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The Insight Cure: Change Your Story, Transform Your Life Hardcover – February 13, 2018

by John Sharp MD (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 73 ratings
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Every person has a story, a personal narrative that informs their life, their decisions, and their way of thinking. But did you know that it also affects the wiring of your brain?

Renowned psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School John Sharp, M.D., offers an eight-step process to discovering your unconscious narrative and using your new insight to eradicate the "false truth" that has been at the core of your self-sabotage.

His unique approach integrates four core domains of applied psychology—control mastery theory, attachment theory, narrative therapy, and positive psychology—with his own research and professional experience to construct an insightful and soul-searching path to insight.

Throughout his step-by-step process, Dr.Sharp provides:

· The “Sharp Focus” to distill and emphasize important concepts
· Quizzes to help you analyze your internal and external tendencies
· “First Impressions” case studies from his professional practice
· Awareness, insight, change, and narrative tools to facilitate your transformation
· “Gut Checks” to help you figure out if you are ready to move on to the next step in the process

Dr. Sharp’s approach is simple and accessible, with the power to wield profound results. Through exercises, quizzes, thorough exploration of case studies, and clear guidance, you will be able to find your false truth, rewrite your story, and transform your life. Once you have flipped the switch of insight, nothing can hold back the light that shines from within.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Hay House Inc.
  4. Publication date
    February 13, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    6.38 x 0.84 x 9.31 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1401953247
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1401953249
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dr. Sharp is a brilliant and articulate physician. He is an extraordinarily gifted teacher and passionate about helping people. The Insight Cure is filled with much wisdom and compelling stories."
— Sanjiv Chopra, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, best-selling author, and public speaker

"Mental health is an issue close to my heart. There is a staggering need for more information, education, and application of better mental health in America. We need more outstanding physicians who are smart and passionate, clever, and caring. Dr. John Sharp is one of those physicians. He tunes in to a patient’s unique individuality and guides the way to healing. Dr. Sharp stands out in his field as truly a ‘doctor’s doctor.’"
— Kristen Bell, actor, The Good Place, Veronica Mars, Frozen, and House of Lies

"In the 30 years I have known Dr. John Sharp, I have rarely encountered a colleague with his combination of insight, warmth, and creativity. Beyond his excellence in caring for the person, he brings to his work an astounding breadth of knowledge and wisdom, and his writing is practical and engaging."
— John. M. Talmadge, M.D., senior medical advisor, Brain Performance Institute at The Center for Brain Health, clinical professor of psychiatry & addiction medicine at the University of Texas Dallas

About the Author

John Sharp, M.D., is a seasoned medical professional, board certified psychiatrist, and media expert. He is on the faculty at the Harvard Medical School and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and has treated patients clinically for 20 years. He is the author of The Emotional Calendar and a blogger for Psychology Today and the Huffington Post.He is also an elected member of the American College of Psychiatrists and served as a standing member of the Examining Committee of the American Board of Psychiatry Association and the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Dr. Sharp divides his time between Boston and Los Angeles, and you can visit him online at johnsharpmd.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hay House Inc. (February 13, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1401953247
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1401953249
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 0.84 x 9.31 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 73 ratings

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John R. Sharp MD

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
73 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Get your highlighter ready!
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
How do you write a review about a book like this? In 20 years of reading psychology, spirituality and self help voraciously I have never come across a book like this. He promises you the moon. “Your new narrative of confidence, strength and happiness is inevitable.” “Negative self talk will stop. Positive assumptions and attitudes that lead to wise choices will take its place. Your brain will be reshaped for success.” It’s no quick fix he says and it could take 6 months to a year. But then he adds: “The relief at the end will be so profound, you won’t care about what it took to get there.” To get there Dr. Sharp teaches that you need the insight of knowing how and why you developed your old story. You do this by examining childhood trauma(s). Insight comes as you deeply realize over time that these traumas were not your fault and the stories you developed about yourself and life at that time were not true. Then you are free to create a new story of your life based on your strengths. Over time with practice, this new story will replace your old one and you will live a new life.
In the 8 weeks since I’ve started this process, supported by Dr. Sharp’s warm guidance, I’ve learned so much about myself and my false story. I’ve also built a new empowering story about myself and life based on my own strengths. I can feel my insight deepening and my new story slowly taking over. I’ll update this at 6 months but for now I’m blown away by the brilliance and effectiveness of this teaching. Dr Sharp is a professor at Harvard medical school and it shows. He incorporates the insights of cognitive therapy, narrative therapy, positive psychology and Erik Erickson’s teachings on the development of identity in a way that flows seamlessly. I truly believe this book is destined to be a classic. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Sharp for writing this life changing book.
23 people found this helpful
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E. Witkowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Not your usual self help
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
Based on science and well written. I found this book very helpful. Highly recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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weizhuxiaona
4.0 out of 5 stars Good workbook
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
A practical workbook, not too much insights. The key is you’re how you tell your stories, and you’re the master of your story
One person found this helpful
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Julie Piantedosi
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book offers simple yet profound ways to change your thinking and can make a difference in someone’s life. I highly recommend it.
11 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
Reading this book now. Very interesting & informatiive read
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John-Raphael Staude
5.0 out of 5 stars This book can help you to discover the "false truth" behind your story and to heal from the wounds that may have undermined your
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2018
The insight cure. Change Your Story, Transform Your Life by John Sharp, M.D

