The Way Out: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Heal Chronic Pain
- Downloads：7438
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-05 07:50:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alan Gordon
- ISBN：1785043102
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The scientifically-proven step-by-step solution to ending chronic pain
From back pain to migraines， arthritis and sciatica， over 1。2 billion people worldwide suffer from chronic pain。 It’s a global epidemic that regularly resists treatment and can totally derail people’s lives。 But it doesn’t have to be this way。
This is the revolutionary message from psychotherapist Alan Gordon who， frustrated by the lack of effective treatment for his chronic pain， developed a highly successful approach to eliminating symptoms without surgery or medication。
Based on the premise that pain starts in the brain not the body， Gordon’s Pain Reprocessing Therapy （PRT） enables you to rewire your neural circuits and turn off 'stuck' pain signals。 In a ground-breaking study， PRT helped 98% of patients reduce their pain levels， 66% were completely cured， and it was shown to have lasting effects over 6 months later。
In The Way Out， Gordon provides an easy-to-follow guide to ending your pain with PRT。 Drawing on cutting-edge research along with his own experiences as a chronic pain sufferer， he will help you:
- Understand your pain and why it’s a false alarm
- Use mindfulness techniques to ‘unlearn’ your pain
- Develop long-term strategies for living pain-free
Accessible， practical and full of real-life stories from Gordon’s clinical practice， this book is essential reading for anyone trapped in a cycle of pain and looking for a way out。
From back pain to migraines， arthritis and sciatica， over 1。2 billion people worldwide suffer from chronic pain。 It’s a global epidemic that regularly resists treatment and can totally derail people’s lives。 But it doesn’t have to be this way。
This is the revolutionary message from psychotherapist Alan Gordon who， frustrated by the lack of effective treatment for his chronic pain， developed a highly successful approach to eliminating symptoms without surgery or medication。
Based on the premise that pain starts in the brain not the body， Gordon’s Pain Reprocessing Therapy （PRT） enables you to rewire your neural circuits and turn off 'stuck' pain signals。 In a ground-breaking study， PRT helped 98% of patients reduce their pain levels， 66% were completely cured， and it was shown to have lasting effects over 6 months later。
In The Way Out， Gordon provides an easy-to-follow guide to ending your pain with PRT。 Drawing on cutting-edge research along with his own experiences as a chronic pain sufferer， he will help you:
- Understand your pain and why it’s a false alarm
- Use mindfulness techniques to ‘unlearn’ your pain
- Develop long-term strategies for living pain-free
Accessible， practical and full of real-life stories from Gordon’s clinical practice， this book is essential reading for anyone trapped in a cycle of pain and looking for a way out。
Reviews
Jan Cain
，
One way to deal with chronic pain that doesn't involve costly visits to a practitioner。 I have tried this with some relief and will continue to use these skills。 The podcast， Tell Me About Your Pain， is with the same authors and very helpful。 The book lays out the entire plan。 One way to deal with chronic pain that doesn't involve costly visits to a practitioner。 I have tried this with some relief and will continue to use these skills。 The podcast， Tell Me About Your Pain， is with the same authors and very helpful。 The book lays out the entire plan。 。。。more
Kris
，
My favorite Pain Book to date！This book is accessible written and uses the latest research about effective treatment for persistent pain。 All of the tools are self management。
ELK
，
NotesEveryone else’s intensity kept them stuck， feeling like they were in danger。 Toto’s lightness and curiosity allowed him to explore and show that danger was an allusion， that they were actually safe。 So if you find yourself tracking with intensity， try to let go of your inner hawk and tap into your inner Toto。 （PG。 73）That's outcome independence – when we are able to feel successful regardless of the outcome。 The doing is more important than the results。 And we want to approach somatic track NotesEveryone else’s intensity kept them stuck， feeling like they were in danger。 Toto’s lightness and curiosity allowed him to explore and show that danger was an allusion， that they were actually safe。 So if you find yourself tracking with intensity， try to let go of your inner hawk and tap into your inner Toto。 （PG。 73）That's outcome independence – when we are able to feel successful regardless of the outcome。 The doing is more important than the results。 And we want to approach somatic tracking in the same way。 （PG。 74）“I even started being less of a problem solver in other areas of my life。 Are used to focus all my energy into trying to fix every tiny issue with my relationship or my work… Now I'm kind of like， ‘You know what， let's just sit with that。 It is what it is。’ Not having to fix everything right away is really liberating。” （pg。77）This is called a “corrective experience”… If you feel safe during exposure to the source of your fear， it's a correct of experience。 And this is the path to overcoming neuroplastic pain。 （PG。 82） 。。。more
