Gordons PRP and Sarno

Hello, I have just started the online program here by Alan Gordon and I read the Divided Mind by Sarno before.

I understood from the book that the pain is a protection mechanism by the brain to distract us from other, "more threatening" negative emotions buried in our unconscious. As a result, healing works by identifying these underlying emotions and confronting them.

Gordon on the other hand says in program that the pain is "learned". It continous as a reaction to our fear off the pain. And once we understand that the pain is not dangerous and there is no structural damage, we begin to "heal". I conclude from this that there doesn't have to be a negative trauma in the past.

For me it seems like two different approaches with the common denominator that the pain is caused by the brain. I am struggeling a bit to bring both together . Can someone help me with it?

Thanks a lot.

 

I have a question about this too! Is it possible both can work at the same time? Lately to me, they seem incompatible. What do you guys think?

 

Hi Berlinale, welcome.

There are several theories for the pain, which include:
- pain as a distraction (to protect from the emotional "tiger")
- pain as a crying for help (to bring attention to the emotional overload)
- pain as a danger signal (because your threshold of danger it too high)
- pain as a self-regulation (to counter-balance the stress)
- pain as a learned sensation, illustrated by the saying "sinapses that grow together fire together" (because your brain got good at linking activities, like sitting = pain)
and others more

So yes, they are somewhat different approaches, that's why you'll see people here in the forum saying to choose one and stick to it. Since nothing is written in stone, you can manage to use exercises from different theories, but be careful to not overthink, which creates pressure and stress. And the feeling of being overwhelmed, which is a quick way to flare ups.

The main difference I see in the approaches is between finding the root of trauma, and understanding the healing process and teaching safety to the brain. But some therapists like Nicole Sachs go back and forth between both.
The first one is based on the psychoanalysis approach of finding your source of danger (usually some "small t" trauma from childhood). The second one based on changing the neuroplasticity of the brain, creating new safer sinapses.
The first one brings hope of a quicker healing, but it might create pressure. The second one says the healing will take time, because you have a neuroplasticity work ahead.

That's how I understand it, and there are a lot of nuances.

 

thanks a lot. Maybe there a different triggers for each of us. For one it is distraction, fo the other it is crying for help, for the third it is a learned sensation, etc-. And we have to find out for ourselves which trigger applies in our specific case.

 

Very true. Each one will have their path. Finding it yourself is itself a building block.

I feel like sharing my approach though, since I too started my learning with Sarno and Gordon.

I'm a believer of the neuroplasticity job. I believe that book healing (people who read a book and get rid of the pain) is a way to trick the mind, but since it's still operating in high alert, the pain is likely to come back. And I do think looking for childhood trauma is very important, because children have few ways to protect themselves, so they might do it by hiding themselves inside the mind, usually creating an inner parent that will spend your entire life trying to protect you for every small danger.

So my method is:
- learning the pain doesn't mean tissue damage. Learning it well enough so it'll be obvious.
- understanding you'll eventually heal, because the nervous system knows how to do it, it's just a matter of giving it the needed space. Know that when you're down and questioning the healing, that's TMS at work.
- somatic tracking.
- slowly facing the danger, like staying out more, doing exercises etc. If in doubt whether is too much already, take a couple of breaths and observe your mind's reaction.
- every now and then send safety messages, but don't become a slave of it (that'd be you inner parent freaking for control)
- journal, but don't feel the pressure to find some trauma. Peel the onion.
- meditation so you can learn to distance yourself from the ego more and more.
- emotional release. Like lying in bed and feel the emotion coming up (for me it is a strong sensation that rises below the rib cage and all of sudden spreads throughout the body).
- understand acceptance is key and takes time (I believe it's also a neuroplasticity work), which will probably trigger changes in the symptom imperative, since you're not buying anymore what TMS wants you to believe, so it will change tactics.

I obviously don't do all of that every day. Just the ones that feel right. The only ones I try to do every day are meditation and physical exercises (with safe messages if needed).