As we begin this week, various health care bills are winding their way through Congress. The Senate has scheduled a vote for tomorrow on one version… while three others are being bantered about in the House.

At the core of each are said to be provisions to cover millions of uninsured Americans, along with restrictions and penalties and cost saving reforms.

Fundamentally… like much legislation, the debate over health care is focused on financing.

And this is understandable.

An unhealthy nation has a very expensive health care system… in fact, ours is the most costly in the world. It is a system that treats the ongoing SYMPTOMS of its patients for years… that helps its citizens live WITH DISEASE, as opposed to ELIMINATE IT.

And as we have written about over the past FIVE WEEKS, it is also a system that is very lucrative for ALL those involved… from the POLITICIANS and the MEDICAL COMMUNITY… to the PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY, the INSURANCE COMPANIES, and the FITNESS INDUSTRY.

Yes, there is plenty of money to go around. And that, of course… attracts the lawyers.

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The JUSTICE SYSTEM has a profound effect on the costs which are now at the heart of the debate.

Let’s look at the most obvious first.

The lawsuit’s that are waiting around the corner of every medical decision have resulted in a culture of MALPRACTICE AVOIDANCE and HIGH SPECIALIZATION… with the patient being shipped from doctor to doctor for further testing and diagnosis.

This is VERY expensive.

In effect, the MEDICAL COMMUNITY must build a case so that if and when something goes wrong, they can prove that they have done everything possible.

After all, that many tests… and that many opinions… couldn’t be wrong!

The focus becomes treating the SYMPTOM at hand with the most current drug available, rather than diagnosing and treating the CAUSE of the illness and returning the patient to true health.

For example, the most common prescriptions today are for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high stress and anxiety. Please note that these are all SYMPTOMS of an underlying problem… they are not the problem itself.

In the absence of getting to the CAUSE, the prescription will be required for life.

Very expensive, indeed… and very unhealthy.

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But there is another, and usually hidden, side to this conversation… and it’s one that is seemingly missed by ALL the players in the debate.

You see, as an addiction counselor of thirty-five plus years… having successfully treated over nine thousand patients and their families… I can tell you that the CAUSE of much disease, and therefore the COST of much disease… is rooted in peoples hidden addictions to alcohol, prescription and nonprescription drugs, food, sex, gambling, and more.

Left untreated, addiction will often lead INITIALLY toward criminal activity as a means to pay for it. But EVENTUALLY, it will always lead to the devastation of one’s health.

I wish I had a dollar for every page in the telephone directory in which attorneys advertise to get alcoholics out of drunk driving cases, or keep addicts out of jail who have become petty criminals to support their addiction.

No one recognizes the problem… the game continues… and the individual’s condition deteriorates. District attorneys and the parole officers and the judges strategize to get the individual into the JUSTICE SYSTEM… the defense attorneys work to keep them out.

But without getting to the CAUSE, addiction is always progressive.

One way or another, as the disease gets worse, it’s victim will eventually hit the health care system… adding to the crushing burden, and the TRILLION DOLLAR price tag, that is breaking this nation.

There is no question that we need reform in our health care system. We believe that it starts with reforming OUR THINKING about health and healthy living… and what it will take to eliminate those habits and behaviors that CAUSE much of the sickness in our society today.

Please help provide a solution by sending this message to your appropriate political and industry leaders, and news outlets.

The White House
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives

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Over the past four weeks, we have asked you to get involved in what we believe should be the main focus of the nation’s health care debate… which is, of course, the improvement of the health of our nation’s citizens.

The argument is simple, and the conclusion unavoidable.

Give people the tools, information, and resources to become truly healthy… and the need for much of the medical services and pharmaceutical prescriptions disappears, along with HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of DOLLARS in COSTS.

In Part I, we dissected the POLITICIANS point of view… WHO IS GOING TO PAY, and WHO WILL BE COVERED for WHAT.

