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Dr James Alexander
Australia
127 Posts |
 Posted - 03/19/2013 : 19:22:53
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Rik raised an important question on the TMS Wiki which i think is worth putting up here as well (along with my reply).
Once you have identified the repressed emotion what have you found is the best way to work with it to get it to stop expressing as TMS?
Rik (for the sake of others who may not have read other posts)- the most effective (in fact, the only effective) way known to modern neuroscience for losing the emotional sting which goes with either repressed or unconscious traumatic memories, or repressed negative aspects of our current experience, is captured under the term 'reconsolidation'. This is achieved by a process which changes how the brain stores away (consolidates) our experiences into the memory system. Upsetting experiences are easily consolidated and stored as they contain useful information for survival purposes- the emotional distress (with cognitive and physiological aspects) which they contain can then 'repeat' on a person forever, unless s/he undergoes a re-consolidation experience- this is what happens for a PTSD sufferer. During the reconsolidation process, the emotion experienced at the time of the process becomes 'built into' the autobiographical memory, such that the new laying down of the memory also contains the new emotional (more positive) context in which it was reconsolidated. Reconsolidation therapies will deliberately help the person to have a different, more positive experience during the process- this is not achieved by just telling people to be more positive, or to just let go of negative emotions or memories (see below).
The reconsolidation experience can result in many different ways, but there are some specific characteristics of the experience that neuroscience research demonstrates must be in place for the process to work. Firstly, the person must be in touch with the distressing experience, and must re-experience it in all its emotional/cognitive/physiological fullness. (This is achieved in EMDR via the set-up procedure which occurs prior to the bi-lateral stimulation. In coherence therapy, this is done via inviting the client to imaginally re-experience the upsetting event). Some people will criticise this as rehashing past negativity, but it is an essential step in the reconsolidation process (which, if successful, will result in no emotional distress in relation to a bad incident). Some people will cope with being in touch with the distressing event on their own just fine; but other people will be re-traumatised by doing this, and therefore will need the assistance of a therapist experienced in working with psychological trauma. I think it was Eric who posted that he is able to do 'inner-child work' on his own. What he reports sounds very much like successful self-applied reconsolidation- the result is that he no longer feels upset about the memory (Eric- can you elaborate on this?). It is also known that reconsolidation can occur spontaneously at times as well, with no prior expectation or knowledge that this is what is happening (I have an experience of this which i could share if anyone wants to know about it?). I am sure there are many people who, from a certain spontaneous experience, went from being highly distressed about something only to have the distress melt away like snow balls on a hot plate (that was my experience in relation to a depressive episode).
The second requirement of successful reconsolidation is that there needs to be an experience of dis-confirming emotional knowledge. This needs to be more than just a cognitive knowledge, and explains why approaches like CBT often don't work above placebo rates. The change needs to occur in the emotional brain (ie. limbic system and mid-brain areas), and not in the neo-cortex (thinking brain). Some people will be able to provide for themselves an emotional experience which disconfirms the emotional knowledge associated with the upsetting event, eg. " I am worthless and unlovable". Eric described going to his upset 'little boy' and giving him some of the nurturance he needs (all in his imagination, which the brain does not distinguish from reality) . This is an example of a different emotional experience (which effects the emotional brain- whereas the neo-cortex is indifferent to it), and which violates the emotional 'knowledge' obtained in the distressing event via a juxtaposition of expereinces- one is emotionally upsetting ("I am unworthy and unlovable"), while the other is emotionally uplifting (eg. seeing the young you being supported, loved, etc). Both of these experiences need to be felt, ie. a cognitive awareness of them is not sufficient to create reconsolidation.
When these two conflicting emotional knowings can be held together (and actually experienced, rather than just thought about), then reconsolidation can occur. The brain/mind needs to resolve the conflict between these two knowing by letting one go. This can then result in the person remaining aware that the bad experience happened, but no longer feeling the distressed emotion which has typically gone along with it. It is a succession of these bad experiences (and their emotional/cognitive/physiological components) which result in problems like poor self worth, extreme pessimism, fear of people and the world in general, chronic pain (and the associated anxiety, panic, anger, rage, depression etc that you would expect to go along with these). It is likely that any one distressed or pained person will need to have more than one reconsolidation experience to overcome their syndrome- but, bit by bit, this is entirely possible and regularly happens in effective therapy.
