Paradoxical Relaxation : The Theory and Practice of Dissolving Anxiety by Accepting It Perfect Paperback – January 10, 2010

I think this is a most unusual and valuable book. I bought it recently, and have read it straight through twice already. What sets this book, and this method of "relaxation" apart from others is that it clearly addresses the subtle obstacles and resistances that come up when attempting to meditate or "relax". (I put the words "relaxation" and "relax" in quotes because it seems to me that what the author is talking about is something beyond what most people picture in their minds when they hear those words. Instead, Paradoxical Relaxation seems much more akin to, or even identical to, meditation). I have attempted to practice meditation on and off for many years, with varying degrees of success. This book helped me to identify and understand some of the mental/emotional processes that occur that block a fuller experience of meditation and relaxation. The ideas of "resting in sensation", "pleasure anxiety" (going beyond it's usual application to sex), and something he calls the "tyrannical caretaker", have been very helpful to me. In fact, I believe they could be downright life-changing. The book is not difficult to read, not encumbered by jargon, theories, etc., but rather goes straight to the heart of how to do this practice. And it is so clear that the author has experienced and worked through these issues himself, rather than being the ideas of some medical professional who has only seen anxiety in his/her patients, but not in themselves. I think it will be on my bedside table for some time to come. Thank you so much for this book!

I'm on my second read, and this will probably be a book I read every few months for quite awhile. It's loaded with wisdom and techniques to guide you away from chaos and into peacefulness and relaxation. I read Headache In The Pelvis (4th ed.) about 10 years ago, which was a life changer.But this is much more of a book about how we let our chaotic thoughts take over our lives, how that causes numerous health problems, and how to change that. Wise explains that pelvic pain is just one of the many maladies caused by our crazy minds, and for me, greatly relieved by his set of techniques.This is not your common, formula-written, pop-culture book. Some parts are very repetitive (as in meditation). Other parts are more narrative-style. It's all very good, as another reviewer said, "when you're ready to listen."The other thing I'll say about this book is that it is about learning a practice. It takes your time. (The audio tracks are very helpful.)

James Thorpe's conclusion--that Wise's own experience suggests that paradoxical relaxation is an ineffective treatment for pelvic pain syndrome--suffers from flawed logic.To begin with, Wise does not suggest that paradoxical relaxation alone is an effective treatment for pelvic pain syndrome. To the contrary, in his and Rodney Anderson's book A Headache in the Pelvis, he and his co-author stress that paradoxical relaxation is one part of a comprehensive approach to pelvic pain treatment that also includes physical therapy. Patients who attend Wise's pelvic pain clinic, as I did, are trained in a treatment program that combines physical therapy WITH paradoxical relaxation.The fact that Wise continued to have pelvic pain for twelve years after training with Edmund Jacobson does not therefore suggest that the treatment he and Anderson have since developed is ineffective. Wise did not learn from Jacobson the physical therapy techniques that form an essential part of this treatment. To learn one part of what will eventually become a fully developed plan of treatment is obviously not the same thing as learning the whole treatment. As Wise himself has said both in A Headache in the Pelvis and in his clinics, the treatment for pelvic pain he and Anderson developed took years of trial and error to devise. Thorpe's assumption that he took from his training with Jacobson all that he needed to effectively treat pelvic pain is false.Thorpe also problematically assumes that Wise necessarily perfected progressive/paradoxical relaxation while training with Jacobson. As Wise himself emphasizes, paradoxical relaxation takes practice. It's not something you just pick up immediately. It may have taken Wise considerable time after his training with Jacobson to become adept in paradoxical relaxation. Certainly in the clinic of his I attended, he stressed that his and Anderson's treatment for pelvic pain syndrome is a long-term approach that often requires more than a year of consistent application to achieve significant results. As already mentioned, even if Wise had become expert at paradoxical relaxation by the time he ended his training with Jacobson, this doesn't mean that he would have had a treatment for pelvic pain syndrome in hand.To take exception to what Thorpe terms Wise's sentimentality is one thing. Personally, I find Wise's willingness to share his own experiences, as well as his desire to identify with sufferers of pelvic pain, refreshingly in contrast to the impersonality and apparent lack of interest in my troubles with which most of the doctors I've seen for my pelvic pain have treated me. But Wise's writing style, whatever you think of it, should not determine our valuation of the treatment he proposes. Nor can we conclusively determine the effectiveness of that treatment based on Wise's personal experience alone. (Even highly effective treatments do not usually prove effective in all cases. And in Wise's case, the treatment did, it seems, prove effective eventually). Even if Wise HAD learned from Jacobson all he needed to effectively treat his pelvic pain, to conclude that, because he only achieved freedom from pelvic pain twelve years later, his treatment seems ineffective, seems unfair, not to say strange. After all, Wise DID eventually get rid of his pelvic pain. Yes, it took a long time. Ultimately, though, the treatment he helped develop seems to have been effective. And hundreds of other individuals who have attended his clinics have likewise testified that the treatment diminished or resolved their pain. Given that many of the doctors I've seen for my pain have told me it may be incurable and that I should simply learn to live with it (the "I don't know the problem and I don't want to deal with it further" response), I'd still rather go with a treatment that may take a few years to prove fully effective (according to patient feedback collected by Wise, most patients experience significant results within one to two years of beginning treatment) than to reconcile myself to living the rest of my life with pelvic pain.

I bought this book after reading the author's previous book about pelvic pain. I was looking for a relaxation technique to help me with chronic pain from tremors. This is an excellent book but difficult to navigate because of the lack of an index and a useful table of contents. However I think for someone in difficulty, it's worth reading because the language he uses helps to clarify the whole issue of acceptance, letting go, anxiety and pain.

Anhang zum Buch von Dr. Wise A headache in Pelvis! Musik wird per Download zur Verfügung gestellt wenn nicht im Buch vorhanden wie bei mir.

There is a lot of overlap between the two books. I think I prefer the Headache in the Pelvis though both are well written.The editing could be improved.

Was hoping it was step by step instructions of how to do it. Dissapointed. Basically a conglomeration of factual stories

The book's OK - it's the content that I don't get - it's certainly not for me, so will be appearing on Ebay some time soon...