by Recovery Soon » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:23 pm
I was one of the first on the Gupta program when it first came out 3 years ago.
My opinion after all this time, carefully examining my own experience, and the testimony of others, is that Gupta cannot be called a cure by any reasonable stretch. In fact, Gupta himself admitted so on a Prohealth interview a while back.
What makes it so confounding is his loose/creative definition of the word "recovery." Recovery to him, means being dramatically better, but being unfit because of inactivity due to CFS. Yet, a full recovery, or a cure, would have to include a complete cessation of Post Exertional Malaise, the hallmark CFS symptom. That, in my opinion, is the litmus test.
Some people have CFS, but seem to be able to aerobically workout at a gym for an hour or so. I don't quite understand that. My experience, which I believe is the norm for CFS, is that 24 to 36 hours later, I am hit with an explosion of near debilitating symptoms. Gupta has not made a dent in this reaction.
That said, I think I am in a unique position to evaluate the program, because I am a long term meditator. In fact, I credit Gupta, with giving my meditation practice a much needed boost. In the past 3 years I have gone on several week long silent meditation retreats, and really upped my commitment to simply observe the unfolding of my symptoms for long stretches every single day. This has dramatically changed my relationship to the symptoms, and paid great dividends from an emotional perspective. And it appears to lower their impact.
I am generally accepting of the symptoms and condition, and not bombarded by anxiety, as is commonly reported. Of course here and there it does arise, as there are stress abnormalities with CFS. But for the most part, I'm emotionally strong and top of things. And have been for a long time.
He is right that the stress compounds CFS very dramatically. Where he is wrong in my opinion, is that stress CAUSES CFS. After 3 years, I just don't see any indication that this is the case. In my meditation experience, I have experienced profound states of bliss, for extended periods of time, yet the underlying core condition has not changed one iota. In fact, I would highly doubt that healthy people ever experience the tranquility and peace I regularly access through meditation. And yet, the condition persists. Even though I generally don't resist- which is his recipe for recovery.
I believe Gupta has compiled a wonderful program to deal with any CHRONIC ILLNESS. The tools are wonderful for changing your relationship to illness, which provides relief, and lowers the symptoms. I think MS patients, and many others would see just as much benefit. In fact I think he could and should repackage this as a mind/body program for living with any Chronic Illness.
But the cure discussion, or "full recovery" discussion is misleading. He implies that the common experience of people is to get fully recovered. Clearly it is not. There have been anecdotes of a person here or there who have gotten fully better- but CFS can be such a large umbrella of illness, that it is not clear that those few, isolated examples actually had the clinical definitions of CFS. And even if they did, their numbers are way too sparse to ever suggest there is any good reason to believe this program might cure you. If you choose to creatively define "recovery," as Gupta has done, then perhaps we are all recovered. But I think it's clear that there is a little misrepresentation going on.
STOP, STOP, STOP has not STOP STOP STOPPED CFS.
But, the targeted approach of the program has lessened all of the original anxieties that really make this condition unlivable.
One more thing, is that Gupta's overall theory loosely relates to the neuroscience conducted by Professor Joseph Ledeoux. It is highly questionable that Ledeoux would actually support this theory as the cause of CFS.
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