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Alan G. How to get rid of your pain in 7 minutes

Discussion in 'Ask a TMS Therapist' started by Guest, Jan 27, 2016.

  1. Guest

    Guest Guest


    Hi, I've read all about outcome independence and how important it is in overcoming conditioned responses, but do you have any examples of what it looks like in practice?
  2. Alan Gordon LCSW

    Alan Gordon LCSW TMS Therapist

    Okay, confession, I wrote this question myself.

    Here's the deal. During group supervision last week, we were talking about the importance of outcome independence in overcoming conditioned responses (a conditioned response is when a symptom becomes linked with a specific physical position or activity...back pain with sitting, knee pain with walking, etc.)

    One of our superstar interns mentioned that she has had hand/wrist pain every time she types or texts, and that this has been going on for two years. She'd previously overcome several different symptoms from a TMS approach, but for some reason she found herself feeling on a gut level that this one might be structural.

    So we looked at the evidence:
    A.) She has a history of other TMS symptoms.
    B.) The pain came on when she was going through a very stressful time.
    C.) The pain came on in both hands simultaneously.

    The third point is the biggest tip off. The extremities evolve independently from each other, and, with the exception of a physical trauma, the chance of pain developing in both hands at the same time is very low.

    So we knew it was TMS, and even though she may have been doubting that on a gut level, intellectually, she was sure of it. This is important, you need to have confidence in the TMS diagnosis before outcome independence will work.

    Anyway, I did a 7 minute outcome independence exercise with her, having her type while I was talking, and by the end of it her pain had completely disappeared!

    Unbeknowst to me (hence all the swearing...) one of our other interns recorded the whole thing.

    So here it is, possibly my favorite audio clip we've recorded:

    The Successful Integration of Outcome Independence in Overcoming Long-Standing Conditioned Responses
    How To Get Rid of Your Pain in 7 Minutes

    Click here to download the mp3 audio file



    Questions may be edited for brevity and/or readability.

    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 30, 2016
  3. Ryan79

    Ryan79 Peer Supporter

    Awesome! I feel like you were talking to me the whole time. I'm still working on these hand pains, but this post gives me hope. Thanks Dr Gordon.
    Susan1111 and Forest like this.
  4. Walt Oleksy

    Walt Oleksy Beloved Grand Eagle

    Dr. Gordon's audio is excellent and worth doing every day.
    Forest likes this.
  5. blake

    blake Well known member

    Amazing! I will listen to this again and again. By the way, the swearing makes it even more authentic, so no need to apologize. Loved every minute of that recording.

    Thank you sharing, Alan.
    happyt1965 likes this.
  6. Andy B

    Andy B Beloved Grand Eagle

    How wonderful this is. It reminds me of a form of meditation, in the sense that you are directing the mind again and again to witness and not get caught. You also provide an antidote to the magnetic thought pattern "believing the frustration needs to be attended to" by becoming aware of the larger in-the-moment experience, which can always include at least some ease, pleasure, at-homeness. In fact, with this redirection, you are telling the mind-body pain activity that you are enjoying yourself! Which takes away the purpose of the pain. Thank you!
    Dexy and happyt1965 like this.
  7. Boston Redsox

    Boston Redsox Beloved Grand Eagle

    I like the swearing it makes it real ….because there is not one person who does not swear at the pain…great recording
    donavanf and she333 like this.
  8. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    That's an amazing session, Alan, thanks for sharing it with us.

    With Alan's help, I've added the clip to the TMS Recovery Program that Alan contributed:
    It provides a roadmap for managing the deeper issues that cause our TMS. The first section, part I, provides the most important three steps for rapidly overcoming your TMS through learning about TMS. Dr. Sarno said that this "knowledge education" approach works for about 80% of his patients, but 20% need deeper work. The second section, part II, gives you the best tools you can have to do this work on your own. The skills it teaches are vital and are all presented clearly, concisely, and in an inspiring manner:
    1. Generate Self Compassion
    2. Recognize Destructive Behaviors
    3. Identify Source of Abuse
    4. Mindfulness
    5. Address Repression
    6. Identify Source of Repression
    7. Feel Your Feelings
    8. Stand Up to the Inner Bully
    9. Provide Comfort
    10. Prioritize Yourself
    11. Attend to Your Internal State
    12. Take a Loving Stance
    It's some of the very best content on the site and I just wish that more people read it and then applied it. Many of the stumbling blocks that I see people getting caught in could have been avoided if they had made a habit of reading the program every month and thinking about how each step applied to them.

    So if you haven't read it recently, reread it! It's powerful stuff and maybe you'll have a 7 minute recovery as well. :) (It's probably pretty clear, but I'm just thrilled to have it on the site.)
    Durga, Penny2007, donavanf and 6 others like this.
  9. giantsfan

    giantsfan Well known member

    Hahaha, when I first read the OP's question, I said to myself: "wow, what a well presented question, sounds like he or she should become a therapist someday." Great stuff btw, Alan.
    Celayne and Forest like this.
  10. Ellen

    Ellen Beloved Grand Eagle

    Love this! Thanks, Alan.
  11. Dexy

    Dexy Peer Supporter

    awesome, thanks so much, Alan!
  12. mike2014

    mike2014 Beloved Grand Eagle

    Thanks for sharing this post and fantastic recording, Alan. This is a post I'll definitely be visiting time and time again. I'm forever grateful that you take the time to share your wisdom and help so many.
  13. Dexy

    Dexy Peer Supporter

    Avik, I'm not sure how to attach this link, so I've bumped the thread.
  14. Simplicity

    Simplicity Guest

    Amazing. Thanks for sharing.
  15. Argentum78

    Argentum78 Newcomer

    Is there more audio files to share. Becomes more real. thanks
    jodig7 likes this.
  16. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    jodig7 likes this.
  17. Argentum78

    Argentum78 Newcomer

  18. MWsunin12

    MWsunin12 Beloved Grand Eagle

    This was excellent. I needed this because of post-shingles arm pain. I know my body has had time to heal. (3 months) Now, it's just the nueropathways as you mention in the recording. The regular Dr. freaked me because she said "some people have it for years." But, I feel like Dr. Sarno was more right on when he said that the body heals and the mind keeps the pain going. Thanks for this great recording.
    TG957 likes this.
  19. Cheryl

    Cheryl Peer Supporter

    Wow, this made outcome independence so clear to me... something I have been struggling with. Now I am going to work on not giving a shit! Thanks, Alan.
  20. Moody007

    Moody007 New Member

    This is amazing ,wow
    Cheryl likes this.

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