The Way Out

A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain

By: Alan Gordon, Alon Ziv

Narrated by: Alan Gordon

A groundbreaking mind-body protocol to heal chronic pain, backed by new research.

Chronic pain is an epidemic. Fifty million Americans struggle with back pain, headaches, or some other pain that resists all treatment. Desperate pain sufferers are told again and again that there is no cure for chronic pain.

Alan Gordon, a psychotherapist and the founder of the Pain Psychology Center in Los Angeles, was in grad school when he started experiencing chronic pain and it completely derailed his life. He saw multiple doctors and received many diagnoses, but none of the medical treatments helped. Frustrated with conventional pain management, he developed Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), a mind-body protocol that eliminated his own chronic pain and has transformed the lives of thousands of his patients.

PRT is rooted in neuroscience, which has shown that while chronic pain feels like it's coming from the body, in most cases it's generated by misfiring pain circuits in the brain. PRT is a system of psychological techniques that rewires the brain to break out of the cycle of chronic pain.

The University of Colorado-Boulder recently conducted a large randomized controlled study on PRT, and the results are remarkable. By the end of the study, the majority of patients were pain-free or nearly pain-free. What's more, these dramatic changes held up over time.

The Way Out brings PRT to readers. It combines accessible science with a concrete, step-by-step plan to teach sufferers how to heal their own chronic pain.

Don't knock it until you try it

The book has a good sense of humor and tackles the topic by education and then giving the how to's and hiccups on helping ourselves through the issue. The narrator is calm and gentle, easy to listen to.

I've read Dr. Sarno's book, "The Mind Body Prescription" and finishing up Dr Schubiner's book, "Unlearn Your Pain". Both wonderful books that are from knowledgeable experts and I do recommend reading them, but I specifically liked "The Way Out" because it was clean cut and to the point. Not a lot of fluff to shuffle through to get to the important and useful information. The information is very current too, so there is medical evidence to back up the claims.

As for me, I was already working on my issues from the work given to me by other sources. My pain from myofascial pain syndrome/ fibromyalgia, TMJ, IBS, brain fog, painful bladder syndrome, and poor sleep, has been remarkably improved since starting my journey. I've told people I feel happier and better than I did in my mid-20's! I'm glad to have this book to include in my arsenal, as I like the somatic tracking as described in this book and the more updated information. I think this is the book I'm going to offer to my coworker who I suspect will benefit from the information. Because of it's clean cut information and ease of reading.

Also, I read the Kindle preview. The audiobook is very well done, but you do miss out on some visual humor in the audiobook! So, just a heads up ;p No matter the format you choose, I hope that you'll consider giving this book, or any from the authors fellow experts in the field, a serious read. It may help you more than you know. I'm still in awe that it has helped me this much.

The way in for The Way Out

I came upon Alan Gordon’s work years ago during my deep dive in widening my understanding about chronic pain and the possibility of life without it.

His work served as a bridge to help me cross the path of what I had learned up to that point from Dr. John Sarno to where I wanted to be today. Alan’s ongoing research in recent years, reframing much of what Sarno pioneered with the current research has been a game changer.

In his book, “The Way Out,” Alan lays the framework about our chronic pain and the steps to successfully end the toxic relationship with it. The book is extremely readable, and even more importantly, digestible and practical. I finished the book in nearly one sitting.

Alan has a way of explaining things using metaphors, humor, personal experiences (and Winnie the Pooh!), providing the reader with a very possible way towards truly getting out of the cycle of pain.

For anyone who has reaped the benefits from any of this type of work, whether it be Alan’s or his colleagues, or for anyone who is new to the entire premise, tipping your toe in the possibility of another way out of pain, I encourage you to read “The Way Out.” The book is the “way in” towards understanding pain and the "way out" towards healing.

Thank you Alan and and Alon for the time you put into this book. And I bet you no doubt had the opportunity to practice what you preach through the stressful moments in the writing process.

Sincerely,
Monique

Wonderful resource by a phenomenal author

Using humor and a naturally calming voice, Alan allows the listener to engage, understand, and enjoy the wealth of knowledge this book had to offer. great resource for this living with any chronic conditions.

Great Book

This is the best book I’ve ever read on Chronic Pain.
Thank you to Alan Gordon for writing and narrating this book and for pioneering Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
MW

Lightbulb moments galore!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ve had chronic low back pain for almost six years that has radiated into my sacrum area. After years of treatments, nothing has worked-the pain remains. I saw myself in almost every patient story! I’ve known the mind body connection for years but never have had it explained a better way then in this book. I know I have NPP, and now it’s time to retrain my brain.