Stuttering as a mindbody disorder – basic information
By Peter Louw
(This is the basic info document from my "Stuttering as a mindbody disorder" Facebook group, which can be joined HERE. )
(This is the basic info document from my "Stuttering as a mindbody disorder" Facebook group, which can be joined HERE. )
What is a mindbody disorder?
Modern views of mindbody disorders are based on the pioneering work of Dr John Sarno, MD (1923-). According to him, many ailments that are usually regarded as physical have their origin in the subconscious mind. This is actually a very old idea with a long tradition; but with the phenomenal rise and great successes of scientific medicine in the 20th century the concept of psychosomatic disorders, which in the 1940s was still an accepted part of medical studies, generally fell in disfavour within the medical establishment.
Today, Dr
Sarno is generally regarded as the "father" of TMS (tension myositis
syndrome, aka The Mindbody Syndrome). This is not (yet) an officially
recognised medical condition, though various prominent doctors do acknowledge
that it exists. In reality so many people have been healed by TMS treatment
that there cannot be any doubt that TMS exists. The proof of the pudding lies
in the eating. Need proof? Just read the hundreds of Amazon readers' reviews of
Dr Sarno's best known book, Healing Back
Pain: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684
It would
seem that some people have a tendency to channel or direct their stress to a
particular part of the body, which then experiences pain or some other
disorder. The body part could be the neck (neck pain), lower or upper back
(back pain), stomach (ulcers, heartburn), colon (spastic colon), the head
(certain headaches / migraines), the nose (sinus issues), eyes (dry eyes),
hands (carpal tunnel syndrome), legs (e.g. night muscle cramps), skin (certain
skin disorders), "growing pains", eating disorders, chronic fatigue
syndrome etc. Even some psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression
may have their primary cause in the subconscious.
From a TMS
point of view, more and more health issues that used to be regarded as purely
physiological / neurological are being suspected of having an underlying
subconscious cause. Have a look at this list of suspect ailments in the TMS
Wiki:
http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Success_Stories_by_Symptoms_%26_Diagnoses
http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/Success_Stories_by_Symptoms_%26_Diagnoses
Within the
TMS community, stuttering is also frequently regarded as a type of TMS. In
2011, Dr Howard Schubiner MD, a TMS practitioner, wrote a short article in
which he analysed the movie The King's
Speech from a TMS viewpoint (read his article further below).
Two factors
apparently shared by both stuttering and TMS make me think that stuttering
could indeed be related to TMS:
1) Some kind of stress or tension.
2) A spasm or cramp in the affected area, resulting in pain (e.g. back pain) or other disturbance. Dr Sarno believes that these spasms (often muscle spasms) are caused by slight hypoxia (reduction of oxygen) within the affected area and that the subconscious creates this hypoxia via the central nervous system. Is it far-fetched to think that this also happens to the muscles of the vocal cords of people who stutter? In this connection I refer to the work of Dr Martin F. Schwartz, who has devoted a great deal of his life to the hypothesis that stuttering is preceded by a tension-related "locking" or "freeze" of the vocal-cord muscles.
1) Some kind of stress or tension.
2) A spasm or cramp in the affected area, resulting in pain (e.g. back pain) or other disturbance. Dr Sarno believes that these spasms (often muscle spasms) are caused by slight hypoxia (reduction of oxygen) within the affected area and that the subconscious creates this hypoxia via the central nervous system. Is it far-fetched to think that this also happens to the muscles of the vocal cords of people who stutter? In this connection I refer to the work of Dr Martin F. Schwartz, who has devoted a great deal of his life to the hypothesis that stuttering is preceded by a tension-related "locking" or "freeze" of the vocal-cord muscles.
Incidentally,
this hypoxia hypothesis is supported by recent research which found reduced
blood flow to the speech centres of the brain during moments of stuttering. Perhaps
the central nervous system reduces blood flow and creates mild hypoxia within
the speech centres, thereby messing them up and resulting in the
dyscoordination of the vocal-cord muscles, resulting in stuttering? Here is the
link to the blood flow research: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170103162356.htm?platform=hootsuite
What is the cause of a mindbody disorder?
It is
believed that some people more than others are genetically predisposed toward
developing TMS.
Dr Sarno
believes that TMS is caused by a conflict, or mis-alignment, between the
conscious and the subconscious. Strongly influenced by Dr Sigmund Freud, the
father of psychoanalysis, Dr Sarno regards repressed
feelings as a crucial factor in TMS. Anger
/ rage in particular is the usual suspect, but sadness, loneliness, fear,
shame and guilt are also often identified as causing or increasing TMS. As I
understand Sarno, the primitive part of the central nervous system regards
these feelings as threatening, tries to make them go away and represses them,
and can even, in predisposed individuals, create physical symptoms in an effort
to distract the conscious mind away from the inner turmoil. For the primitive
inner child-animal (the "id" in Freudian terms), happiness and
survival are priorities, and these priorities are threatened by strong emotions
that could upset the status quo.