Camille Macon
，
Helping myself to heal my pain！I just recently bought this book because I’ve had pain on and off for several years。 I’ve read it twice in several days and I can’t believe that using the tools given to me on this book， I’ve been able to already start healing myself in several weeks。 I would recommend this book to anyone looking to break their pain-fear cycle。 It really is working！
Kristie
，
This is life changing！ They pull together great science and mix in some fantastic personal experiences。
Lisa
，
This is one of those books that is going to be life changing for me。 I highly recommend reading it if you have chronic pain and sharing this with anyone you know with chronic pain。 It uses a scientific approach and it is a light， quick， and even funny read。
Jackie Sunday
，
Most people that read this book most likely have chronic pain and want to find different alternatives rather than surgery， drugs and other means。 Years ago after having back surgery， I read "The Divided Mind" by Dr。 John Sarno （who was acknowledged at the end of this book as a teacher）。 He studied patients with pain and many related their symptoms to past emotional stress。 My back surgery happened right after a divorce and there was a huge amount of stress involved in a accident that caused seve Most people that read this book most likely have chronic pain and want to find different alternatives rather than surgery， drugs and other means。 Years ago after having back surgery， I read "The Divided Mind" by Dr。 John Sarno （who was acknowledged at the end of this book as a teacher）。 He studied patients with pain and many related their symptoms to past emotional stress。 My back surgery happened right after a divorce and there was a huge amount of stress involved in a accident that caused severe back pain。 Yet， the surgery was successful and immediately my excruciating pain went away and never returned 40 years ago。 However， I felt like Dr。 Sarno's book was on target。This book proposes something different by addressing the fear that comes with the pain。 If there's pain related to stress， then he suggests that one should try to tell yourself that you're going to be fine without the fear and hopefully over time the pain will go away。 The book has examples of patients that have been overloaded with chronic pain and this has helped them。 It also provides a description of how to get pain-free。 In the Appendix， readers will find a list of how one can determine if they have types of pain that can be helped with a mind-body program。 Is it worth a try？ Maybe。 。。。more
Bibi Verhagen
，
I love Alan his podcast with his co-host Alon。 I truly loved this book。 It is written with clear examples out of his own practice and a very clear 'How to' guide。 I'm impressed。 I love Alan his podcast with his co-host Alon。 I truly loved this book。 It is written with clear examples out of his own practice and a very clear 'How to' guide。 I'm impressed。 。。。more
Laura Lu
，
L
Denise Hlavka
，
A dip dive into the mind-body studies with emphasis on somatic tracking of pain。 There is always new evidence and something to learn in this field。（Plus I love Alan Gordon， and even though I purchased the book， I may have to get an audible copy just to hear his voice。）
Kricket
，
A few years ago I started using the Curable app for chronic migraines， which led me to Alan Gordon's work。 I'm not sure how well this book would work on its own， but used to reinforce what I've learned in the app it has been super helpful for me。 I think this approach to pain works best for people who are super fearful and anxious about chronic pain。 I still get headaches from time to time but it's rare for them to be day-ruiners now。 A few years ago I started using the Curable app for chronic migraines， which led me to Alan Gordon's work。 I'm not sure how well this book would work on its own， but used to reinforce what I've learned in the app it has been super helpful for me。 I think this approach to pain works best for people who are super fearful and anxious about chronic pain。 I still get headaches from time to time but it's rare for them to be day-ruiners now。 。。。more
Jacob
，
Great read。 Extremely approachable but also very well-researched。 It also helped that the author had his own experience using the techniques here。 I’m well on my way to being out of chronic pain but this was exactly what I needed to read as I’m wrapping up my journey。
Anna
，
I didn't relate to a whole bunch of the cultural references in this book but the research and methods are incredibly promising。 A must-read for anyone in constant， long-term pain。 I didn't relate to a whole bunch of the cultural references in this book but the research and methods are incredibly promising。 A must-read for anyone in constant， long-term pain。 。。。more
Cari Williams
，
Very interesting and helpful。 As a chronic pain sufferer， I will be trying these techniques。
Naïma
，
