What does Dr Sarno Mean?

I am hearing The Divided Mind audio...
Dr Sarno says-Even if one goes to best psychologist in the world and try to sort out whats going in their mind they will not be cured if they dont make a mind body connection.

What exactly does he mean by Mind body connection?

The one I know is accept that the physical symptoms are due to repressed emotion?

Or does he mean anything else ?

Please suggest

 

he just means that if you don't make the realisation that your physical problem is induced by repressed emotion then the pain will continue as it will serve its key purpose of distracting you from emotional or life stressors.

 

You've got it! And the other point he is subtly making is that you can't make that connection unless you are working with a psychologist who wants to help you make the connection. Someone like Georgie Oldfield who you are about to meet!

Dr. Sarno uses the term TMS (tension myositis syndrome) but the most frequent alternative term you will see is MBS (Mind-Body Syndrome). Another term coming into use is PPD (Psycho-Physiological Disorder).

The word psychosomatic also refers to mind-body conditions, but it became unpopular during the 20th century.

These are all words and phrases to describe various aspects of the mind-body connection, which even neuroscientists are (thankfully) now taking very seriously in their research.

 

I agree with the other comments. To me it's as simple as accepting that the brain is creating the physical symptoms in your body and the pain is not due to a structural abnormality.

 

This : MINDBODY

 

I think that one has to keep reminding themselves that the pain/symptoms are psychological in origin. I meditate and keep repeating phrases in my mind with a great deal of repetition. This is part of thwarting the process. I also keep repeating "I am extremely angry inside. That is what is going on. Also I keep reminding myself that the doctors are only finding normal age related changes. Therefore I should not be scared or have any symptoms. I like to use the word symptoms because I have had a variety of weird things happen since my teens. For example, spasmodic dysphonia, Bells Palsy with no pain, numbness, chronic pain in different locations, a rash that tested negative for bacteria. anxiety...........

 

Great replies ppl.. thanks

 

I was and still am going to a psychologist at a pain clinic who talked about my pain as a physical problem. Once I realized he didn't understand my issue (even tho I told him I thought I had a psychosomatic issue and have had 2 episodes previously in my life), I started going to another therapist.

I go to both now because they are valuable in different ways, but unless your therapist understand the mind body connection, in my experience they will focus on the physical and make it hard to recover from a condition that stems from the emotional/mental aspects of a person.

 

MbIoNdDy

 

From internally we sense ourselves psychologically. Viewed from an external point of view we are seen as physiological. The two actually run simultaneously together as one self correcting self sensing system. If you magically swapped heads with another person I'd imagine physical symptoms would also be swapped. Which can only mean one thing.