We frequently get messages from our readers, and almost all of them begin with this: I just discovered your site, and I am so relieved that there is hope for me, but I don’t know where to start. Should I find a therapist, or take a course, or go through training? Please, help!
Each time I see a message like this, it reminds me of those frenetic and confusing days when I learned that CRPS was not the end of the road. Don’t feel overwhelmed, everybody has gone through this initial confusion, it will eventually all settle down.
So, where do you start? This is what I tell people:
- You start with accepting that CRPS is a psychosomatic condition, that your symptoms are of a psychosomatic nature and can be resolved by re-wiring the brain through non-invasive therapies. This is not a mainstream medical theory today, but it is rapidly gaining recognition mainly because it delivers results that cannot be explained by anything other than the fact that those successful patients did something different from the mainstream recommendations, which is using the mindbody methods.
- You make a commitment to be patient. Mindbody medicine most of the time does not work instantly, it is not a magic pill. Re-wiring your brain takes time and patience. Sometimes it takes months before you see any results. Believe me, it happened to me: it was painfully slow, but I still was able to defeat the conventional wisdom that CRPS is incurable.
- You make a commitment to try different things, because there are many possible paths to recovery that may work for some but not for others. This is not because mindbody methods are not scientific, but rather because they recognize that each person is unique. The trick is to find the right approach to your own brain and your own life circumstances that would lead you onto the path that is right for you. It is often a challenging path of self-discovery and self-realization, but the reward is your pain-free future.
- Once you take the three steps above, you can proceed with thoroughly studying everything on this website, one web page at a time. Then proceed to all the resources that we recommend in the Resources section, also one web page at a time. These are your low-cost resources, they do not require expensive treatments or therapies, maybe you will decide to purchase and read a book or two, but it is still much cheaper than therapists or treatments. Our recommendations are based on our own experiences. I started with the Dr. Sarno’s book. It changed my life and eventually led me to a successful recovery and to writing my book which describes my entire experience step-by-step and is essentially a guide on how to heal from CRPS: https://www.amazon.com/Defying-Verdict-Defeated-Chronic-Pain/dp/1653507837. I can’t say enough good words about the forum https://www.tmswiki.org/forum where you can get free help from the collective wisdom of those who recovered from chronic pain.
- If you feel that all those mostly free or low-cost resources are not sufficient to achieve progress, you can start working with a therapist specializing in mindbody methods. TMS wiki has a list of therapists https://www.tmswiki.org/w/index.php?page=The_Tension_Myositis_Syndrome_Wiki . You can also look up directory of practitioners of Pain Reprocessing Therapy www.painreprocessingtherapy.com
- And finally, the most important advice I can give you: no matter how great your therapist is, no matter how many books you read, no matter how much support you get from your friends and family, at the end of the day your success depends on you, your ability to be introspective, mindful, and brutally honest with yourself. Be brave and chart your own path!
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