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From: Alan Badmington (to Maggie and Lisa)
Date: 23 Oct 2006
Time: 12:22:33 -0500
Remote Name: 84.64.23.186
Hi Maggie and Lisa (or would you prefer Lisa and Maggie)? ;-), I'm delighted that you have taken time to contact me. I totally agree that this online conference is a wonderful facility. We all learn so much by reading the papers and the threaded discussions. You enquired if I received any therapy during the 20 years that I wore the Masker, or considered using any other technological assistance. The answer on both counts is "No!". Strangely, I never even considered going down either of those roads. My earlier experiences of therapy were not very positive and so, I suppose, I simply decided to go my own way. With hindsight, I feel that it would have been useful for someone to have provided me with an explanation of the implications of avoidance whilst I was wearing the device. I didn't learn about that until May 2000, when I discarded the apparatus and trod a new path (approach). As I mentioned in my paper, I believe I could have done a great deal more to change my extensive practice of word substitution, had I realised that avoidance simply strengthened my fears. "How did I learn about the Masker?". Well, a police colleague came into work one morning and told me that he had seen it being demonstrated on a BBC television programme in the UK (entitled 'Tomorrow's World'), that featured new technology. The following day, I made the long journey up to Scotland, where I subjected myself to tests on a bench model at Edinburgh University. I came away with a portable model - and the rest is history, as they say. I wish you both every success with your studies at Fort Hays State University. Kindest regards Alan