Groundbreaking book。 I came across this through the Curable App， which I’m also really enjoying。 This book is a practical guide to pain reprocessing therapy。 When pain becomes chronic， it is the result of your brain getting good at sending pain signals even when you’re body has healed。 The good news is that all pain originates in the brain， which means you can retrain your brain into no longer sending frequent pain signals and break free of the pain-fear cycle。 This book teaches you how to do ju Groundbreaking book。 I came across this through the Curable App， which I’m also really enjoying。 This book is a practical guide to pain reprocessing therapy。 When pain becomes chronic， it is the result of your brain getting good at sending pain signals even when you’re body has healed。 The good news is that all pain originates in the brain， which means you can retrain your brain into no longer sending frequent pain signals and break free of the pain-fear cycle。 This book teaches you how to do just that with lots of education， tools and exercises。 So interesting and highly recommend this to anyone who has felt hopelessly at the whim of chronic pain。 。。。more
Calypso
，
As a chronic pain sufferer， this book and proposed process resonated with me。 The writing and storytelling made this an easy， digestible read。
Ken
，
Know someone who suffers from chronic pain？ The last thing you want to tell him is it's all in his head。 Pain is real。 And it's wherever you're feeling it。 That said， it's in your head。Why？ Because your brain is the conductor of all body pain。 When it's doing its job， it saves your life by telling you HOT！ or OUCH！ or RETREAT！ And if you legitimately injure yourself， it cautions you to SLOW DOWN and take restorative action。But what if you've been tested six ways to Monday and medical science com Know someone who suffers from chronic pain？ The last thing you want to tell him is it's all in his head。 Pain is real。 And it's wherever you're feeling it。 That said， it's in your head。Why？ Because your brain is the conductor of all body pain。 When it's doing its job， it saves your life by telling you HOT！ or OUCH！ or RETREAT！ And if you legitimately injure yourself， it cautions you to SLOW DOWN and take restorative action。But what if you've been tested six ways to Monday and medical science comes up empty？ Then you get hit with catch-all conditions like "fibromyalgia" or "myofascial pain syndrome" or even， in the case of backs， a slipped disk。 Having pain and being told by a doctor you have SOMEthing is a comfort of sorts， after all。 Too bad it's not a comfort for your pain。This book is about neuroplastic pain。 If you see a copy in the bookstore， go directly to the appendix， where you'll find a section called "How to Determine If You Have Neuroplastic Pain。" Without the explanatory paragraphs， here are the headings explaining possible clues that the source is HEAD and not BODY。 Any one or more could qualify you， but many with chronic pain will check numerous boxes:1。 Pain originated during a time of stress2。 Pain originated without injury （note: though some neuroplastic pain starts with an injury that won't stop hurting after the normal curing time has expired）3。 Symptoms are inconsistent （in some， worse in morning; in others， worse in the evening）4。 Large number of symptoms。5。 Symptoms spread or move。6。 Symptoms triggered by stress。7。 Triggers that have nothing to do with your body。8。 Symmetrical symptoms （i。e。 same part of body， opposite sides， experiences pain）9。 Delayed pain （e。g。 hours later， the day after）10。 Childhood adversity11。 Common personality traits: perfectionism， conscientiousness， people-pleasing， anxiousness， self-critical nature （once again， nice guys finish last）12。 Lack of a physical diagnosis （or， diagnosis is one of the "catch-alls" that doctors grasp for when all else comes up empty）Alan Gordon， head honcho at the Pain Psychology Center， wants you to know that it's not in your head， but it's your head that has to be treated。 Your brain is going off like a false alarm， thinking it's protecting you when， in fact， it's hurting you。 The brain， a lifelong learner， is in a loop and getting better and better at looping。The way out？ Pain Reprocessing Therapy。 Which is a bunch of things， really， but chiefly somatic tracking， which sounds a lot like mindfulness （thank you， Buddha！） of your pain along with a lot of positive thoughts and the repeated mantra that there is NOTHING wrong with your body -- your tissues， muscles， back， spine， stomach， wrists， etc。 They are FINE。 You are SAFE。 The goal is to get your brain off high alert， to almost hypnotize it into understanding it is in a SAFE STATE and， as all the tests have proven， you don't have a killer disease， and everything is COOL。 That means weeks of tracking your pain from a higher plain， noticing it， but not allowing it to panic you， feed your fear， up your stress， and thus reinforce its power。 To use a metaphor from the book， your job is to play Toto pulling the curtain on the Wizard of Oz。 Chronic pain is the huge head， the bombastic noise， the jets of steam。 Accepting that it's the confused and overprotective brain amounts to revealing that neuroplastic pain is really a little man pulling levers and pushing buttons， making you think he's something he's not。So， yeah。 Psychology。 The brain。 And you as Happy Warrior vs。 your chronic， inexplicable pain。 