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I'm thankful for getting cured of my chronic back pain of 10+ years just because of one HN comment (1). I was at a point in my life where my whole life used to

I'm thankful for getting cured of my chronic back pain of 10+ years just because of one HN comment (1). I was at a point in my life where my whole life used to revolve around my pain but thanks to this one comment I was cured of this terrible misery in just less than a month. So thank you HN and thank you @ceras for making my life so much better. P.S I'm happy to say that propogating that knowledge had that exact same effect for another HNer who was also suffering from the same fate (actually he was contemplating suicide by his own comment and he too was healed like me(2). (1) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17899799 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17899799 (2) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18151061 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18151061

reasonablemann 8y ago
Sarno's book should be added to those lists of best programming books. Along with "Say Good Night to Insomnia". Back pain + insomnia both cured within days of reading each of these. Thankfully I only suffered a few weeks of each before getting my hands on these books.
tejaswiy 8y ago
I have to say, every time I come across this book, it seems like bullshit not backed by any science at all and yet it gets rave reviews on HN. As a one-time thing, I can put it off towards some propaganda campaign ala Tim Ferris / The four hour body but this is a pattern. Don't know what to make of it really.
- dang 8y ago
  I've noticed the same pattern. There must be something to it.
  - nemo1618 8y ago
    Indeed, the first I heard of it was from Y Combinator's own Aaron Iba: http://aaroniba.net/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain http://aaroniba.net/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain I think the raving is due to four factors: - It sets off every rational person's bullshit detector. - It works anyway. - The effort required is minimal (just reading the book is enough for many people). - The payoff is life-changing. When you experience all this first-hand (as I did), it's hard to not become an evangelist. It has no business working, and it yet it does. In this community, I think we have a strong desire to share bewildering things like that with each other.
- amelius 8y ago
  Well, perhaps it's time to put some science behind it and do some RCTs ...
- system2 8y ago
  You are not alone. This might be the 3rd or 4th time I am seeing this and thinking the same.
mikekchar 8y ago
Very interesting. For about the past 2 years, I've been suffering from mysterious symptoms that seem to have no physical origin. My doctors have suggested that it's "in my head" or "stress related illness" and I'm completely open to that idea (in fact I welcome it). However, the biggest problem I've had is, "Where the heck do I go from there?" If it's all in my head, how do I get it out of my head? I'm definitely going to give this book a read. I am thankful for your suggestion :-) P.S. I hesitate to mention this, but my wife belongs to some weird religious group here in Japan. They believe in spiritual healing. For this kind of problem it seems really ideal. Unfortunately for me, it's completely ineffective because I just can't take it seriously. She's always frustrated because she can't heal my problems, even though I should be an ideal candidate. Going through the problems I've had has completely changed my attitude toward the potential benefits so called spiritual things. On the one hand I have doctors saying, "It's all in your head, so you can't be cured" and on the other I get "It's all in your head, so praise the divine being and all will be cured". It would be tempting if I could ever stomach that kind of thing.
- ryacko 8y ago
  I recommend reading what Mark Twain’s experiences with Christian Science was. (Which was that everything is imaginary?) http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3187 http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3187
  - mikekchar 8y ago
    Well, I think his book very clearly spells out the other problems with those kinds of organisations. :-) Definitely not my thing, but I have a more nuanced view of things these days.
    - ryacko 8y ago
      Long-term outcomes with many modern medicines are negative compared to that of a placebo.
- superasn 8y ago
  > My doctors have suggested that it's "in my head" or "stress related illness" and I'm completely open to that idea I think the biggest misconception is that when doctors tell you that it's all in your head. The pain is real, as real as the pain you get during a leg cramp and it's caused by the ANS (autonomic nervous system) because of a mild oxygen deprivation (about 5%). It is harmless and completely reversible but that does not mean it's not there. It's very real. This is a very important thing to understand explained in the book.
Sammi 8y ago
I am so thankful that I came across a comment about Sarno's book here on hn! I had tried sooooo many things. I was frequenly getting completely locked up in my back - it was all just a tight ball of pain. Then Sarno told me it was because I was manifesting repressed emotions in my body, and b-i-n-g-o. As soon as I started asking myself "What's bothering me?", "What am I upset about", and gave myself time and permission to actual feel those emotions, I could feel the knot melt away.

