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Forum Member:
Jon, I was hoping you might be able to give us all a little insight to the trajectory of your recuperation when it happened. Though I was told to expect this by Farias, one of the hardest things for me is to make real progress, and then go to play hours later and feel as if it is all gone. There is so much up and down to deal with in rehabilitation. It is tough to always stay positive. I assume many others find this to be the hardest part of all. So what I’d like to know is how that part of the process was for you, and if you could give us some idea of how the timeline worked out for you. Since you are someone who has made a full recovery, your wisdom would be much appreciated.

JG:
The short story is basically 2 steps forward, 1 step back. However, once I had figured out the correct approach by addressing the mechanical, mental direction, and emotional issues, my recovery seemed to speed up, with fewer backwards steps. What I did do also is manage to figure out why we seem to go backwards. It’s about awareness, and knowing where to look. The problem area (fingers, lips, whatever) is only an outward sign – a symptom – of a problem occurring elsewhere. My approach is to address the root of the problem (which almost no one is aware of) and then the symptoms dissolve.

Forum Member:
Could you please say a bit more about what the nature of the root of the problem was for you? Are you talking about a physical place (e.g. the shoulders, hips, knees, feet), or a mental place (a way of thinking/feeling/viewing the world), or something else, or a combination of things?

JG:
For myself, and everyone I speak with, there is always an interplay between body mechanics, mental direction, and emotions. We must address all three to recover.

Forum Member:
Hi Jon. In your estimation, what is the best way to recognize what the interplay is and how do we go about recognizing where to look?

JG:
We can begin to understand and recognize the interplay by what you might describe as guided awareness. It’s a little different for everyone, but there are some things that all MFD sufferers seem to have in common – or at least, the 30 – 40 or so I have coached on Skype. I’d rather not go the self–promotion route here in the forum, but it is hard for me to explain the process further purely in text. A coaching session is the best way for me to show you the steps to take.

Forum member:
Though I’ve not done a session with Jon I will back him up here. My experience with Dr Farias was just that. Not only did I realize how individual each dystonia is, but he gave examples of how he’d treat someone totally different with a similar problem. There are many factors in how the big 3 play out that he is talking about. I can’t imagine how I could have made real progress without a guide. My advice for everyone is decide on someone to try with. Farias, Fabra and Gorrie all seem legit in my book, though Fabra seems much more focused on the mental/emotional end of things. I like the idea of working on all three. One more thing to keep in mind is none of them have a magic bullet. We must take it upon ourselves to get better, they cannot do it for us. But it is quite helpful to have someone to guide you and keep you on track.

JG:
“One more thing to keep in mind is none of them have a magic bullet. We must take it upon ourselves to get better, they cannot do it for us.”

Exactly!! It’s like building a shed in your own back yard. Someone can give you the tools, materials and instruction manual, but you are the one who has to put it all together.