I am finding this book very insightful. Parallels Debbie Ford’s book on Shadow Stories.

Dr. Sharp maintains that every person has a story, a personal narrative that informs their life, their decisions, and their way of thinking. But did you know that it also affects the wiring of your brain?

Renowned psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School John Sharp, M.D., offers an eight-step process to discovering your unconscious narrative and using your new insight to eradicate the “false truth” that has been at the core of your self-sabotage.

His unique approach integrates four core domains of applied psychology—control mastery theory, attachment theory, narrative therapy, and positive psychology—with his own research and professional experience to construct an insightful and soul-searching path to insight.

Dr. Sharp’s approach is simple and accessible, with the power to wield profound results. Through exercises, quizzes, thorough exploration of case studies, and clear guidance, you will be able to find your unconscious core "false truth," rewrite your story from a negative to a more positive one, and transform your life.

Once you have flipped the switch of insight, nothing can hold back the light that shines from within.

Here is the Table of Contents:

Chapter One : Understanding Why Change is hard

Chapter Two Recognizing Your False Truth

He lists the primary emotions to help us understand our past
They are Anger, Fear, and Sadness.

Anger: aggression, annoyance, bitterness, contempt, defensiveness, disgust, disrespect, envy, frustration, hate, hostility, irritation, jealousy, outrage, rage, resentment, revulsion

Fear: anxiety, avoidance, caution, concern, doubt, insecurity, intimidation, panic, stress, tension, terror, vulnerability, worry

Sadness: apathy, boredom, depression, despair, disappointment, disillusionment, embarrassment, grief, guilt, loneliness, need, regret, rejection, remorse, shame.

He asks: “Do any of these words jump out at you?” He says to circle them as they are guidelines into our early life and the decisions we made then.

I found myself circling words in all three categories, but most in the category of Sadness, which fits, since my presenting symptom in therapy all my life has been Depression and I have often felt despair, disappointment, disillusionment, embarrassment, grief, guilt, loneliness, need, regret, rejection, remorse, and shame.

Here is one of his exercises:
Find your dominant negative emotion.
“You have a story to tell. Deep down, you know it very well.
It is a story that explains the lion’s share of your distress in life.
What emotion is most familiar and most troubling to you?
Perhaps its fear or anger or feeling unwanted or rejected.
He asks you to visualize your hidden emotion,
the one you have buried deep in your past
and to welcome it in to your awareness.
What shape is it? What color?
Does it have a scent? Make a noise?
Slowly describe the feeling.
Double check to see that there isn’t an even more deeply held, more centrally important emotion lurking in the back of the room.
If you become aware of one, take hold of it and describe it.
Finally back out of the room, leaving the emotions behind,
and close the door.

Chapter Three: Tracing The False Truth’s Origins

Chapter Four: Reflecting On The Old Story

Chapter Five: Working Through The Old Story

Chapter Six: Building Your New Story

Chapter Seven: Testing The New Story

Chapter Eight: Making Change Stick

I’m only half way through the book now, but I find his comments, case histories and above all answering his questions about the childhood and adolescent origins of our stories and of our “false truths” that lead us to re-enact our early traumas and engage in addictions and acts of self-sabotage in adulthood very telling. In fact I have had very strong emotional reactions when reading Chapters Two Through Four. His analysis and observations really touched me; I could identify with the attitudes, behaviors and “false truths” he described in some of his case histories.

