No More Throat, Facial, Body Pain, Sensorimotor OCD, or Anxiety!

If you are hoping to overcome any chronic, seemingly debilitating symptoms – emotional or physical – my advice would be to give Amanda a call. Before I spoke to Amanda, I genuinely started to believe that perhaps I was losing my mind. I am 31 years old and was 30 years old when I first started working with her eight months ago. I now know that I was not losing my mind, but my chronic pain and symptoms left me feeling so stuck in my body, I was terrified. Amanda helped get me out of this debilitating loop.  

She motivated me to become 100% better because I know she genuinely cares about me and always went above and beyond when I was really struggling. In case you’re feeling completely hopeless, I’ll give an overview of the symptoms I had…

For 5 ½ years, I could not speak or breathe without debilitating pain. This pain spread to my eyes, ears, nose, face, head, and elsewhere. Other symptoms included different parts of my head and mouth cracking. The most debilitating loop I got stuck in was that I became obsessed with my breathing. I began wondering whether I was doing it right or wrong, how often I should do it, how I should do it, etc. I now know the answer is that it doesn’t matter, but if you’re ever experiencing any type of sensorimotor OCD, I want you to know that you can get better no matter what bodily function, body part, or thought your mind has latched onto. I also had globus, which I now understand is not a real physical symptom, but just another element of what had become a debilitating thought loop. I am now free from this pain.

Before I met Amanda, I visited about 50 doctors, specialists, and other places. I know that may sound absurd, but because I was suffering and not feeling better, I tried a lot of stuff. I visited laryngologists, ENTs, gastroenterologists, allergists, rare disease specialists, functional medicine doctors, neurologists, places like The Cleveland Clinic and other pain clinics, Lyme doctors, cardiologists, therapists, and psychiatrists. I tried various upper cervical chiropractors, acupuncture, massage, speech therapists, strict diets, and even a shaman. Some of the tests I was given include an endoscopy, scopes, CT scans, MRIs, X-rays, and blood work. 

The list of procedures I tried include the following: the pain dose for ketamine infusions (4,500 mgs over the course of 3 sessions); electric stimulation wrapped around my throat at a pain clinic where they told me that initially, this treatment will likely cause me more pain and sore throats; a nerve block in the glossopharyngeal nerve in the throat; other throat procedures that included being put under anesthesia and having exosomes injected into the vagus nerve, as well as pulsed radiofrequency procedures that involved heated needles being placed into the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves. I underwent clinical trials that included transcranial magnetic stimulation and other experimental treatments. I cringe when I look back at the number of pills I was given by doctors. I never needed medication. In addition, I love meditation now, but I also tried meditating for a few years and had no idea I was already so obsessed with my body, I unintentionally found another way to become a perfectionist at something and get even more stuck in a loop. 

None of these visits, procedures, or medications helped me get better and only increased my fear and symptom loop. What did finally help me get well? Amanda and the Lightning Process. She has a deep understanding of why people experience chronic pain or symptom loops. I am now 100% mentally and physically well. 

The benefit of getting so many diagnoses is that I can tell you that it doesn’t matter what label you’ve been given by a doctor or how many procedures you’ve had. I believe that people will become well once they forget about these labels and believe that they are not stuck with these symptoms forever. Once I recognized the repetitive patterns I was engaging in, I began to believe that all chronic pain and symptoms are caused by a repetitive loop in the brain that can be stopped. I now believe that no matter what mental or physical symptoms you’re grappling with, what diagnoses you’ve been given, or previous procedures you’ve had, you can get better.

But in case you find it comforting to see one of the labels you were given, here are some of the diagnoses I received: acid reflux, CRPS, CRPS in the throat, Eagle’s Syndrome, esophagitis, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, h Pylori in my system, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), Lyme disease, muscle tension dysphonia, neuropathy, post-viral vagal neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia, and vocal fold paresis. 

I no longer believe in any of these labels. They may have matched my symptoms, but I believe that most chronic symptoms are caused by anxiety, stress, or a fear loop. Often, this fear loop can begin from just one scary visit with a doctor or specialist. All I had to do to become well was to simply gain an understanding of this loop and shift my beliefs. 

Several weeks before working with Amanda, I had been to the emergency room and told them that of course I want to live, but living with these symptoms made life extremely difficult. I had stopped doing most things – at least without suffering horrifically – for years, including reading, watching TV, driving, sitting in a car, exercising, speaking, and interacting with friends and family. When I engaged in these activities or went on adventures, I was usually suffering so badly, I never fully enjoyed them. 

