The Podcast-Book Industrial Complex & Long-term Symptoms

I know this might come across as cynical, but I mean the title somewhat humorously with, yes, a dash of cynicism

I've found that podcasts and books tend to highlight people who have been "cured" or mostly so within a few months, a year, perhaps 2 years at the most if they've had a relapse.

Yet, I find myself 5 1/2 years in still very much "doing the work", so to speak. I made notable gains in the first few months but since then it's been a cycling up and down of mostly consistent physical and emotional symptoms. I've tried various TMS and non-TMS paradigms, trying to not approach things with urgency or fear and being self-compassionate--the standard advice, so to speak.

I know I've come across at least a couple other people in workshops/online that have been very much still working at things 3+ years on. Since this is a new field--or certainly the proliferation of books and podcasts really have only exploded in the last 5 years, I'm curious how many of us are being left out. I mean, seriously, I feel like an overlooked demographic and an inconvenient one at that. I mean, who wants to feature someone still "doing the work" after 5 years? Hardly sounds inspirational. Yet, I have to wonder if there is a growing number of people out there like myself who aren't being spoken to nor accounted for, considering that the whole approach to healing yourself is not easily studied or trackable.

I'm interesting in hearing others thoughts. Thanks

 

Maybe it is a lifelong process? Or maybe the world we live in is just sending out all types triggers for our TMS? Or something people couldn't let go in their life no matter what, even at the price of not being totally authentic to oneself? I don't feel like it is once and done, especially for folks with more subtle symptoms. The work is constant. People with chronic pain seem to be in the group to have wow results more frequently. Who knows why the brain chooses certain symptoms for one person but different ones for the other?

 

I like the videos with Lorimer Moseley exactly because he emphasizes it's usually a long term hard work. He has also been talking more and more about data pointing to cases of non cure being related to a problem in how TMS has been explained. I believe this amount of dramatic quick success stories might backfire creating too much of a pressure on the person reading them. I personally prefer the more grounded stories, about patients who did the work for at least 1 year.

This work is, I like to believe, about acceptance and detachment. Two things that usually don't come quickly.

 

"I mean, who wants to feature someone still "doing the work" after 5 years? Hardly sounds inspirational."

I think it has to do with people who offer their stories up for grabs.
Do you, as a person who's been in the mix of this for 5 1/2 years personally feel you should be interviewed as a success story?
I think that the attitude of the person offering their story up as a success has a lot to do with it. You sound like you personally don't feel like a success story - why not contact some of the folks you are listening to: Nichole Sachs? Dan Buglio? or any others and offer your story. See what they have to say about it. You might glean some very valuable insight into your own thought process around what you feel is a success story.

I have seen several interviews with people who have relapses etc. but they are short lived and not chronic - which is an important distinction in what people consider successes.

There are people who have longer stories. I really like listening to @MatthewNJ because he's had his ups and downs. @TG957 had a longer recovery than some people two and is excellent to listen to (and read her book) because she mixed patience and kindness for herself along with grit and determination to consider herself a success story.

My own recovery is longer, but I'm good with that because I'm SO much better than I was two years ago (bed ridden). I read a three part book series about a woman who followed more of a path more along the lines of Joe Dispenza and took 10 years to feel successful but she did feel successful, which does not mean she is completely symptom free. She's had some symptom imperatives, and flare ups but leads a full life, and that's pretty much normal (especially as an older adult).

My own TMS coach took a few years to heal, and she did not follow a TMS path because she hadn't learned a lot about TMS - she knew pain science but not the breadth of Dr. Sarno's theories. She is a student of Lorimer Mosley, and has been most encouraging about how much pressure our own perceptions of "success" can mean to our concept of being "healed" and how we go about our life. I personally still don't consider myself a success story, I'm still working on my personal goals, but I know the people around me think I've been incredibly successful because of how far I have come.

 

I agree about who is featured a lot, but i think they are trying to encourage people that it is possible to reduce symptoms. Most of those folks still have symptoms. I do, I am 95% better in 22 years of this work. What does cured mean anyway? I believe Alan Gordon has a definition in "The way out". I do not remember the specifics, but he does not equate cured with pain free. Dr. Sarno made a mistake very early on that colors this as well. He commented on how many people seem to get better just by reading his book. since then that has been disproven. Also the comment was just that, an offhand comment with no research to support it. We as humans lock on to that "I want it now mentality". I've done it for years ( and finally learned nothing gets better without practice and practice makes better, not perfect). It's just what humans do. But it's really not what reality is. Reality is practice makes better. My experience of 22 years in this TMS world (both as a student for 22 years and a teacher/practitioner for the last 12 years) is that there are a few people based on their personality and their traits get better in a few months or a year and have only minimal relapses. MOST don't follow that path. I have interviewed several of those folks. For most of us it's a long term journey. Life is a journey, there is no destination. When I hear that people are no longer trying to cure their symptoms, and learning different healthier habits to replace the old repressive ones and know they are on a journey, then you are an advanced student of this TMS (read Life) work. Please feel free to check out my story in my profile. I run a group on FB, you are welcome to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/drsarno (Log into Facebook). there you will see you are not alone, nor are you overlooked. Everyone is still "doing the work" (Which I define as my new healthier habits I learned in the TMs world), if they weren't they would relapse. Many (I have over 4K folks in the group) who are speaking up and sharing how their journey is progressing.

 

Thank you, Matthew, for your response. I agree that they must be trying to encourage people. My concern, as I noted above, is that, since it seems there isn't any real data out there, that it's possible that so many of us that have embraced the work in recent years have not made nearly the progress we hoped. In such a case it would seem to me disingenuous or misguided to assume that all you need to do is continue to "inspire" people by finding those who got "better", so to speak, in a short time fame. That is, rather than finding a way to spread these ideas while still acknowledging that this could be a long-term or life-term process.

I find your perspective encouraging and certainly will check out your Facebook group.

Thank you.

 

Hi Efed19, You are most welcome!
Peace, M