Turning Suffering Inside Out

This book remains the seminal work on living with chronic pain and illness that will never go away. A great read, a hilarious author, and truly a gem. Highly recommend it to all who suffer!

This book, which is so readable and friendly, is excellent not only for chronic pain but for emotional pain and, frankly, any kind of suffering. I've read a lot of Buddhist (or Buddhist-related/spiritual) books, and this one is by far the most accessible. It's not at all necessary to be Buddhist, or a Zen practitioner (which I'm not), to benefit. I've already recommended the book to so many people, and now I do the same to you!

Cohen brings to Buddhism the feminine quality of a personal ordinary approach that deepens my understanding of its wisdom. For example, koans have always been mysterious to me. Cohen brings them down to earth. She created a personal koan as an aid to quit smoking. She repeatedly asked herself the question: "Why is smoking so important to me?" Then she paid mindful attention to her thoughts about and experiences with smoking. For about five days, smoking became even more important to her, and it seemed she could never stop. However, in another few days she had spontaneously quit. She explains her belief that koans "set up an unconscious process that reverberates through the mind and resonates in every corner."This book deals with the Buddhist idea that pain is unavoidable, but suffering is optional. Example: you sprain your ankle. The pain is clear and sharp, unavoidable. Suffering is your conceptualization about the pain: "Oh, no. What if I'm permanently damaged and can't run again." Cohen notes that all of us do naturally conceptualize about the pains of our lives, but there is a difference in taking our thoughts as absolute truth and noticing that they shift and change.One of my favorite chapters is on dealing with the anger pain provokes. Cohen has become quite skilled at having what she calls temper tantrums. She transcribes a phone conversation she had with the customer-service rep of a mail-order company that had messed up her order. She is inspiring. Without abuse, and with strong feeling and clear demands, she gets a supervisor on the phone who soon agrees to override an absurd "company policy," make appropriate adjustments for her, and pay for the phone call.

I read this book several years ago when I sustained a permanent injury to my SI joint. I also have nerve damage there, and in my foot. Some days it really sucks.This book is an excellent approach to managing pain and health issues that seem unmanagable - that feel like they have stolen your life and taken all joy from you. The author's approach is very practical and doable... learn to focus on what is right in your life... on moments.Life is not made up of big events. Life is made of the tiny joys in every day. But when you are buried in pain, you have to train yourself to find them.I cannot recommend this book highly enough. You owe it to yourself, and to your loved ones, to read it. It's very hard to suffer... it's also hard to watch someone suffer. Take a positive step in the middle of what seems impossible and read this book.Really.

This is one of my go-to books for coping with chronic pain and illness, and which I recommend to everyone I come across who is new to the issue. The author's story of how she coped with illness that kept her bedridden and unable to do anything for herself is one of the most inspiring that I've ever read.

An astounding book on the transformation of suffering. Written by Darlene Cohen, steeped in Zen through the Shunryu Suzuki lineage. Her teaching is absolutely practical inspired by her tragic suffering caused by deforming arthritis. Her practical advice is for all kinds of suffering, that is to say for all of us.

I liked how the wisdom goes beyond just coping with pain and is applicable to all of life. It's easy to read without jargon.

I knew Darlene when we were both in our 20's. I never would have predicted she would become so wise, so profound. Having rhumatoid arthritis forced her to practice Zen with great dedication and it shows in this book. This book is one of the best books translating Buddhism into everyday life that I have ever read.

Fantastic book that is easy to read and understand, offering a clear and concise understanding of us humans and how we work. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about themselves and wants to avoid spiritual materialism and unrealistic expectations of the self.

my husband really enjoys this book

Insightful accessible playful profound. Highly recommended to those wanting to inhabit the body mor fully. A true gem. I’m so grateful to the author for this gift.

This is a book I refer back to when I'm down. It reminds me there are many ways to remain mindful and thankful and thus happy.