Where spontaneous reconsolidation does not occur, and where the person is not able to initiate their own reconsolidation experience (either because their trauma is too great, or they dont know how to), then certain types of psychotherapy are able to achieve this outcome. These are not therapies which remain working on only a cognitive level, such as CBT. Nor does it include the other excellent approaches such as mindfulness, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, regular meditation, or other calming soothing techniques- as great at these are in their own right, all they can ever achieve is a counteracting of the distress, never a complete resolution (I discuss this further in the final chapter of 'The Hidden Psychology of Pain', and give these approaches the thumbs up for all sorts of reasons, but not because they will resolve chronic pain as they generally will not, unless they accidentally trigger a spontaneous reconsolidation experience).
The types of psychotherapies which are capable of producing reconsolidation experiences are referred to as 'transformative', as opposed to counteractive therapies. The list includes EMDR, Gestalt therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, brief psychoanalytic therapies, Hakomi, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Therapy, NLP (not an exhaustive list- I'm sure there are many others that i do not know of) . And Coherence Therapy is designed specifically to replicate the reconsoldiation process as demonstrated in the neuroscience labs with animal and human subjects.
The fact that Sarno's psychologist colleagues had success in resolving chronic pain in patients indicates that the therapy they use also creates reconsolidation. There appears to be many paths to this type of emotional/psychological transformation via reconsolidation (and some approaches just wont do it). The much touted book-cure which most therapists have seen with TMS books is also an experience of reconsolidation, although this appears to occur via cognitive information. Where most people in our culture have been emersed in the the dominant culture of bio-mechanics (aka the mechanistic bias), which explains all chronic pain in relation to structural pathology, we have built up a solid 'understanding' of what generates chronic pain. This is our 'pain schema', and includes theories of causation as well as expectations about its outcome. When people come across TMS information for the first time, it can be such disconfirming information (vis-a-vis the mechanistic bias information) that a spontaneous reconsolidation can occur. This will be aided by the person's ability to apply the TMS model to themselves, and see what unconscious forms of distress could be relevant to their chronic pain. This will never happen to the person who is not seriously considering the model, as their emotional brain is not engaged in the information which they are processing- to them, it is just data, and dodgy data at that. And when it comes to making changes in the emotional brain, data will not do the job. Information which holds a degree of emotional importance to the person has a chance of effecting this change.
For more information about reconsolidation listen to interviews with Bruce Ecker on Shrink Rap Radio (a link from my home page: www.drjamesalexander-psychologist.com)
James |
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lesley
New Zealand
18 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 19:49:58
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Hello Dr James,
How does this work with grief? I am struggling with a heavy grief burden and have been for some time. Your explanation of what is effective for healing chronic pain doesn't include any mention of grief. In my experience grief encompasses a number of different emtions, including fear and anger. Do the methods you mention work effectively with grief? I am currently reading your book, "The Hidden Psychology of Pain." |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 19:58:31
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Lesley I have the same question and I don't mind sharing as I have before that it arises primarily from the ongoing grief I endure over my severely autistic son -- and it is mixed with anger (some of it focused, some just free floating) and fear (about his future). I would love to apply some of the cognitive techniques discussed here but there is no way to just hit the delete button on it or console myself or my family with some pablum. He suffers tremendously, this is not a case of me feeling sorry for myself.
I have been told that my coping mechanism of (to a certain extent anyhow) disconnecting from the extreme emotions ultimately has been counterproductive and is leading to worse problems, and that I need to reconnect. But I don't know how -- even assuming I could connect with the feelings fully and survive -- I could ever "reconsolidate" those feelings in such a way as to take the sting out of them, as James says. |
Edited by - pspa123 on 03/19/2013 20:00:16 |
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Dr James Alexander
Australia
127 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 20:53:11
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lesley and pspa123. Yes, grief is a major issue in many people's lives. When working with someone grieving i always begin with a statement that we need to be realistic in terms of what to expect. Grief is a natural human emotion, and goes with the territory of caring for someone. If we care deeply about them, and experience a loss, it will hurt (grief), and it will never be an OK reality with you. Most people are able to absorb grief, never like it or the reality that it reflects, and get on with their lives without being crushed by it. That said, it appears that many people's natural grief is complicated by elements of trauma. Deaths often occur in traumatic circumstances; and for pspa123 to have a disabled child is also traumatic. As you have alluded to, there are a range of other emotions in association with the natural grief. And this makes the grief more complicated and less likely to naturally resolve as time goes on (as usually occurs with un-complicated grief). I think the difference is between being crushed by a bad loss, and being able to live with some psychological quality of life despite the bad loss. Complicated grief seems to be an experience of the former.
