Alan G. Why do some people get better from reading Sarno and some don't?

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Question

In Dr. Sarno's book Healing backpain he writes that lots of people 'cure' themselves simply by understanding that the cause of there physical pain is psychological. One moment they're in pain, the next it's gone, often forever.

Why does this work for some people while others have to work on it for months or even years? It seems to me that most people on these forums have a different problem. They are working on dealing better with stressors and negative emotions that come up in daily life. Or dealing with issues from their past.

Doesn't Dr. Sarno teach that you can heal yourselve without having to work on your repressed anger, you just have to understand and accept that it's there?

I look forward to your response. I'm really interested in TMS because I know I have it and want to learn more.

 

Answer

Hi Jojo,
Good question. The reason why reading the book can help some people get better is because it neutralizes the fear associated with the pain, essentially cutting off the vessel of reinforcement.

The purpose of the pain is to serve as a vessel of fear and preoccupation, so naturally neutralizing the fear associated with the pain would work to undermine its very purpose.

The reason that it doesn't work for everyone is because for a lot of people reading the book isn't sufficient to neutralize the fear. Sometimes seeing a TMS physician on top of reading the book can help with that.

Some people are better able to accept that they have TMS after reading one of Dr. Sarno's books, but they continue to monitor it and think about it and obsess over it. This serves to perpetuate the vessel of preoccupation.

Reading one of the books is just the first step. It's important to alter your relationship with the pain as well, with regard to fear, preoccupation, etc.

Some people benefit from seeing a TMS therapist as well. Some of the underlying issues (repressed emotions, constant stress, etc.) can serve as a foundation for the pain coming on in the first place.

Alan

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I think some people get better after reading Dr. Sarno because they don't dwell on trying to uncover their repressed emotions. They just believe their pain is caused by repressed emotions and/or a perfectionist and goodist personality. Spending a lot of time trying to learn what these emotions are can keep our mind on our pain. For some, the healing comes faster because they believe totally that their pain is psychological and not structural. Then they get on with their daily life and enjoy it, living in the present moment, not the past. Obsessing about pain and why we have it works against healing.

 

I think one of the most important factors is you must believe that you can be healed. Dr. Sarno would interview you on the phone before setting up an appointment with him to make sure you were truly willing to believe your emotions/situations could be causing your pain.

Reaffirming this information is important too. He told me to read "the treatment plan" daily for 30 days. By the third or fourth day you kind of know it by heart. But i was determined to get up and live my life again. So I read it for 30 days. Every day. And journaled about the things that bothered me to "get them out of me." And it worked!

 

Refer to 83 rd page of healing back pain

1) still hooked on the scans & believing it as structural.
2) wondering if a book can cure him.
3) accepts the TMS diagnosis but doesn't have the courage to begin physical activity.