I did the LP seminar in January 2023. At that point, I still felt as if my head was falling off and felt terrified to even sit at a computer or speak to the wonderful people in the group. I was sometimes awake for nearly 72 hours. But as the seminar went on I finally recognized how I had become a genius at catastrophizing, obsessing over symptoms, and trying to become a perfectionist at getting well, just as I had been a perfectionist in school and at work. When I was struggling, Amanda kept checking in until I felt reassured. She took time out of her schedule to hop on individual calls too. Knowing that someone genuinely cares when you are at rock bottom made all the difference in my getting well.

Thanks to Amanda, I was beginning to live life again, but even two months into the Lightning Process, there were still days I was really struggling. March 17th was a particularly challenging day. I was full of fear and sadness. I called Amanda, ready to finally open up about how much I was still struggling, but hearing her kind reassuring voice motivated me to not do that. After that call, I decided that I could either go back to the emergency room or enjoy a nice St. Patrick’s Day dinner with my mom. Choosing the latter option made all the difference. If you want to, you can get well in just a few days once you shift your beliefs. For me, it took time. I’m so grateful Amanda took so much time to stick with me. 

After 5 ½ years of trying everything with no success, I got my life back. I have always loved writing, so I am enjoying travel writing as a career again. I’m also dog walking, walking about 20,000 to 30,000 steps per day, and talking to people all day. For a hobby, I’ve started reassuring people with similar symptoms that they can become 100% well. Some already have. I use a lot of the language Amanda used to help me become well. Thanks to her helping save my life, I get to enjoy helping others. I sleep wonderfully again, I am on no medications, eat and drink whatever I want, and am pain and symptom free. I am able to enjoy life fully.

I have also started feeling so much joy while traveling again. Someone compared me to someone who has just gotten out of jail. Since starting and finishing her program, I have gone on trips with family and friends to Chicago, Indiana, Mexico, Michigan, Nantucket, Orlando, Rhode Island, and St. Maarten. Tomorrow, I leave for a weeklong safari in Tanzania. In several months, I’m going to Alabama, Australia, Hawaii, Mississippi, and on a 9-day cruise. I’m taking local trips to areas near me in Delaware, New Jersey, New York City, and Philadelphia. My mom and dad are thrilled that I’m thriving now.

Traveling, working remotely while pursuing my passion for writing, and helping people are some of the goals I listed when I started the Lightning Process. At the time, a small part of me worried that I would never do some of those activities joyfully or comfortably again. Now I see that I can do all of those things and more so that I now live a life I love. 

Christine
New Jersey

 A note from Christine’s mom, Doris: 

The first time I spoke with Amanda to see if the Lightning Program would help my daughter, I really felt as if she understood what I was feeling. As I poured my heart out to her and talked about our journey, she really listened. Her calm demeanor, patience, and words of wisdom put me at ease. She then spent a lengthy amount of time on the phone with my daughter and I appreciated her patience and the kindness she gave to both of us. I felt a sense of compassion and wanted to believe my daughter would get rid of her chronic, debilitating throat and breathing pain she had been dealing with for years by trying the Lightning Process.

Hearing that Amanda went through many difficult years watching her own daughter suffer from chronic fatigue and is now doing amazing things really helped me trust in this process wholeheartedly. Christine had tried so many different treatments and procedures and felt dismissed time and time again while still suffering, so at first, she was terrified to try something new. My heart was breaking, but when she begged me to call Amanda, I was hopeful that she’d at least be open to trying something different, despite being terrified. 

Although Christine wasn’t sure about a group setting working for her because she had been in other support groups where symptom talk and fear were a common topic of discussion, she listened to Amanda and tried it. It was the best decision ever since her group sessions were so personal, encouraging, and she learned so much. After her last session, I was sad it was over, but Amanda never gave up on any of them, as she kept following up and setting new meet and greets, which helped not only Christine, but that support meant the world to me too. It meant a lot to see how much Amanda gave of herself and she picked us up when we felt beaten down. Christine kept repeating so much of what Amanda taught and followed all of her examples. Today, Christine is feeling better than ever.   

Thank you Amanda for sticking with Christine during her darkest days; you mean the world to us and we are forever grateful for your constant reassurance, never giving up on Christine, and being there whenever she reached out. She leaves for Africa this week with her besties for a fun-filled Safari adventure, so thank you for all that you do and never giving up no matter what the circumstances are.