your bodily sensations to step-by-step behavior modification.
Dr. Sarno told me my spine was okay, but after that I didn't have too many places to go with the knowledge, except for some of the enlighten and oft sited posters on here. The Keys to Healing came after I was done, but even so, I printed them off and read them from time to time.
My work, long term, is on my reactions to daily events, so I don't let the tension run away with me ever again and end up with some new aching part or symptom.
"Bridges Freeze Before Roads" |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 08:18:36
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Back2-It,
You re-enforce what I was saying. You had to do the work before recovering and this work is a process and not merely a one-time single "aha moment" in which you wake up suddenly cured. But many people fall into the trap that they don't have to do any kind of work and keep hoping that the next sentence is going to be the magic bullet.
Sadly, Dr Sarno's work is lacking in many aspects, as you alluded to in your comments when you wrote, "Dr. Sarno told me my spine was okay, but after that I didn't have too many places to go with the knowledge,...." What does one do when one is diagnosed with TMS by even the good doctor himself? His advice is sketchy at best and he did not develop it enough to satisfy the needs of many patients. Yeah, the 12 daily reminders are nice and all, but there is very little substance to them.
Keep posting your reflections on what it takes to recover so that others can benefit from your experience. |
Edited by - shawnsmith on 02/20/2013 08:19:34 |
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All1Spirit
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 08:55:01
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Shawn
I totally agree – so many books give you 600 pages on why and how-come and almost nothing on how! Or the instructions are abstract. The more people are in pain and the more disabled they are the more they need concrete instructions: put right foot in right shoe and tie laces...
Working with emotions is not unlike catching fog – not always there and when they are then can be elusive and amorphous....
"Around and Around the Circle We Go....
The Answer Sits In The Middle and Knows..." |
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Back2-It
USA
438 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 09:03:04
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quote:
Originally posted by shawnsmith
Back2-It,
Keep posting your reflections on what it takes to recover so that others can benefit from your experience.
Shawnsmith, I'm afraid that others do a much better job of posting helpful advice and reflections. What draws me back from time-to-time is to post an article a few might find interesting. Then, my tendency is to keep coming back and straying over into other topics, like this. For me, it is not being in my life and that is not the best thing for me to be doing.
I decided that if I ever post a "success" story it will be when I can react to all stresses in a manner that will not lead to symptoms, and that is, I think, a harder battle than eliminating the physical problem, because that is a restructuring (for me) of life.
You got your Baltos, Hillbillys, TT, Arts, Ace1 and others. They got a wrap on it. .
"Bridges Freeze Before Roads" |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 09:28:22
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quote:
Originally posted by shawnsmith
...Sadly, Dr Sarno's work is lacking in many aspects,..
...What does one do when one is diagnosed with TMS by even the good doctor himself? His advice is sketchy at best and he did not develop it enough to satisfy the needs of many patients. Yeah, the 12 daily reminders are nice and all, but there is very little substance to them.
Dr. Sarno--nor any other TMS author, can live your life for you or tell you what you should do with it. At some point you have to get off your butt, take that philosophical and real "first step" and do something that validates your existence, getting on with it--then you die. Only you can bring find and bring meaning to your lif. Dr. Sarno, a coach, a guru, can only help keep you on the path.
To quote a truth from Nicole Sachs' new TMS book (caps mine):
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE. YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF IT. (YES, YOU ACTUALLY ARE.) WHEN WE GIVE AWAY OUR POWER, WE GAIN A MILLION REASONS TO BE DEFENSIVE ." |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 09:36:18
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Or as SteveO said 'Just Do It!' which is why I run (if you can call it that) every other day (and walk like Widow T****ey on the days inbetween).
You just have to saddle up the horse and get on with it, whatever your 'it' is.
Tom, thanks for posting quotes from Nicole's book. I liked her book and I like her. It's a real shame she got rough and tumbled here because her message is sound. It's damn cold here. Could do with one your hot-tubs post run. Hugs to you x |
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Bugbear
United Kingdom
152 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 09:43:26
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quote:
A common mistake is for one to read too many books when they could be working on their habitual strain instead.
(Ace1)
For me I would add articles, excerpts, youtube videos and even poetry. I am not dissing any of these, particularly poetry, being a graduate in comparative literature.
quote:
Actually, once you "get" it, then most of the reading is redundant and can be confusing.
(Back2-It)
Yep. Not only redundant and confusing but I have noticed doubt and fear trying to creep back in.
quote:
While on line forums certainly connect people they often provide such anonymity that they do not address the biological communal connections we need as humans – we are simply pack animals and one of our major stressors is feeling like we have to do it alone.
For thousands of years and up until less than 100 years ago everyone you knew personally and your entire family was a short walk or a horse ride away. This sense of not being connected to a reliable support system creates huge amounts of chronic fear.
(All1Spirit)
You and Balto sure are on the same page, pardon the book pun. Anonymity is great in some ways but I feel very disconnected on forums.
quote:
I know some of you are intellectuals, but there are times when one has to put that egghead part of themselves to one side for the sake of being well.
(Shawnsmith)
Healing needs to be accessible to all, whether we are intellectuals or just an average Joe/Jane wishing to live a happy, pain free life. |
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shawnsmith
Czech Republic
2048 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 09:44:05
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| Well that doesn't help a lot Tom as the statement is obvious. Give me something I can work with and not just something we already know to be true. Dr Sarno in his own books stated that for most patients six weeks was sufficient to bring about a resolution to the symptoms, and he hypes up these so called book cures. We now know, however, that this is not the case for the vast majority of people with TMS. Why did he make a diagnosis but then held back on what it really takes to recover? The response is he does not know all the answers to this question, and thus spoke in general terms without going into specifics. Here, on this message board, we are trying to go a bit deeper into what it takes and many of us have found Ace's keys to healing to be a sound model to adopt instead of the Freudian psychotherapy model embraced by Dr Sarno and his loyal disciples. |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 09:47:14
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quote:
Originally posted by plum
...Tom, thanks for posting quotes from Nicole's book. I liked her book and I like her. It's a real shame she got rough and tumbled here because her message is sound. It's damn cold here. Could do with one your hot-tubs post run. Hugs to you x
Thanks sugar Plum, I was just headed there, feel free to join me.
Cheers
tt/lsmft |
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NicoleSachsLCSW
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 15:13:46
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Plum,
I don't mean to abandon you or the many people that remind me to continue posting here. I do appreciate your acknowledgment that it can be a pretty difficult environment since a few people seem to want to attack me for doing absolutely nothing to them except extending my message - take it or leave it. I will try to "man up" as they say, and keep showing up.
I have some ideas. Will post soon. All the best to you.
With love,
-n.
quote:
Originally posted by plum
Or as SteveO said 'Just Do It!' which is why I run (if you can call it that) every other day (and walk like Widow T****ey on the days inbetween).
You just have to saddle up the horse and get on with it, whatever your 'it' is.
Tom, thanks for posting quotes from Nicole's book. I liked her book and I like her. It's a real shame she got rough and tumbled here because her message is sound. It's damn cold here. Could do with one your hot-tubs post run. Hugs to you x
Embrace your Truth, Create your Life. |
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plum
United Kingdom
641 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2013 : 16:08:07
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Nicole, you're the sweetest.
Best wishes to you x |
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Reading too many books
