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Book First Book Recommendations

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by Forest, Feb 27, 2012.

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What book do you recommend as a first book about TMS?

  1. Healing Back Pain

    7 vote(s)
    26.9%

  2. The Mindbody Prescription

    13 vote(s)
    50.0%

  3. The Divided Mind

    1 vote(s)
    3.8%

  4. Pain Free for Life

    1 vote(s)
    3.8%

  5. They Can't Find Anything Wrong

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  6. Unlearn Your Pain

    2 vote(s)
    7.7%

  7. Other (Post other suggestions in a thread below)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  8. The Great Pain Deception

    2 vote(s)
    7.7%

  9. The Hidden Psychology of Pain

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    There are so many TMS books out there, and I was just a little bit curious as to which book you would recommend as someone's first TMS book. A lot of people just starting out often wonder this, and it would be great to hear what you all think. You don't have to be an expert to respond to this. If you have only read one TMS book feel free to vote for it. Also, I would love to hear the why you think a particular book is the best one.

    I didn't add Dr. Schechter's book or Fred Amir's book simply because I thought they would be more for someone who already knows about TMS. If you want to vote for these simply choose the Other option and mention which other TMS related book you are voting for in this thread. I will update this original post to include any other votes, so they will be easily accessible.

    btw anyone can set up a poll by selecting the start a new poll option on the bottom of the Create Thread page.
     
    Forest, Feb 27, 2012
    #1
  2. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    I really think the Mindbody Prescription is the best book for someone to read as their first TMS book. I have always liked how it goes beyond back pain, which Sarno focuses on in his first two books, and it seems to speak to me more than the Divided Mind. I have always thought that this book really expanded what can be included as a TMS symptom and I think it does a fabulous job at helping people see how their symptoms are connected to their repressed emotions. All of the other books are terrific and can definitely introduce someone to the TMS concepts and help them recover, but I tend to think that the Mindbody Prescription is written in a way that just makes these principles easier to understand and accept.
     
    Forest, Feb 27, 2012
    #2
  3. dabatross

    dabatross Well known member

    I think another good one nobody mentions is Dissolving Pain by Les Fehmi. I know i mentioned this is some previous posts but its worth taking a look at it for some people.
     
    dabatross, Feb 27, 2012
    #3
    Forest likes this.
  4. JanAtheCPA

    JanAtheCPA Beloved Grand Eagle

    The book that got me started was The Divided Mind (I found a reference to it on a migraine web forum).

    I subsequently purchased MBP but I keep loaning it out, based on the recommendations of my TMS buddies that MBP is a better intro. So I still haven't read it!

    I think that the appeal of The Divided Mind to certain readers might be the six chapters written by other practitioners - five of them MDs. That could resonate better with skeptics. I followed TDM with Hope & Help For Your Nerves (Claire Weekes) which was enormously helpful for my severe anxiety.
     
    JanAtheCPA, Feb 27, 2012
    #4
  5. brianleejackson

    brianleejackson Peer Supporter

    For me, I happened to read Sarno's MBP first, but "Pain Free for Life" by Scott Brady is really the book I would recommend to anyone who is spiritual. It connected with me in a way that Sarno's book just couldn't. However, Sarno's book explains things a little better. So I definitely recommend reading both.
     
    brianleejackson, Feb 27, 2012
    #5
  6. Chuck

    Chuck Peer Supporter

    I am a big fan of Unlearn Your Pain. I have always just really like how Dr. Schubiner explained everything. I also like how he had exercises for people to do. Sarno's books are great, but I always liked Schubiner's treatment section. The book does a great job at giving people the tools to help themselves get better.
     
    Chuck, Mar 10, 2012
    #6
  7. Jesse MacKinnon

    Jesse MacKinnon Peer Supporter

    The Mind Body Prescription. simply because Dr. Sarno is all I've read oh. and almost finished with Brady's book.
     
    Jesse MacKinnon, Mar 11, 2012
    #7
  8. Ellen

    Ellen Beloved Grand Eagle

    I agree that MBP is a good first book to introduce people to TMS concepts. After that I recommend Unlearn Your Pain by Schubiner as a good place to start a structured healing program.
     
    Ellen, Nov 5, 2013
    #8
    Forest likes this.
  9. yb44

    yb44 Beloved Grand Eagle

    Another vote for MBP from me. I read Healing Back Pain first and MBP is very similar but I preferred it out of the two. One thing I noticed about these books is how many times Dr Sarno says that 'this is TMS, that is TMS.' This repetition is a characteristic of so many self-help books and it generally annoys me. I eventually realised he keeps repeating this for a reason - so it becomes ingrained in our minds. This can take a while - our sculls are pretty thick.
     
    yb44, Nov 6, 2013
    #9
  10. sarah430

    sarah430 Peer Supporter

    The MBP Prescription was the first book I read and I thought very helpful for a first TMS read. But my 2nd read, The Great Pain Deception really hit home with me on the concepts. So I might recommend that as a first read too, especially for dealing with other pains aside from back pain.
     
    sarah430, Feb 3, 2014
    #10
    BruceMC likes this.
  11. BruceMC

    BruceMC Beloved Grand Eagle

    Many TMSers seem to have found Fred Amir's Rapid Recovery from Back and Neck Pain (Bethesda, Maryland: 1999) to be most helpful in their recoveries. I haven't read it myself, but Steve Ozanich quotes from in frequently in his Great Pain Deception (2011) and seems to have benefited from it, so perhaps Fred's book belongs in this category?
     
    BruceMC, Feb 3, 2014
    #11
  12. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    @BruceMC, it would be nice to add it, but currently you can't add options once a poll has started. However, if anyone would recommend any book (including Amir's) that isn't in the poll, I encourage them to post a comment about it in the main thread.
     
    Forest, Feb 16, 2014
    #12

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