reasonablemann 8y ago

Sarno's book should be added to those lists of best programming books. Along with "Say Good Night to Insomnia". Back pain + insomnia both cured within days of reading each of these. Thankfully I only suffered a few weeks of each before getting my hands on these books.

tejaswiy 8y ago

I have to say, every time I come across this book, it seems like bullshit not backed by any science at all and yet it gets rave reviews on HN. As a one-time thing, I can put it off towards some propaganda campaign ala Tim Ferris / The four hour body but this is a pattern. Don't know what to make of it really.

dang 8y ago
I've noticed the same pattern. There must be something to it.
- nemo1618 8y ago
  Indeed, the first I heard of it was from Y Combinator's own Aaron Iba: http://aaroniba.net/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain http://aaroniba.net/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain I think the raving is due to four factors: - It sets off every rational person's bullshit detector. - It works anyway. - The effort required is minimal (just reading the book is enough for many people). - The payoff is life-changing. When you experience all this first-hand (as I did), it's hard to not become an evangelist. It has no business working, and it yet it does. In this community, I think we have a strong desire to share bewildering things like that with each other.
amelius 8y ago
Well, perhaps it's time to put some science behind it and do some RCTs ...
system2 8y ago
You are not alone. This might be the 3rd or 4th time I am seeing this and thinking the same.

mikekchar 8y ago

Very interesting. For about the past 2 years, I've been suffering from mysterious symptoms that seem to have no physical origin. My doctors have suggested that it's "in my head" or "stress related illness" and I'm completely open to that idea (in fact I welcome it). However, the biggest problem I've had is, "Where the heck do I go from there?" If it's all in my head, how do I get it out of my head? I'm definitely going to give this book a read. I am thankful for your suggestion :-) P.S. I hesitate to mention this, but my wife belongs to some weird religious group here in Japan. They believe in spiritual healing. For this kind of problem it seems really ideal. Unfortunately for me, it's completely ineffective because I just can't take it seriously. She's always frustrated because she can't heal my problems, even though I should be an ideal candidate. Going through the problems I've had has completely changed my attitude toward the potential benefits so called spiritual things. On the one hand I have doctors saying, "It's all in your head, so you can't be cured" and on the other I get "It's all in your head, so praise the divine being and all will be cured". It would be tempting if I could ever stomach that kind of thing.

ryacko 8y ago
I recommend reading what Mark Twain’s experiences with Christian Science was. (Which was that everything is imaginary?) http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3187 http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3187
- mikekchar 8y ago
  Well, I think his book very clearly spells out the other problems with those kinds of organisations. :-) Definitely not my thing, but I have a more nuanced view of things these days.
  - ryacko 8y ago
    Long-term outcomes with many modern medicines are negative compared to that of a placebo.
superasn 8y ago
> My doctors have suggested that it's "in my head" or "stress related illness" and I'm completely open to that idea I think the biggest misconception is that when doctors tell you that it's all in your head. The pain is real, as real as the pain you get during a leg cramp and it's caused by the ANS (autonomic nervous system) because of a mild oxygen deprivation (about 5%). It is harmless and completely reversible but that does not mean it's not there. It's very real. This is a very important thing to understand explained in the book.

Sammi 8y ago

I am so thankful that I came across a comment about Sarno's book here on hn! I had tried sooooo many things. I was frequenly getting completely locked up in my back - it was all just a tight ball of pain. Then Sarno told me it was because I was manifesting repressed emotions in my body, and b-i-n-g-o. As soon as I started asking myself "What's bothering me?", "What am I upset about", and gave myself time and permission to actual feel those emotions, I could feel the knot melt away.