Other TMS experts
regard the external symptoms as the voice
of the subconscious, primitive inner child-animal part of the brain. We all
have an inner child / animal, whose primitive needs are often ignored in our
busy daily mature lives. If severely ignored, the inner child-animal may become
enraged – not unlike a real child or animal! – and lash out in the form of TMS.
Note that this inner rage can be quite substantial … like a slumbering volcano
or a sleeping but ferocious wolf. Don't underestimate it!
How is TMS treated?
Healing,
not surprisingly, entails becoming aware of such repressed feelings,
continuously discharging them and bringing them out into consciousness. This
should reduce the large "pool" of rage and other emotional energy
accumulated within the subconscious through the years.
In many
cases, merely READING a TMS book has
cured some TMS sufferers. This is what is called "knowledge therapy" –
when the individual becomes aware of the subconscious emotional origins of
their symptoms, the symptoms often disappear as the subconscious realises that
its trickery has been "found out". So it stops trying to distract the
person via the symptoms.
In most
cases, however, the subconscious mind needs more convincing before it will stop
its mischief. Usually there are two phases: Firstly the CONSCIOUS mind needs to be totally convinced that the symptoms,
though absolutely real and not a figment of the imagination, are being produced
through the central nervous system with the purpose of distracting you from the
actual inner conflict (which the primitive subconscious regards as more
threatening to the individual's wellbeing than the TMS symptoms). Secondly –
and most importantly – the SUBCONSCIOUS mind, too, needs to be convinced.
All this
convincing can be done through reading TMS books, Facebook discussions (join
the TMS Facebook group! – address below), introspection / self-talk, and journalling (writing about your issues
in a diary / blog / Facebook etc.). Journalling
especially is a major tool in TMS treatment. The more you do this, the
deeper these concepts will sink into your subconscious, where true healing
occurs. If the subconscious at last realises that its distractions have been
discovered, it tends to stop its distractive efforts. For those who wish to do TMS
exercises – the TMS Wiki has a free online procedure (see below for the
address), while several books also provide similar procedures (see below). Severe
cases may also find outside support and counselling helpful, such as from a
trained mindbody doctor / practitioner (if you can find them in your area!).
Can all this help people who stutter?
If
stuttering is a type of TMS, as many TMS sufferers believe, there should be no
reason why TMS treatment cannot help people who stutter. Read the TMS literature (and do any exercises) as if it applies to
stuttering.
Dr Howard
Schubiner MD believes that stuttering is indeed a type of TMS. Read his short
article here: http://www.unlearnyourpain.com/blog/mbs-blog-31-the-king%E2%80%99s-speech-as-mind-body-syndrome-finding-your-voice-and-reclaiming-your-life/
Applied to
stuttering, I would think that the following ten TMS healing principles would
be useful:
1) Start reading! It's what Dr Sarno calls
"knowledge therapy". Read at least ONE of the books on TMS
mentioned below, as if it also applies
to stuttering. Even better: read it TWICE! Or else read two books. The more
the better! Allow these ideas to SINK IN
DEEPLY into the subconscious, where the healing process begins.
2) As far as possible, don't let any
stuttering worry you. In terms of TMS theory, the "purpose" of
the stuttering blocks is to keep your mind occupied with physical symptoms,
such as stuttering, distracting you from repressed emotions that threaten to
come to the surface. Don't over-worry about the blocks / stuttering, because that's exactly what TMS wants – it wants you to think about stuttering as
a physical, neurological issue; it DOESN'T want you to begin thinking about any
inner emotional issues. So try to identify any hidden emotions that might
actually be behind the stutter.
3) Beware
of perfectionism! Many people who stutter are also perfectionists, and so
are TMS sufferers. Perfectionism is highly enraging to the inner child-animal
(which can be compared to a lazy couch potato who loves pleasure and beer and
hates discipline – great excuse to let your hair down … J ). You must do everything in your
power to avoid perfectionism which just feeds subconscious rage. Goodism, the
tendency to be as ethical and moral as possible, is also a form of
perfectionism.
4) Work on being (or becoming) assertive.
Assertiveness can be seen as a mild and socially acceptable form of aggression.
By being assertive you will discharge some of the inner rage which may be
feeding your stutter. For a short summary of assertiveness as a tool in improving
fluency, check out the following chapter of my free online book, Coping with
Stuttering: . http://copingwithstuttering.blogspot.co.za/2010/02/asserting-your-personal-rights.html And for an excellent TED talk on how a few
assertive body positions will actually change your body chemistry to make you
more relaxed and assertive, check out the following: http://stuttersense.blogspot.co.za/2014/11/fake-it-till-you-make-it_20.html
5)
Begin working on those hidden emotions;
identify them and allow them to come out into the open. Get in touch with your
feelings. Journalling and similar
involvement (mentioned above) should greatly help you in this. If necessary,
try the TMS Recovery Program (see below) or other support mentioned below.
6)
Don't regard the TMS – the stutter – as the enemy which should be fought at all
costs. Stuttering is your inner child's primitive voice. Listen to its message
and learn from it. Soothe and pamper the inner child. Once you have understood
the message, the voice should fade.