I feel like I have a lot of unprocessed, undigested material back there that needs to be dug into, analyzed and worked through. I was wondering what to write about. Now I know what I must tackle, working to find the hidden unconscious emotions behind the ones I can recall that came up as I reflected on my experiences of hurt, disappointment, rejection and other painful experiences.
It’s not enough to simply remember and record our early experiences, he says. We have to persevere regarding them going deeper and deeper to find the unconscious emotions like Fear and Shame which still govern our life scripts.

I found that his profile of the anxious person’s experience of romantic relationships characterized my relationships when I was in my 20s and 30s:

“For you, relationships tend to be sources of stress and worry, and yet when you’re single, you feel desperate to find a new partner. You tend to overlook or romanticize a partner’s flaws. He or she is like a fantasy figure more than an actual person, which causes problems when he or she fails to meet your unrealistic expectations. Although you long to feel close and intimate, you also fear that expressing your feelings will scare partners away. You believe that you are the one who loves more in the couple and are in constant anxiety about being left for someone better. If your needs aren’t met you become angry and upset and may shout or cry. Your partner might respond to the outburst with confusion not really sure what happened to set you off. Even if the relationship isn’t going well, you cling to it because any relationship is better than none. You are likely to be demanding, jealous, and insecure, behaviors that might bring about the end of the relationship. When its over, you say: “I knew he/she didn’t really love me."
28 people found this helpful
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Christina Astrove
1.0 out of 5 stars Fraudulent
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2019
This book is a fraud. The case studies are inaccurate and only serve to self-congratulate Dr Sharp. The case studies were published without the consent or permission of the clients and for this Dr Sharp should be sued.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy you this gift
Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
In simple words, the author shares his experience throught that journey into our subconsciousness. It's really worth buying it. But be prepared to learn a lot about yourself, maybe in a way you didn't expect. This should be challenging. It is. For the best I hope.
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Carlos Andrés Prado García
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly practical and insightful
Reviewed in Mexico on September 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
Rarely have I read a book so practical, relatable and full of useful information. Unlike other self-help books, I can say this gave me tools to make a positive impact in my life which I think will last for long, hopefully forever.
I would recommend this book to people who are willing to find doable steps to change their lives, know how their childhoods have impacted their current lives, and what they can do have a more hopeful and positive outlook on life.
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Gayathri
1.0 out of 5 stars The explanation is not good
Reviewed in India on November 9, 2018
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I did not satisfied with the book
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Steve Isaac
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful guide in how to change your life for the better.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2018
Verified Purchase
An in depth book, full of information on how to go about changing your life. All your problems stem from your childhood! That is where most people will find the source of their problems. You learn your false truth during your formative years. And the author does a great job in explaining how peoples lives change, when they become insightful of how their current behaviors are driven by these unconscious 'beliefs/truths'. There is so much to recommend about this book, and its one you will often refer back to. It has an excellent linked index, and real page numbers (always important to me). And a good section of the book concentrates on the change process; how to develop the qualities and skills which will enable anybody to make a break from their past and see their future in a much more positive way. I love the way the author can write about stuff which would normally be a drag to read and make it all so lively and relevant!

Here are the awesome concepts/tools the author uses, and combines in his 'Insight Cure' (and he explains all of them with 'crib sheets' at the end of the book).

Addiction recovery therapy,
Attachment theory
Cognitive Behavior therapy
Control mastery theory
Narrative therapy
Positive psychology
Erikson's psychosocial development theory
Transtheoretical model
4 people found this helpful
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L Harrison
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written and very clear.
Reviewed in Australia on September 11, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a workbook for the mind and emotions. I originally bought it because I thought it would help me in my writing career, to add interesting and relevant dimensions to characters present and future. Quickly, though, I realised this is a book for ME, too. So many 'Aha!' moments, key insights, and methods to deal with the grey and darker places within.

This is not a book you skim, put down, and convince yourself you 'already know all that'. If nothing else, it will give you new ways to look at and think about things, although following the suggestions and procedures over time is highly recommended.

The writer is human, and shows it. This is not dry academia, theoretical pie-in-the-sky rhetoric, or magical thinking. It's work, and it requires the ability to be honest with yourself, but it is well worth the results. Buy this one. Study it. Do what it takes. 5/5.
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