Part II reviewed the MEDICAL COMMUNITY’S focus which treats SYMPTOMS of illnesses… often with lifetime prescriptions… but rarely identifies the CAUSES of those illnesses.

Part III highlighted the PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY’S standard operating procedure that seeks to help patients MANAGE and LIVE WITH DISEASE, as opposed to finding the cures.

And last week, Part IV discussed the role of the INSURANCE INDUSTRY which pays for treatments once things get bad enough… but refuses to support preventative programs and lifestyles that would decrease the incidence of disease… and save them untold MILLIONS of DOLLARS in the process.

Now here’s the question…

With all that brain power, and all those experts, and all those financial resources, how is it that they can’t figure out what we’ve known in the addiction industry for years?

That hidden addictions to alcohol, prescription and nonprescription drugs, food, sex, smoking, and gambling… among others… is at the CAUSE of MANY of the MOST COMMON illnesses and diseases…

And, that the failure to IDENTIFY and TREAT the CAUSE of the disease… will simply lead to its growth and manifestation into another.

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In the next few weeks, we will address the roles that the LEGAL COMMUNITY, the MEDIA, and the FOOD INDUSTRY play in the ongoing UNHEALTH of our Country and our people.

But today, we want to focus on the one player who SHOULD have a positive impact on this debate, though alas… they have MISSED THE MARK as well.

I am speaking of the FITNESS INDUSTRY.

You see, it’s not that we don’t want to be healthy… it’s that we just don’t know WHAT TO DO. We don’t know what the CAUSE of our problem is, so we try “solutions” that are doomed from the start.

For example, in the next few months, MILLIONS of Americans will make New Year’s Resolutions, most of which revolve around health… getting in shape, losing weight, quitting smoking or drinking… eating healthier.

And most will fail.

FIFTY MILLION of our fellow citizens will sign up for gym memberships they will never use… or home workout programs that will gather dust within weeks.

And it gets worse.

While infomercial after infomercial, and magazine cover after magazine cover touts the exercise route to fitness, any program that misses the CAUSE of the EXCESS WEIGHT or OBESITY will further damage the individual who is suffering.

And if food addiction is present, as it is in most cases of obesity… the chance of an exercise based solution is non-existent.

To be sure, strenuous exercise may only increase the craving for additional carbohydrates, which produce the chemical changes and increased insulin production that is at the heart of the problem.

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America is obsessed with health, fitness, and weight loss to the tune of almost SIXTY BILLION DOLLARS.

So, why then… according to the Federal Government’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) are TWO out of EVERY THREE adults either overweight or obese?

Why are illnesses related to excess weight and obesity… such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer… rampant in our society, and the reason behind our ballooning TRILLION DOLLAR health care system?

Quite simply… the FITNESS INDUSTRY, like the rest of the players, profits from TREATING the SYMPTOMS of the problem… and NOT THE CAUSE.

Sound familiar?

The truth is that proper nutrition, and the elimination of addictive trigger foods… will lead to optimal weight composition (and significantly reduce risk of illness) when combined with even mild exercise such as walking, gardening, or even light house work.

But that is not a money maker! Hmm…

I’m asking you to please get involved… many, including those you love, will count on it in the future. Send this message to your appropriate political and industry leaders, and news outlets.

Thank you.

The White House
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives

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Mark Twain once noted that, “Nothing so needs reforming, as other people’s habits.”

As the debate over health care continues, each week the effort to shift the focus and blame gets stronger. Note the recent move to change the direction of the talks from reforming “health care”, to reforming “health insurance”.

Unfortunately, this removes from view what should be the main issue in the entire conversation… that of solving the nation’s health care crisis by improving the nation’s health, and eliminating the CAUSES of the common diseases that are running rampant in our society.

When THOSE WHO KNOW focus only on WHO WILL PAY to maintain a program of LIVING WITH DISEASE… as opposed to eradicating the disease itself… they sentence our citizens to live mediocre and often painful lives with illnesses that are unnecessary.

Many will die decades early.