So, back to being realistic about what to expect. If i work with a person with complicated grief, then i always point out that even if our work is successful, they will still feel sadness over the loss or the bad experience or bad reality- but they will no longer feel crushed by it.
Transformative therapies which aim at and often result in the reconsolidation i have referred to are able to work with the additional layers of experience, eg. the trauma, the anger, the fear etc. There is no reason why these are any more indelible to reconsolidation change than any other distressed human emotion. That is, they are all viable targets of therapeutic change, and transformative therapies are generally able to help the person 'get over' these additional aspects to their grief experience, ie. let go of the anger, the fear, the trauma etc. Then the person is just left with the grief as a natural human response to loss- this is usually enough to deal with, without the additional layers of distress.
I have done this work with many grieving people, mostly using EMDR, and regularly see people emerging from the 'being crushed by grief' experience, into 'I am able to live with some psychological quality of life despite the grief' experience. It never means that the people are happy or ever indifferent to their loss (they still grieve, feel sad that their loved one is no longer with them, or with them in a damaged state). But they no longer feel crushed by this reality. When people are able to get to that place, then they are often surprised at how we as humans appear able to absorb bad experiences, and keep on living with some enjoyment in life despite the loss. I have worked with multiple people who have lost children in tragic circumstances, eg. with a mum whose child died in an accident in which she was driving the car. Has this woman emerged free of grief? No. But she is emerging as a person who is able to keep on living and finding some meaning and pleasure in life, despite what has happened. its a long hard road, but with the right type of help (ie. therapies which are transformative and can create reconsolidation experiences and change) then life and enjoyment again becomes a viable proposition. So, my answer to you is 'yes', these type of therapies can help with grief.
James |
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alix
USA
434 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 21:07:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr James Alexander
...which i could share if anyone wants to know about it?). I am sure there are many people who, from a certain spontaneous experience, went from being highly distressed about something only to have the distress melt away like snow balls on a hot plate (that was my experience in relation to a depressive episode).
I would definitely be interested by your experience if you have the time to elaborate. |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2013 : 21:37:45
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| James, thanks very much, that is encouraging. |
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Dr James Alexander
Australia
127 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 01:08:25
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Alix- 10 years ago i took my young family (wife, 3 kids- then 13, 11, 8) on a venture to live in Scotland for a year. I was on my ancestral trail, seeking the places where my people came from. It was a romantic venture, and i was overly optimistic about my chances of it all going well. When we arrived in the UK, we bought a camper van which allowed us to travel around and see Scotland during their summer. Eventually, we established ourselves (on the other side of the world with no contacts) in jobs, schools etc.
The plan was that the re-sale of the van was our ticket home- it was old and a bit rough, but worth about 3 1/2 thousand pounds- enough to fund our return journey. During the middle of the cold, long bleak Scottish winter (which was challenging enough just because of what it was), the van engine blew up! In the days that followed, i was offered 500 pounds for it. All of a sudden, i felt trapped on the other side of the planet, with a family who were happy (albeit living on minimal funds), and no way home- and it is a long way from Scotland to Australia. The whole thing crashed in on me, and i sunk into the pits of despair. For only the second time in my life, i became extremely depressed (the other time being in the aftermath of being nearly killed as an 18 year old). This went on for weeks and weeks. It was even impossible to get a mechanic that was able to look at the van engine for months (they were in short supply). The days stayed long, cold dark and gloom, and my mood matched. There seemed to be no way out of the mess that i had landed ourselves in (although we were earning reasonable money, the cost of living was quite high as well and didnt allow us to get ahead financially).
After a couple of months in this depressed state (nothing could lighten me up, and i was trying every CBT type trick in the book just to keep my head barely above water), i was in the commute train going to Edinburgh for work one morning. It was dark and bleak outside (as usual), and i was wallowing in my quagmire. Months earlier, before i had left Oz, i decided that i wanted to make a book of quotes from my favourite spiritual philosopher, Allan Watts. To this end, i had typed out a few hundred quotes from the many of his books which i had. I printed these out and put them in my brief case and forgot about them- until this morning on the train into Edinburgh. For some reason, i decided to see what was in an obscure pocket of the brief case and found this collection of Allan Watts quotes.
