Information about RECOUP by people who have actually been there

Debra

I attended RECOUP from May until October 2007. When I arrived I was diagnosed by Dr Sharan with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome/RSI and Fibromyalgia and told I would be better in 2 months but after nearly five months of being convinced to stay "just another week, we'll make you better" I began to seriously question his integrity.

In that five months it was also hard to miss that the therapy did not follow the "Sharan Protocol". No one person was in charge of an individual's treatment, what Dr Sharan prescribed didn't necessarily happen and half a dozen different therapists treated each patient with little communication between each other. In the beginning I learned a lot about my condition but as treatment dragged on I just began to feel the clinic was exploiting me (charging me over twice what they charge locals plus an extortionate amount for the guesthouse) and the poor treatment of their staff became impossible to ignore. Some therapists were working 6-7 day weeks and 10-12 hour days. In fact, many had RSI themselves and would often have to stop treating me to stretch and rest as they were in so much pain.

Near the end of my stay in India I decided to detail all the issues I, and others in Bangalore with me, had with the clinic to the RSI-UK mailing list. Dr Sharan got hold of a copy of this email and the apparent consequence of this was the firing of the majority of the therapists who had treated me. I was called to a meeting/interrogation with management and HR where they denied everything in the email and also, of course, denied that the firing of the therapists was related to my email. However, at the same time they also said they believed the only way I could know some of the things I mentioned in my email were because therapists had been complaining (not true, I have eyes and ears) and that my email had "hurt the therapists I considered my friends". Hmmm...

That night I had an appointment with Dr Sharan and he was so rude I was gobsmacked. I went in, said I had seen many people being fired and it seemed to be because of an email I wrote and I would like to know what was going on. His very words were "none of your business". I then asked him if he had any interest in finding out why I wrote the email, or why I was unhappy. He said "this is my clinic I can do what I want and if I want to fire everyone I will. Nothing you can say will affect the clinic, I already have six months of people booked in from overseas, say whatever you like" He also said I had no right talking to people about RSI as I didn't have RSI. I told him that I had five months of prescriptions written by him saying I DID have RSI. He then said my PAIN wasn't due to RSI which I found hilarious given I've never heard of painless RSI, have you?! His next words were "I have no interest in talking to you" so I left and never went back.

Many therapists had left of their own accord before this happened and others have left since. I would not under any circumstances recommend anyone go to RECOUP now. I feel very bitter that they convinced me to stay so long and spend so much money (£1000 per month including accommodation) when it was obvious they didn't know how to cure me. Dr Sharan even admitted in my last conversation with him that my pain was due to osteoporosis and they couldn't help with that! I ended up using all my savings and getting no better. I am now still unemployed.

On a more personal note, I also had a very negative experience towards the end of my stay in Bangalore when I got an infection that required hospitalisation. I was alone, in a foreign country which I knew nothing about and I naturally turned to the therapists I had made friends with over the last 4 plus months. Unfortunately the clinic believed that as I was a patient of theirs they had a right to call the hospital and find out all the details of my illness despite it being a personal issue (no, not a sexual infection!) and also to dictate who could sit with me. They forbade my therapist friends to be with me in hospital as they were male and told me I had to have the clinic receptionist instead who I didn't know personally at all! I was horrified. It's hard enough being in a foreign clinic away from your family, in a huge amount of pain with a drip in your arm without being denied the comfort of friends as well.

After I left India I sought a second opinion for a number of Dr Sharan's diagnoses. The information I got led me to become concerned enough about the standard of treatment at RECOUP to write to Steve Fisher of RSI Action. You can download and read my email below.

Despite all of the stuff I talk about above and even though I'm not better I don't regret going to India. I made some amazing friends and learned a lot about myself and my condition. I also fell in love with India and now volunteer for a charity working with people there. There is good in every experience. If you wish to contact me about anything I have talked about here, don't hesitate to send me a message via the contact us page.

Update

Despite coming back from India with no improvement in my condition I am still a lot better. What I've found success with is following the mindbody theories of Dr Sarno and others like him. I'm not cured but I can write, work on a computer, brush my teeth, clean my house, cook for myself and drive a car. I could do none of these things a year ago. I am also no longer depressed. If you are open minded, believe your RSI can be cured, not just managed, and want to pursue a mindbody approach then read The Mindbody Prescription or The Divided Mind by Dr Sarno and find out all about TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome).

Healing from TMS is about healing from within, it's not a quick fix, at least not for most people. I was going to write about my journey but everyone is different and my way won't be your way. If you want to hear more about my experience with Dr Sarno please contact me.

I actually found Sarno before I went to India but I had to have exhausted all other options before I could commit to the theory. It is really hard to give up the physical treatment (part of the deal) otherwise.

Good luck!

Update April 2009: I have recently been seen by an Osteopath, Dr Straiton, in Brighton who has met Dr Sarno and agrees with his theory of TMS. Dr Straiton pronounced me fit and well and sent me off with written exercises to do as well as a recommendation for psychotherapy. As far as I'm concerned, my RSI and Fibromyalgia is TMS and I intend to continue to follow this path.

Please visit our page on Dr Sarno and TMS for links to websites and books related to TMS.