And no surprise here… with medical costs estimated to run into the TRILLIONS of DOLLARS, such an approach now also threatens our nation’s treasury, and our children’s future financial security.

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Part I of this article looked at the POLITICIANS role in crafting legislation that avoids getting at the CAUSE of the problem… which is a society that considers illness and disease a NORMAL part of aging.

Part II addressed the system in the MEDICAL COMMUNITY that rewards physicians for treating the SYMPTOMS of illness only, resulting in the management of disease… as opposed to the elimination of disease.

Part III exposed the culture of medication that has been propagated by the PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY… an industry which at one time sought CURES for diseases, but now profits by helping you and your loved ones to live with, control, and manage illness.

So, now that the national debate has begun to swing toward the insurance companies, am I advocating letting them off the hook?

Absolutely not… but for a different reason than you might expect.

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The current line in the media seeks to identify a villain in the health care story, and has conveniently settled on the insurance industry as a believable culprit.

This is understandable, of course, because they have bought into the WHO SHOULD PAY and WHO SHOULD BE COVERED argument that has been circulating. And after all, it is the insurance companies who who decide to raise rates, put caps on coverage, and deny service for pre-existing conditions or high risk applicants.

Oh yes, and they also have HUGE buildings and are obscenely profitable.

However, my issue with the insurance companies is not tied to their desire to make money. In fact, I believe that by helping Americans to stay healthy, they could eliminate HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of DOLLARS in expenses!

But years of poor management, horrendous corporate decision making, a lack of accountability, and rules that promote sickness over health, have wiped out incredible opportunities on their part to make positive impacts in our society.

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As an addiction counselor with over thirty-five years experience… having successfully treated over nine thousand patients and their families… it has always amazed me what the insurance companies WOULD PAY FOR, and… WHAT THEY WOULDN’T.

For example, many WILL NOT PAY for the most effective treatments for alcoholism, substance abuse, or food addiction… but they WILL PAY once the condition gets bad enough to CAUSE liver damage, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, or cancer.

MANY of the MOST COMMON illnesses and diseases are MERE SYMPTOMS of the real CAUSE… hidden addictions to alcohol, prescription and non-prescription drugs, smoking, gambling, sex, and the biggest of them all… to food.

I have watched for years as insurance plans DENY PROGRAMS that would lead to healthy lifestyles and disease prevention, while THEY PAY for UNNECESSARY medical procedures that inflict trauma on the patient’s body, a lifetime of UNNECESSARY prescription medications that CAUSE a host of damaging SIDE EFFECTS, or INEFFECTIVE rehab programs that see the patient using again within days of release.

Yes, the entire health care system in America avoids the promotion of the health of its citizens, and you and your loved ones are left to pay the price… in terms of dollars, shortened lives, and relationships that are cutoff prematurely.

It is marvelous that we are now having this debate… but our leaders must be encouraged to bring the pressure on those with the ability, knowledge, and resources, to focus on eliminating the CAUSES of illness… as opposed to perpetually treating the SYMPTOMS.

Please help by forwarding this message to your appropriate political and industry leaders, and news outlets.

I look forward to speaking with you.

The White House
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives

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It’s really no surprise that true health care reform is as far away today as it has ever been.  There are many who give lip service to the concept, but they lack the necessary training and are ill-equipped to lead such an effort.

I say it’s no surprise because, over the past thirty-five plus years, I have seen the exact same dynamics in the treatment of addiction.  Oh, yes… there are many who say they want to solve the problem… though most lack the skills required to bring about real recovery.

In fact, many who would get involved might actually make the situation worse.  In dealing with addiction, as with the health of the nation… a little knowledge, can be dangerous.

So let’s review…

Based on Part I of this article, we can agree or disagree as to why the politicians aren’t facing the real issue in the health care debate… in fact, we can agree to disagree.

Regardless of which party you support, the fact remains that NOT ONE Town Hall Meeting… NOT ONE speech… and NOT ONE proposal addresses the need… or our ability… to eradicate illness and make this a healthier nation.