As i was reading the first one, i felt an immediate lifting of the depression. It was virtually instantaneous, and was not related to the actual message in the quote. I was stunned that this depression that had been with me for months was just melting away like snow on a hot plate. In a matter of seconds i felt liberated (not enlightened!) and free of any emotional burden.
In the years since then, i have struggled to make sense of what had happened. Sure enough, i had years of really enjoying reading Allan Watts- i had a whole bunch of very positive emotional associations with his writings. Since learning of reconsolidation, i can see that the necessary conditions sponteneously fell into place. Firstly, i was in the experience of the despair (a lived emotional reality). Then, in a moment, i was back in touch with the positive emotional associations i had with Allan Watts (independent of the actual quotes). It was these associations which i then got a burst of. This was the disconfirming juxtaposition which neuroscientists talk of as necessary for reconsolidation to occur. And it was not essentially a cognitive experience- it was primarily emotional. As i said, the depression just melted away, and i felt that whatever happened, it was all going to be OK. This positivity required no effort whatsoever.
Thats my spontaneous reconsolidation experience. I dare say others have had similar experiences, and it would be interesting to hear of them.
James |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 07:33:53
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Dear Dr. James,
How is reconsolidation different from reconditioning? You have to experience the thing that has or is affecting you and reassociate it with good feelings (as if it isnt as bad as you thought or how you made it out to be). This new association, now is taken as the new reality and the patient achieves a state of conflict resolution or relaxation. This is my experience with the people I have helped get better. When I was reading your description above, I felt it was very similar to what I believe. I agree, the person, should try to first see the distressing thing first in order help resolve it and this is not bringing negativity into the picture. The recognition in itself, the insight is sometimes enough to cause relaxation in itself in my experience. However, sometimes somethings in the past in my expereience are not a cause of current distress and thinking of these in my opinion can sometimes be counterproductive. Thanks for your help and wonderful insight and look forward to your thoughts on the matter.
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Edited by - Ace1 on 03/20/2013 07:41:44 |
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RageSootheRatio
Canada
430 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 08:05:39
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| I don't want to "disrupt" this thread too much, but just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for a VERY interesting thread, everybody, and a huge thank you to you, Dr James for starting it! I am following this discussion with very keen interest. - RSR |
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kalo
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 10:42:56
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Hi All,
I've been a member for a while, and I am so greatful for this forum!
I am dyslexic, and found that Audio books have great value! I just got done listening to The Divide Mind! I now understand about ID, EGO, SUPER EGO!
I must say that instead of becoming enlightened by this post, I am STUCK!!!
The reason, is what Dr. James Alexander is posting with regards to Reconsolidation!
OMG, but, am I the only one who feels like this is ROCKET SCIENCE???
How many years in therapy and DIGGING INTO THE PAST, does one have to do???
How many more therpist and MONEY does one have to spend to find that secrete "REPRESSED EMOTIONS"
Without sound NEGATIVE, lately, there has been therapist who have come on this forum, who claim to have knowledge!
They have a new book to promote, and a new technique such as EFT, EMDR,and or a new word RECONDSOLIDATION...
This is becoming somewhat like a religion...Which technqiue does one follow..
Better yet, where does one find a therapist that can help and specialize in all of this???? If regular CBT doesn't help and if meditating, journaling, etc. isn't the answer...UGH!!!
I must say, the only thing that gives me hope to recovery is ACE1 "Keys to Recovery"
Kalo |
Edited by - kalo on 03/20/2013 11:02:20 |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 11:03:02
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| Hi Kalo. I'm glad my keys give you hope and they really do work if you keep at it and get better at it. It takes practice and patience. . I asked Dr James the above question to see if it can help simplify the term, if he means the same thing that I'm trying to get across also. Please feel free to ask questions. |
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kalo
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 11:39:09
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Hi ACE1,
Thank you for your response!
I did listen to Dr. Alexanders interview on Shrink Radio to understand more about RECONSOLIDATION!
First, all of what he was talking about is NOTHING more than what Dr. Sarno has pioneered!!!
The only thing I gathered that was different from Dr. Sarno,was Dr. Alexander's rebirthing experience...
A rebirthing seminar he went to (at the time was skeptical)which enabled him to release the repressed emotion of his car accident.
Through rebirthing, his many years of groin pain was released!
My problems that which may be causing my repressed emotions are Learning Disabilities, that were never caught until I was 25 years old..
I endured TONS of bullying from both kids,and teachers while attending school!!
There is more to it that would be to long to discuss on this forum...