7)
The TMS explanation is not for everybody, and many if not most people will
reject it. Partly this is because, for many people, it is easier to deal with
physical, socially acceptable symptoms than with the underlying psychological
pain.
8)
Should we continue using fluency techniques, such as Slow Speech and Passive Airflow?
Dr Sarno would say that such techniques address the overt symptoms, but not the
psychological cause. Earlier in his practice he did make use of
physiotherapists to deal with the TMS-related pains of his patients; but later
he let the therapists go, instead focusing exclusively on the psychological
pain which causes symptoms.
Having said that, he does approve the limited use of painkillers when necessary in the case of e.g. severe back pain. I would say it's up to the stuttering individual whether to use fluency techniques or not if this makes life easier; but always keeping in mind that such techniques merely provide symptomatic relief and do not address the true cause. The same probably goes for other adjuncts such as stress management and stress-reducing supplements. These are helpful where the stress is from other sources not related to TMS; but where stress results from TMS it is the TMS which should in the first place be tackled.
Having said that, he does approve the limited use of painkillers when necessary in the case of e.g. severe back pain. I would say it's up to the stuttering individual whether to use fluency techniques or not if this makes life easier; but always keeping in mind that such techniques merely provide symptomatic relief and do not address the true cause. The same probably goes for other adjuncts such as stress management and stress-reducing supplements. These are helpful where the stress is from other sources not related to TMS; but where stress results from TMS it is the TMS which should in the first place be tackled.
9) The major role that CONDITIONING / LEARNING
plays should not be forgotten. It plays a huge role in general TMS, so one can
expect it to have the same impact in stuttering – where people have been
stuttering for decades, the behaviour is probably deeply entrenched. Even so,
it might just be that, when the original psychological cause is exposed through
TMS treatment, the central nervous system stops feeding the stutter. So I don't
think we can expect sudden miracles, because the conditioned responses of many
years are still in place. What we can expect is that the intensity of
stuttering may begin to drop and hopefully start withering away, because it is
no longer being fed.
10)
VISUALISATION should be very useful in working on the subconscious.
Visualisation is such a powerful tool in modern self-help and it always surprises
me how little this is used. At the time when I had TMS-related lower-back pain,
I visualised the blood vessels in my back as huge pipes, carrying enormous
amounts of blood rushing in waves through the area – to counteract the mild
hypoxia (lack of oxygen) which, according to TMS theory, causes painful
cramping. In the same way one could visualise oxygen-rich blood rushing toward
the vocal-cord muscles, and / or to the speech centres of the brain, so as to
prevent a stutter. Have a look at this short chapter on visualisation in my
free online book: http://copingwithstuttering.blogspot.co.za/2010/02/power-of-visualisation.html
As
far as I know, this is the first time that TMS principles are applied to
stuttering. But will it in fact be of use in real life? Maybe you would like to
try it, perhaps adjusting the theory to your own experiences? You would be a
true pioneer, charting unsailed waters and perhaps creating history.
Thanks for
reading this article! Below please find some relevant links:
A few sources of practical TMS support:
The TMS Facebook group. (A smart, active and
helpful group.) Join them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/drsarno/
The free online TMS Wiki. (Very comprehensive.)
Check it out here: http://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/The_Tension_Myositis_Syndrome_Wiki
The MindBody Workbook: a 30-day program, by Dr David
Schechter MD, 1999 (Very helpful, but spelling errors irritate; should have
been proofread): https://www.amazon.com/MindBody-Workbook-Program-Awareness-Disorders/dp/1929997051/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486747046&sr=1-1&keywords=the+mindbody+workbook
Dr Howard Schubiner MD's workbook Unlearn Your
Pain, 2016: https://www.amazon.com/Unlearn-Your-Pain-third-Keller/dp/0984336745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486747207&sr=1-1&keywords=unlearn+your+pain+by+dr.+howard+schubiner
Recommended reading ("knowledge therapy"):
The Great Pain Deception: Faulty Medical Advice
Is Making Us Worse, by Steven Ozanich, 2011 (Very dramatic, very comprehensive
but rather lengthy; intentionally repeats himself often so that the ideas can
sink in deep): https://www.amazon.com/Great-Pain-Deception-Faulty-Medical/dp/0615462219/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486748418&sr=1-1&keywords=the+great+pain+deception+faulty+medical+advice+is+making+us+worse
Any of Dr John Sarno's books, such as:
The Divided Mind: the Epidemic of MindBody
Disorders, 2007 (Articles by Dr Sarno and like-minded doctors, also covers
topics not covered in other TMS books.): https://www.amazon.com/Divided-Mind-Epidemic-Mindbody-Disorders/dp/0061174300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486748668&sr=1-1&keywords=the+divided+mind+the+epidemic+of+mindbody+disorders
Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection,
2010 (Dr Sarno's bestseller; a great introduction to TMS): https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486749448&sr=1-1&keywords=healing+back+pain+by+dr.+john+sarno
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