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Repetitive unwanted thoughts (RUTs) are a source of much misery.

The harder you fight them, the stronger they become.

RUTs are solvable by allowing your body to heal.

Here are some basic facts:

Repetitive unwanted thoughts (RUTs) are a source of much misery.

The harder you fight RUTs, the stronger they become.

There are four aspects of solving them, and it's possible to go on to thrive.

RUTs are solvable by allowing your body to heal.

I did not quit practicing spine surgery to manage chronic pain. I witnessed hundreds of patients not only resolve multiple symptoms but step into a life they had never believed was possible. They learned to thrive. I myself am one of those people.

My new book, Calm Your Body, Heal Your Mind: Transcend Pain, Anxiety, Anger, and Repetitive Unwanted Thoughts, is the culmination of a 35-year journey that began with a panic attack on the 520 bridge in Seattle, Washington. I did not become a major spine surgeon because of anxiety, and I was a master at suppressing it, which turned out to be at the core of the problem.

I had no idea what had hit me or why it happened, and no one had any answers. I steadily sank into a deep hole I call “the abyss,” with 17 physical and mental symptoms and not a shred of hope. The mental pain progressed to include unrelenting, repetitive, intrusive thoughts, and, along with feeling socially isolated, I almost committed suicide. The unwanted thoughts and isolation were the worst part of my ordeal.

By 2004, all my symptoms had resolved. I had tried every possible intervention, making more mistakes than successes. As healing concepts emerged, I was able to share them with my patients. I still did not understand why, so I kept digging.

In 2009, I realized a major issue in medicine was that patients did not feel heard and were labeled. I knew that addressing anger was central to healing, and that feeling trapped was problematic. Howard Schubiner, a renowned pain physician, researcher, and author, was the keynote speaker at a 2009 conference I........

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