They Can't Find Anything Wrong

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By David Clarke, MD.

First Sentient Publications, 2007.

Overview

David Clarke has helped thousands of patients overcome their chronic illnesses by teaching them the connection stress has on their physical body. Clarke uses his experiences of treating over 7,000 patients with TMS in developing They Can't Find Anything Wrong. The book is based off of John Sarno's TMS theories about the cause of chronic pain, while Clarke uses a different term than Sarno (simply stress illness) he is referring to the same psychological causation for chronic symptoms. An amazon.com reviewer said that "Dr. Clarke's book provides an answer," for people who have had success with Sarno's methods but their "pain frequently comes back, moves around and never seems to go away."

When asked about his book Clarke said, "My book...is written for the general public as well as health care professionals. It uses stories about patients to help the reader uncover the hidden, unrecognized stresses that are responsible for their symptoms."

Clarke's Five Types of Stress

• Childhood Stress: People with childhood stress is the result of prolonged feelings of low self-esteem as the result of frequent violence on the child, consistently being made fun of or embarrassed, sexual abuse, and other traumatic events
• Current Stress: Chronic symptoms may arise in people who experience marital distress, substance abuse, family problems, work issues, and the loss of loved ones.
• Traumatic Stress: About 10% of the population go through a traumatic experience at some point in their life. This includes serving in the military, overcoming personal assault, and the loss of a loved one from an unanticipated event.
• Depression: Patients with depression tend to experience feeling hopeless and down for no discernible reason, cry with frequency and without cause, tired often, and contemplating suicide.
• Anxiety Disorders: Includes experiencing severe panic attacks with no discernible causation that are accompanied by episodes of extreme anxiety, fear, and terror.

Available to purchase at Amazon.com

Amazon.com Customer Reviews

An Amazon Customer said: There have been many books about stress induced illness. Dr. Sarno is probably the most well known in the area of stress induced pain. His book, "Healing Back Pain" has been a best seller. Thousands of people have recovered from back pain without surgery as a result of his books. Many patients have problems accepting his theory because it is somewhat technical. They state that "the pain is real; it is not in my head," which of course is true but misses the point. Dr. Sarno recommends therapy for those who have followed his treatment program but still have pain. It appears that, although thousands have recovered, many do not recover completely from stress induced pain and remain pain free for the rest of their lives. The pain frequently comes back, moves around and never seems to go away. This situation is a common complaint on the back pain forums. Dr. Clarke's book provides an answer. Dr. Clarke doesn't try to convince the patient of Dr. Sarno's theory, that is, that the pain is the result of repressed rage. Dr. Clarke just goes ahead looking for the cause of the stress and suggests a way to eliminate it. He is successful and the patient is cured. This is adequate proof of the correct diagnosis. The case studies are fascinating. He seems to have the ability and technique of a therapist but his procedures are not too difficult to follow and can be very helpful to the reader. He guides the patient in discovering the cause of the stress and the relationship to the pain.

About Dr. Dave Clarke

Practitioner Dave Clarke

Dr. Clarke is a clinical assistant professor of medicine emeritus at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), a clinical lecturer with Pacific University, is board-certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine and practiced Gastroenterology in Portland, Oregon from 1984 to 2009. He has frequently appeared on TV and radio. He says,“In 1983 I encountered a patient whose illness baffled two universities. She was cured with a few months of counseling by a psychiatrist who shared her methods of diagnosis and treatment. Subsequently I used and further developed her concepts to help over 7000 patients. My book for patients, They Can't Find Anything Wrong!, was published in 2007, enthusiastically endorsed by leading medical school professors and even translated into Hebrew for publication in Israel. I closed my practice after July, 2009 to travel the US teaching health care professionals and the public how to uncover and manage the hidden stresses that are capable of causing physical illness. I have also done over 100 television and radio broadcasts since the Fall of 2007. My long-term goal is to make stress illness a routine part of the education of health care professionals.” Dr. Clarke was also a speaker at the 2nd Annual TMS Conference March 2010. His presentation was entitled "Connecting Stress to Physical Symptoms." In addition, Dr. Clarke is also on the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA) board of directors. (Source 1, Source 2)

Contact Information
Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, OR 97239
DrDave@stressillness.com

Related Links

Main Wiki Page About David Clarke
Dave Clarke's Survey Response
Website
Overview and Excerpts of They Can't Find Anything Wrong
Psychophysiologic Disorders Association (PPDA)
Information on the Stress Illness Recovery Practitioner's Association (SIRPA)

DISCLAIMER: The TMS Wiki is for informational and support purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. See Full Disclaimer.