Every single argument is about WHO is going to pay for ONGOING TREATMENT of the SYMPTOMS of DISEASE.  Nowhere is there any language that attacks the CAUSE of disease… or promises CURES for the diseases themselves.

In Part II of this article… we looked at the medical community’s role in the ONGOING TREATMENT of the SYMPTOMS of disease.  The health care industry… really the UNHEALTH CARE INDUSTRY is big business… and few within it are adept at recognizing the CAUSE of illness.

Don’t get me wrong.

Doctors and nurses are highly skilled, and exceptionally trained… but unfortunately and all too often, this training has focused on identifying a SYMPTOM to which the answer is another pill.

Now I hope you’re sitting down… because what I am about to say next is rather explosive.

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Maybe the reason we are not finding CURES for common illnesses is because it is not in some best interests to do so.

Excuse me?

Well, let’s look at an example from history.  Polio was first recognized as a disease in the United States in 1835, and as awareness increased… so did reports of its prevalence in our society.

By the early 1900’s, the cases numbered in the tens of thousands. By the 1950’s… they numbered in the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.  And a shocked nation pulled out all the stops to find a cure.

Under FDR, a national research foundation was formed, coinciding with the founding of the March of Dimes. Public support poured in and the budget to fight the CAUSE of the disease… to WIPE OUT the disease… ballooned from less than two million dollars in 1938 to more than 65 MILLION DOLLARS in 1955.

And then, an amazing thing happened. No… TWO AMAZING THINGS happened.

First, just a few years after Jonas Salk got passionately involved, the CURE for polio was found… and the disease was stamped out as the leading cause of death of our children.  What once seemed impossible… had just become the reality for everyone who has lived since.

But more amazing… is the fact that this researcher had eliminated the disease at its root… and with it… he eliminated the need for the ONGOING MEDICAL TREATMENT of polio victims for life.  Yes, he eliminated a HUGE medical revenue stream.

So I wonder…

How is it possible that, SO OFTEN, we can no longer find CURES for disease? Why do we medicate TENS of MILLIONS of our fellow citizens to help them manage their cholesterol, their blood pressure, their diabetes, cancer, and heart disease?  Is it possible that those with the ability to find the CURES are unwilling to part with the revenue?

Now you see why I suggested you sit down.

Are the POTENTIAL CURES really that far beyond the knowledge of today’s researchers and medical teams?  With all of our advanced technology, are we unable to succeed at that which scientists succeeded over FIFTY YEARS AGO?  How is it possible that we can create LIFETIME TREATMENT PROGRAMS to pacify SYMPTOMS, but seldom identify the CAUSE?

And I just can’t stop thinking… back in 1968 I was 169 pounds heavier and was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. I was addicted to alcohol, drugs, food, and gambling… and under the care of four teams of doctors who had given me only six months to live.

I was dying from my disease… AND from the SIDE EFFECTS of the NINETEEN prescriptions I was taking.

And I ask… why.

Why was I able to eliminate all of those prescriptions… and others are content to take them for the rest of their lives?  Why was I able to RECOVER COMPLETELY from my illnesses… the same illnesses from which you and your loved ones are slowly dying today?  Why would anyone listen to the litany of dangers that accompany virtually every pharmaceutical… and not question whether there is a better way?

And why… as the pharmaceutical companies have gotten BIGGER and BIGGER, have our country’s people gotten SICKER and SICKER?

Some numbers, please… to make the point.

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In 2007… over 3.4 BILLION prescriptions were written in the United States. In fact, the real number is 3,457,595,838… thats 57 MILLION prescriptions MORE than 3.4 BILLION!

Some examples from that year:

Wisconsin had 67,271,331 prescriptions written… a state with 5,627,967 residents.
Missouri had 93,268,928 prescriptions written… a state with 5,911,605 residents.
Illinois had 151,518,983 prescriptions written… a state with 12,901,563 residents.