My point is I've have seen therapist and poured out my heart! I don't hold back, I am a perfectionist, a do gooder, and therapy was like going to confession..
I not AFRAID to say this, but, seeking therapist, spending TONS of money is more taxing on TMS then anything else..
Monte from runningpain.com quotes to stop visiting forums, and digging up the past because it just keeps the pain syndrome ALIVE!!!
From what I've read, his advise sounds a lot like ACE1's Keys to HEALING!!!
Bottom line, I can see why some members disappear from this forum and as all this confusing information adds to the TMS
One thing Dr. Sarno did not do is offer help to people living outside of New York..
I am willing to admit that all my pain TMS in orgin, but, what good does it do for any therapist to come on this board, i.e Nicole, Dr. James Alexander, etc. enlightened up with their book ie. their techniques...
They can't even offer LIVE help and taking a gamble on finding an EMDR therapist (MORE MONEY) that may or may not help is more frightening..
Kalo |
Edited by - kalo on 03/20/2013 12:00:12 |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 12:18:21
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| Dear Kalo, I would have never recovered with the help of a therapist. How I recovered is what I used on my keys to healing. I remember asking Arlene Feinblatt, saying I know my problem is that Im always in a rush, how do I stop that. She said you just have to stop. This did not give me anymore information than I already had. I am not discounting that therapy may help some, just in my case I KNOW it would not have helped ME. I am also very dedicated and I put 100% into my recovery and I stayed the course. I am sure you are hyper sensitive based on your experience with kids in the past and Im sure this is contributing to the way you react TODAY in your life. I can tell you right now that this is something you have to decondition yourself to to get better. Keep us updated |
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kalo
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 12:35:50
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quote:
Dear Kalo, I would have never recovered with the help of a therapist. How I recovered is what I used on my keys to healing. I remember asking Arlene Feinblatt, saying I know my problem is that Im always in a rush, how do I stop that. She said you just have to stop. This did not give me anymore information than I already had. I am not discounting that therapy may help some, just in my case I KNOW it would not have helped ME. I am also very dedicated and I put 100% into my recovery and I stayed the course. I am sure you are hyper sensitive based on your experience with kids in the past and Im sure this is contributing to the way you react TODAY in your life. I can tell you right now that this is something you have to decondition yourself to to get better. Keep us updated
Hi ACE1,
I love your quote and you are right!! All the bullying and failures in life and the way I react is a problem!!! I am HYPER SENSITIVE, and suffer also from Anxiety..
Which, I believe contribute to keeping TMS alive. Many people here will say that Anxiety is equivelent to TMS, but, I believe it is not and is a LEARNED behavior...It is not a chemical imbalance either like some believe..
I learned it to keep myself SAFE!!! I do have to decondition this behavior!!!
Oh, I am also caregiving, living with my elderly parents and this is when all my TMS started...
Thanks for your insight...
Kalo |
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alix
USA
434 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 13:06:42
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| Dr.Alexander, thanks for your post. What an amazing experience (apart from your trouble) for you and your family. I could see how Scotland would do that to you also. It is fascinating and beautiful but can also be very depressing. It is no coincidence that there are so many cheap flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Greece and Spain. |
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jegol71
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 13:09:07
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Dr. Alexander-
Phenomenal and profound articulations about reconsolidation.
I see reconsolidation as a self-correcting of our emotional narrative, a healing response bought by cognitive and emotional guidance. Reconditioning to me, suggests a directive: an order given to disarm when immersed in whichever internal or external variables. The first is "snow melting on a hot plate," the second is "melting snow on a hot plate," if one can gratify the small difference.
Reconditioning likely becomes reconsolidation, at the moment that the sprockets lock in their most ideal and healthy configuration. The placebo response is probably a reconsolidation around the axis of the treatment provided (pill, therapy, book).
In the end, a positive, relatively permament placebo response is probably the same thing as a short-term response, but in people for whom placebos did reconsolidate initially.
Thanks again for the helpful words. |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 13:55:57
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| Jared, I know from prior posts you are a veteran and proponent of ISTDP -- do you feel that that is a therapy that brings about reconsolidation as James is describing it? I have just started this therapy myself but don't have a clear feel for its direction yet. Thanks and sorry if my question is less than intelligent. |
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jegol71
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 14:08:18
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Pspa-
It's absolutely re-consolidating. It's an example of depth psychotherapy that Dr. Alexander mentions, initially brought to my attention through Howard Schubiner.