And movement。 Gentle， gradual upgrading of movement （gentle yoga？ qi gong？ PT stretchbands？）。 And breathing exercises that CALM you while you're observing your pain like a wise one。Will it work for you （or some sufferer you know）？ If you've tried everything， what are your alternatives？ Apparently the science from fMRI images of the brain （before and after PRT） and studies at the University of Colorado Boulder say yes， in many cases， it *does* work。 With or without the help of a therapist。 Some people， using techniques offered in the book， make gradual progress on their own。 Others need more guidance。 From professionals。 If you're a hard case in need of a therapist trained in PRT， it will cost you， bringing not neuroplastic but REAL pain to your wallet， but that's the American way。 Deep breath。 Credit card。 Repeat if you think it's worth the possibility of freedom。 。。。more
Venky
，
Dr。 Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv in their compelling book “Way Out”， introduce the concept of Pain Reprocessing Therapy （PRT）， a radical approach to eliminating chronic pain instead of just managing the discomfiture by taking recourse to conventional remedies such as surgeries， physiotherapy and opioids intake。 Complementing their contentions with real life examples and empirical analyses。 Gordon and Ziv argue that it is not a mere pipe dream for billions of sufferers across the globe to rid themsel Dr。 Alan Gordon and Alon Ziv in their compelling book “Way Out”， introduce the concept of Pain Reprocessing Therapy （PRT）， a radical approach to eliminating chronic pain instead of just managing the discomfiture by taking recourse to conventional remedies such as surgeries， physiotherapy and opioids intake。 Complementing their contentions with real life examples and empirical analyses。 Gordon and Ziv argue that it is not a mere pipe dream for billions of sufferers across the globe to rid themselves from the vice like grip of chronic pain。 Dr。 Gordon himself is a ‘convert’ to PRT。 Ailing from chronic pain himself， he was a walking embodiment of aches and twinges。 In addition to back， neck and knee pains， he also suffered from heel pain tongue pain， eye pain， tooth pain toe pain （three different toes！）， hip pain， stomach pain， wrist pain， foot pain， leg pain TMJ heartburn， vertigo， tinnitus and itching fatigue。 “I got so many MRI scans of my back， my friends joked that my spine was turning into a magnet。” I felt my own injured hip （following a nasty automobile accident four years later） act truant by the time I finished listing Dr。 Gordon’s litany of woes， above。 When every other form of orthodox treatment only succeeded in bestowing upon Dr。 Gordon a false and fleeting illusion of ‘cure’， he fortuitously was handed a book on the brain-body connection to pain。 Even though initially the book was met with extreme skepticism， it paved the way for Dr。 Gordon to conduct his own spectacular research into the neuroscience of pain。 The result， a revolutionary approach to solving the pernicious effects of pain。 Alan Gordon now leads a team of twenty-five therapists at the Pain Psychology Center （of which he is the founder and Director too）。 Gordon has also completed a groundbreaking neuroimaging study on the efficacy of PRT in conjunction with the University of Colorado-Boulder。The first step in treating chronic pain is to ascertain its cause。 While to the cynic， this may read like fundamentals of medicine 101， there is an underlying method to the madness。 Usually， signals are generated and transmitted by the body to the brain， which in turn processes them。 For example， ff the body experiences an injury， the brain generates the feeling of pain。 “But sometimes the system goes haywire。 Sometimes the “pain switch” in our brains can get stuck in the on position and cause chronic pain。 We call this neuroplastic pain。 Normal pain is caused by damage to the body。 But pain that persists after an injury has healed， or pain that has no clear physical cause， is usually neuroplastic pain。” For a permanent evisceration of any chronic pain， it is thus imperative to ‘rewire the brain’ so that neuroplastic pain is not mistaken for an otherwise common structural pain。So what is neuroplastic pain？ It is a false alarm created by the brain of the sufferer。 The brain misinterprets normal messages from the body as if they were dangerous。 The body is fine， but the brain creates pain anyway。 Gordon， along with an authority in pain management， Dr。 Tom Wager and Dr。 Wager’s research assistant， Yoni Ashar conducted comprehensive empirical analysis and studies on hundreds of patients to corroborate this incredible fact。 They also realised that it would be possible to rewire the neurons in the brain in such a way so that they recognise the typical characteristics and tell tale signals of neuroplastic pain and cease from creating any form of pain。 The insidious trifecta of worry， self-criticism and self-imposed pressure combine in the most adverse of fashion， according to Gordon to exacerbate the degree of neuroplastic pain。 