These numbers here in the Midwest mirror those nationally… on average, over 11 prescriptions for every man woman, and child in the country!

The numbers are staggering… as are the costs.

So, here’s a question or two you can take to your next Town Hall Meeting…

How often is the FIRST LINE of treatment for ANY medical condition a pill or prescription of one kind or another? Answer: ALMOST ALWAYS.

How often do our pharmaceuticals treat the underlying CAUSE, as opposed to a SYMPTOM of a disease? Answer: ALMOST NEVER.

How often do pharmaceutical drugs create dangerous side effects that damage a patient’s kidneys, liver, or other organs? Answer: GOOGLE the name of your prescriptions, along with the words “SIDE EFFECTS.”

Then you tell me.

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And most importantly, we all need to ask our leaders to start focusing on identifying the CAUSES of the most common and debilitating illnesses in America, and thereby eliminate the need for 70 or 80% of the cost associated with these pharmaceuticals and medical services.

We have the skill… the knowledge… and the resources.  What we need is the leadership to push it through… and that would be a Heath Care Program the entire country could get behind!

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

The White House
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives

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As the debate over “Health Care Reform” heats up, those on both sides of the issue have begun to lay claim to the moral high ground… while at the same time demonizing and pointing fingers at those with opposing ideas.

Just one problem.

There is NO PLAN on either side of the table that gets to the REAL ISSUE in health care… which must be the IMPROVED HEALTH of the American people!

While the arguments continue to revolve around just WHO WILL BE COVERED for what, and WHO WILL PAY… the public is being ravaged by illnesses such as Alzheimers, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

With all our education, and all our affluence… in spite of the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS spent on research studies.. obesity, high blood pressure, and inflated cholesterol levels have gone through roof… SYMPTOMS of diseases that will claim the lives of their victims decades early.

And most doctors and medical professionals have no idea what to do.

“Now wait, Shelly… how do you know that?”

Because the doctors and medical professionals… the same ones who you are going to for advice… are being treated for the same SYMPTOMS… and dying of the same illnesses… as those for which they are treating you.

So, you tell me… if they knew the cure, wouldn’t they be using it?

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I ask these questions because, as a therapist and as an addiction counselor, I have been successfully treating the CAUSES of disease… as opposed to the SYMPTOMS of disease… for over thirty five years.

For those of us that are involved in this work, we find it difficult to believe that there are so many highly intelligent and highly trained medical professionals, politicians, and industry leaders who find the SOLUTIONS to common diseases to be so elusive.

And we wonder what factors are contributing to, and who is benefiting from, keeping the people in the dark… satisfied with a prescription that allows them to live with illness, as opposed to curing it.

Is it CORRUPTION… IGNORANCE… or INDIFFERENCE… ? Certainly, it couldn’t be STUPIDITY… or could it?

This is not rocket science… it is medical science, and it is medical science gone wrong.

So what does this have to do with addiction?

Thankfully… everything!

Since the beginning, those who have suffered from addiction of all types have been misdiagnosed and mistreated by one medical professional after another… all the while their physical condition deteriorated to a point where they were finally ostracized and shipped off to see a counselor so that the patient wouldn’t die on the physicians caseload.

Strong words, I know.

These individuals, suffering from a medical condition from birth… a disease whose victims are known by various titles such as over-eaters, substance abusers, gamblers, and alcoholics… are branded as irresponsible… trouble makers… even criminals.

The truth is that they are dying slowly of neglect.  And slow death… is VERY EXPENSIVE.

How TREMENDOUS that the same problem is at the core of the financial mess that the health care system is in! How WONDERFUL that now the rest of the country… with the world watching… can debate the issue! And how FABULOUS that the parallel between addiction and the health care system at large is finally being exposed!

Now, I know… over the years I’ve been accused of finding addiction under virtually every stone. And it’s true… start turning over the rocks of any major disease and you’ll often find addiction down there somewhere.

And the response to addiction is the same as the response that has led to the current financial crisis in our health care system. They treat the SYMPTOM… and allow the disease to continue.

