Son of a Banjo picker!
OSCAR Therapy Helps Humans Too
"If I would’ve had the knowledge back then (that I have now), I could have overcome a lot of issues that have happened to me. I could’ve corrected them myself !"
I’m a big ole’ mountain man, a homesteader you might say. And there I was on a hot summer day in New England, getting ready to can pickles. Everything was going great until my finger decided to slide into the knife edge of the slicer. Instantly, I jerked my finger back and looked at it and said, “oh no.” A good chunk of finger and half the nail was missing.
Every time I thought about that bandage and my finger underneath it for the next few days, every time I thought about that slice, I was squeamish. I couldn't get it out of my head; i just couldn't get that action to stop playing... It was playing over and over in my head for a week.
I happened to bump into Casey who saw the bandage on my finger, so I was telling the story of the pickle incident. I was miming what I had done, the action of my arm, and the slicer.
Like any friend would do, Casey listened, and she was grossed out like everyone else I had told. I was too. I told her how I just couldn't get the image out of my head either, and how it was giving me the heebie jeebies many times a day.
Casey said, "Hang on a second, show me again the slicing action with your arm..." I sliced down.
“Ok good, now take your finger AWAY, show me what taking your finger AWAY would look like. I yanked my hand back. She said, "Now repeat that, but slower." I did. She said, "Ok, now repeat that removal motion, but exhale while you do it.
I COULDN'T DO IT!!!! "Oh my God, I can't! I can't exhale as I take my hand off the imaginary knife!"
Casey explained to me how Oscar therapy works. I thought to myself, "this woman is nuts." But WHY couldn't I exhale?!!
And then she gave me homework : "Ok, here's your homework. Your brain needs to regain its control over that incident AND BUILD THE FUTURE from the point where it lost control. Mimic the removal action but in ratcheting portions. Exhale after every ratchet. When you get that down, add different angles to your elbow. Up, down, in, out, AND EXHALE THROUGH THOSE.
"Why again do you want me to do homework?"
"...so that your brain can let go of this incident, so you can get your hand back from creepy town."
I’m an open minded individual, and was shocked that I couldn't exhale. So when I went home, I did what she said.
Son of a banjo picker!!
I couldn’t believe that my brain couldn’t grasp the thought of control, just like Casey was saying. I tried it several times over the next couple days, and I could not believe the thoughts flooding into my mind of the day I cut my finger. I did the homework for a couple hours total.
I’m amazed. The experience was mind blowing. I thought back to years before when other incidents happened, and if I would’ve had the knowledge back then that I have now I could have overcome a lot of issues that have happened to me. I could’ve corrected them myself.
For the days after I did it, I had to wrap it in a towel at night because the thought of hitting it against something in my sleep was such an overwhelming thought. But after the OSCAR homework THAT I DID ON MYSELF, all of that stopped. No more gritting my teeth. I’m past it totally. I can use it and tap on it and I'm back to normal. And my finger is finally healing too!
-Hoss Lewis, The Woods of CT