However employing the technique of “somatic tracking” according to Gordon and Ziv enables the patient to concentrate instead on the nature of the chronic pain itself and thereby observe it from the “outside in。” This unique sense of perspective lends a degree of stability and infuses a refreshing feeling of safety and ultimately leads to the alleviation of sustained discomfiture。 A combination of mindfulness and therapy， somatic tracking imbibes the philosophy popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn， who helped popularize mindfulness in the West。 Neuroscientists have proved that mindfulness increases feelings of safety by deactivating the brain’s fear circuits。 This disrupts the pain-fear cycle and helps your brain interpret signals properly。 Somatic tracking dispatches messages of safety to the brain。 Also known as safety reappraisal， this technique has been shown by scientists to significantly decrease fear。 In addition to observing pain and sending safety， there is according to Gordon a third element of somatic tracking。 This involves observing our physical sensations with lightness and curiosity。 “Paying attention with lightness is an important component of somatic tracking。 Scientists study positive affect by having subjects look at happy images， watch funny videos， or listen to joyful music。 Experiments like this show that when people’s moods are lightened， they are better at overcoming pain-related fear。”But Gordon and Ziv warn their readers to be prepared for the occasional ‘relapse’ of a neuroplastic pain episode。 This is a result， they aver of wafting back into bad habits induced by a sense of complacency and over confidence。 However， the relapse in itself according to the duo ought not to cause much disillusionment。 The trick is to overcome the relapse by employing the same tactics that caused the neuroplastic pain to disappear in the first place， and originally。 There are 3 stages to every relapse; Panic， Forcing it Down （practicing somatic tracking with a ferocity and vehemence that defeats the very purpose） and finally the conquering of the relapse by the patient by getting a grip over herself and practicing the technique of somatic tracking in a relaxed， unforced and flowing manner。 The authors before closing their engrossing book rightly bemoan the complete disdain given to the concept of understanding pain， in medical curricula across the globe。 “Medical students spend thousands of hours learning everything from anatomy to genetics。 So how much of the medical school curriculum is devoted to pain？ In the United States， it’s eleven hours。 Not eleven hours per class。 Not even eleven hours per year。 Eleven hours of pain content in the entire four-year curriculum。 The rest of the world doesn’t fare much better。 In Europe， it’s twelve hours。 In the U。K。， it’s thirteen。 Canada， Australia， and New Zealand are on the high end， with twenty hours dedicated to pain。 Eleven hours？！ Twenty hours？！ Of all the stories， studies， and statistics that I’ve presented in this book， this is the most mind-boggling。 In school， I spent at least thirty hours learning the periodic table of the elements。 I have used that knowledge exactly zero times。 And yet future doctors are spending less time than that studying something that afflicts more than a billion people worldwide！”The Way Out – an experiment towards probable excelsis。 。。。more
Dianne
，
I'm a fan of his Curable podcast - this book delves deeper into somatic tracking and the science behind the techniques。 Totally worth it！ Looking forward to continue healing and recovery。 He writes with personality and wit （always a plus）。 I'm a fan of his Curable podcast - this book delves deeper into somatic tracking and the science behind the techniques。 Totally worth it！ Looking forward to continue healing and recovery。 He writes with personality and wit （always a plus）。 。。。more
Lisa
，
As someone who deals with chronic pain （and has for most of my life） along with newer diagnoses like Fibromyalgia， Trigeminal Neuralgia， Osteoarthritis and Arthritis （the list goes on）， I found this book to be very comforting。 A lot of pain centered books place blame on the patients。。。 what are you doing， what aren't you doing， what are you eating， what aren't you eating。。。 and put so much pressure on the reader to comply with strict regimens or forever suffer。 This book tells you， hey， you hurt As someone who deals with chronic pain （and has for most of my life） along with newer diagnoses like Fibromyalgia， Trigeminal Neuralgia， Osteoarthritis and Arthritis （the list goes on）， I found this book to be very comforting。 A lot of pain centered books place blame on the patients。。。 what are you doing， what aren't you doing， what are you eating， what aren't you eating。。。 and put so much pressure on the reader to comply with strict regimens or forever suffer。 This book tells you， hey， you hurt， I believe you that you hurt， it's not your fault， it sucks， so let's work on making you comfortable。 Let's overcome that fear of pain （that pain is here， that it is coming and/or that you will forever have it） and replace it with feelings of safety， with activities that bring you comfort and with positive thoughts and self compassion。 This book approaches pain with humor， stories of real pain and progress， with compassion and genuine understanding。 Do I think that by using the key elements of this program， that I will cure myself completely and live a pain free life？ Maybe not。 But I can honestly say I feel better （after reading it） about my future。 And if nothing else， I have some new steps I can take to help me better handle my pain and live a mentally and emotionally healthier life。 It's genuinely worth the read。 。。。more