The practitioner you work with will go a long way in making the relationship work, which goes without saying but what I mean specifically this time is that we, the hard-line analyticals, have either been hurt or vastly underwhelmed the past (in)competences of earlier therapists; the ISTDP/depth therapist should be someone you feel to be an intellectual peer, not because this stuff is inoperably complicated, but who among us can feel comfortable if the person we talk to can't get it?
I'm excited for you, PSPA. If not this therapist then another, right? Howard's new Unlearn Your Pain has great ISTDP tidbits to mediate your journey, or even to give to your therapist. Mine is/was attending an ISTDP seminar, and told me that Howard was presenting to them on chronic pain! |
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pspa123
672 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 14:17:08
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| Thank you very much for your response. I actually noticed Dr. Schubiner's book on my therapist's shelf, and he said he hadn't read it yet but had just had some professional intereaction with him, so that would seem to be a good sign. What you say about past therapists is SO true -- my God have I had some bad ones. |
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chickenbone
Panama
398 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 17:13:18
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Boy, it sure is confusing trying to figure out what to do. I have been to 4 different therapists, 2 were Psychiatrists, 1 Psychologist and 1 Psychiatric Social Worker. The Psychologist thought I suffered from traumatic childhood events and that was all. One Psychiatrist thought I was mildly bi-polar. I stopped seeing him after none of the meds he prescribed worked and gave me bad side effects. The other Psychiatrist thought I suffered from "sensitive brain chemistry". He was the one who helped me the most. The Social Worker just did CBT which didn't really help me at all. The bi-polar diagnosis had a powerful NOCEBO effect on me and I have always wondered about it. I am moody and have a lot of trouble sleeping. It also seems that whenever I get completely off meds, I have a bad spell similar to a mild bi-polar episode. However, I have often read that people suffering from trauma in childhood were often misdiagnosed as either bi-polar or ADHD. My husband thinks I have ADHD.
I have read a lot about EMDR and Coherence Therapy. I think I would chose EMDR because it seems more to the point. I don't wish to develop any type of relationship with a Therapist.
Also, I have another problem. Travel is a major trigger for my mental issues. I usually cannot sleep anywhere else other than my own bed without sleeping pills. So if I have to travel to get to therapy, I don't know what shape I would be in when I got there, although I have several friends and family to stay with. Also I want to keep a lot of my negative attitudes, mostly about banksters and corrupt politicians. I don't want to be turned to a sickeningly nice, happy person. |
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Dr James Alexander
Australia
127 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2013 : 21:07:48
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Kalo- i hear your pain and confusion. The problem with a lot of therapies is that you can pour it out and pour it out, and nothing comes of this (other than having spend a lot of time and money- as you detail). In my posts, i am trying to give people an idea of what are likely to be the forms of therapy that can help with TMS, and why. For some people, this will be too much information, and for others, not enough. Some comments from other people indicate that they appreciate the additional information, so i am encouraged to keep on offering it. I would prefer people did not spend years and money on therapies that are never going to ease or eradicate their TMS. My interview on Shrink Rap Radio is not about reconsolidation. As i have suggested in several posts, if you want to learn more about that (and you dont have to), then listen to Bruce Ecker's interview on Shrink Rap Radio and Wise Counsel- thats where you will get more information about that. My purpose in the Shrink Rap Radio interview is to bring the TMS model to psychologists around the world- beleive it or not, most psychologists have no idea about this stuff (as a result of CBT having reigned supreme in psychology for 2-3 decades). Also, Sarno is not a psychologists, so i am wanting to bring these ideas into mainstream psychology because i think the world needs us to do this. Also, the point about the rebirthing experience is that this did not get rid of my chronic pain, despite being hugely cathartic. My pain only left as a result of learning about TMS. I suggest you find what works for you and stick with it. If that is Ace's points, excellent.
Ace1- you raise a very good technical question. Rather than overload the forum with stuff that is of peripheral interest to most people, can i suggest you get hold of J. Panksepp's 2012 book, Archeology of the Mind. In this, he discusses the neuroscience of reconsolidation as well as various forms of conditioning (you can also hear a recent interview with him on Shrink Rap radio). While it is not a central theme to his work, he does refer to differences in neurological processing between reconsolidation and conditioning (and counter-conditioning, which fails to completely eradicate the target emotions, ie, counterconditioning processes mean that the target responses are likely to return).
James |
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How do you work with it?