Kate Wester
，
This book has given me hope！ My young adult son suffers from chronic pain。 I will update this review after he tries out the suggestions in this book。 I’m just hoping I can get him to read it！
Dianne J
，
An excellent read， explaining neuroplastic pain & ways to control and/or eliminate it。 Written by an LA therapist who works daily with chronic pain patients。
Alison
，
This was recommended to be by an excellent pain psychologist as part of my treatment program after lots of useless appointments with lots of health professionals with （what felt like） no hope。 I read this （or rather listened to it） in 2 days。 I immediately felt hopeful and also laughed out loud more than a few times。 Nerve pain （especially with no known physical cause） is terrifying。 The author explained the recent science and brought it to life from someone who clearly lived the （suffering）expe This was recommended to be by an excellent pain psychologist as part of my treatment program after lots of useless appointments with lots of health professionals with （what felt like） no hope。 I read this （or rather listened to it） in 2 days。 I immediately felt hopeful and also laughed out loud more than a few times。 Nerve pain （especially with no known physical cause） is terrifying。 The author explained the recent science and brought it to life from someone who clearly lived the （suffering）experience。 I will be spreading the word to mental health professional colleagues， fellow chronic pain suffers， and anyone who I come across who can relate or wants to help a loved one。 。。。more
Alex
，
I can't rate this yet because I need to process this more！ I can't rate this yet because I need to process this more！ 。。。more
Julie
，
Terrific book with just the best tone。 So right on for this challenging subject / experience。 Very very glad for this learning。
Jessica Barry
，
4。5 - As someone who has been dealing with TMS （mind-body） symptoms for the better part of the last year， I was both excited and kind of nervous about reading this book。 If you have mind-body symptoms， you have probably tried just about EVERYTHING to rid yourself of them， and if you are like me， you have struggled to make sense of what's going on or make progress。 Well meaning doctors may have scared you， or confused you， or you may have become somewhat of a doctor yourself via google - and in t 4。5 - As someone who has been dealing with TMS （mind-body） symptoms for the better part of the last year， I was both excited and kind of nervous about reading this book。 If you have mind-body symptoms， you have probably tried just about EVERYTHING to rid yourself of them， and if you are like me， you have struggled to make sense of what's going on or make progress。 Well meaning doctors may have scared you， or confused you， or you may have become somewhat of a doctor yourself via google - and in the end turned into a scared， in pain mess， who is now wondering if you will be able to get out of this。 You might constantly live in the fear panic cycle， or maybe you have developed a pattern of 'fixing' or maybe you are just trying to figure out the 'why'。 Whatever the case may be， I think this book can at the very least clearly spell out the patterns， habits， and path forward to finally provide you some relief， and maybe like it did for me， provide you a whole new perspective on your symptoms。Alan takes concepts that I had heard of a million times （STOP worrying， pressuring， self criticism） and explained them in a way that didn't make me feel guilty or worse for my current state of affairs。 He explains how these traits/thoughts/feelings impact you， in a way that you don't have to have a copy of the DSM-5 or an anatomy textbook handy。 I was worried that buying the book would potentially lead me down the path of trying to 'fix' my symptoms yet again， and I am not sure if it was the ease of the tone used in the book （conversational， like a quirky friend）， but I actually felt like the techniques （somatic tracking， leaning into positive sensations， even avoidance when you need it！） were things that yes， maybe would help my symptoms go away eventually， but really， were ways that I could be kind to and nurture myself when I was deep in the fear cycle。 Mind Body recovery always seemed so daunting to me; so many rules， find your buried emotions， don't think of the pain （but also don't use distraction）， love yourself。。。 a never ending list of 'things' to do。 This book simplifies it。 Focus on making yourself feel safe。 That's it。 Determine the best way based on the provided techniques， which have been scientifically proven to help you feel safe。 This book helps you take a good， loving， kind look at yourself and know that you deserve to feel safe in your body again。 。。。more
Martina
，
So grateful for this gem of a book that explains the causes and cures for chronic pain with solid scientific evidence， empathy， and humor。
Callie Kunz
，