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It’s very lucrative.

Medicating SYMPTOMS over a person’s lifetime is BIG BUSINESS. Just one drawback… the patient remains ill, slowly dying over a period of years. But the cycle of medical visits and pharmaceutical drugs keeps that sector of the economy humming right along.

Don’t believe me?  Spend your lunch hour tomorrow observing the business at your local Medical Center and then let’s talk.

It turns out that treating SYMPTOMS is what is known in the rest of the country as “job security”.

On the other hand, find the CAUSE… treat the CAUSE… and the illness goes away.

And when the illness goes away the financial rewards that are built into are “Health Care System” also go away. And therein lies the dilemma. Does it make sense for the system to cut off its own revenue stream?

Not to worry… most Americans are content with their medications.

But in case you are ready for the truth, here are some questions to which you may want to get some answers.

What is the CAUSE of high blood pressure… obesity… or diabetes? If you’re not sure, would you like to know? Has your doctor taught you how to eliminate those SYMPTOMS for good, or has he or she given you a prescription for a pharmaceutical?

Will the pharmaceutical cure the condition, as for instance an antibiotic kills an infection… or, will the prescription merely help manage the condition over the remainder of your life? When you see others who are being treated with the same regimen, are they overcoming their disease… or slowly succumbing to it?

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Obviously, the system needs to be fixed… but not the way they’re going about it. We need to eliminate disease… not manage it.

Certainly, there is much blame to go around.

Yes, of course there are the politicians. There’s always the politicians! But, please don’t play the partisan games. It doesn’t matter if they have a (D), (R), or (I) after their name… none of them are talking about disease free living, and many are suffering from these same ailments.

And of course, there’s the pharmaceutical industry… we’ll take that up in more detail next week.

And in subsequent articles we’ll also address the insurance industry… the fitness industry… and, get ready for this, the food industry.

Yes, the grand-daddy of them all… the food industry, helps make all the others seem… oh, so necessary.

In the meantime… please consider joining the team by forwarding this article to your congressional leaders, The White House, and local news outlets.

Thanks, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

The White House
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives

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Regardless of which side of the political landscape you live on, no doubt you have plenty of questions as President Obama prepares to deliver a prime time address to a joint session of Congress this Wednesday evening.

Progressives and Liberals are concerned with whether the administration will make good on the promise of a “Public Option”  for insurance coverage… widely seen as a way to get to their ultimate goal of a single-payer system in which the government is the single payer.

Conservatives, on the other hand, are skeptical of any program that appears to trudge incrementally into what they believe may become… you guessed it… a single-payer system, with the government being the single payer.

They are all missing the point. Long after the dust settles from this address… the health of the nation’s people, and the sytem that provides the care… will remain… must remain… our top priority.

The problem is that no one seems to know what to do.

You may wonder why, having focused relentlessly on addiction recovery for almost four decades, I am now taking up the healthcare debate. Simply stated, the SAME lack of knowledge that permeates the field of addiction, is ALSO rampant in the current healthcare arguments.

In my opinion… and this IS NOT political… neither the President nor his advisers…. nor anyone on either side of the Congressional aisle knows that the real problem with our health care system… the true cost… is a direct result of our treating the SYMPTOMS, as opposed to the CAUSES… of disease.

As I said, this is an identical problem to one that I have fought successfully for over thirty-five years.

When we treat the CAUSE… recovery occurs, and the costs associated with an otherwise endless cycle of treatment come to an end. When we treat SYMPTOMS, the expenses go on forever… or at least until the person dies from an illness that was often completely treatable.

The difference between the two approaches is staggering, and need to be addressed in the current debate. The real issue is WHY are we spending a TRILLION DOLLARS… not WHO should pay it.

A point to help clarify…

Michael Jackson was buried this past week, and with him… a dirty little secret. While fingers are now being pointed at his current Dr. Feelgood, no one sees the decades of missed diagnoses made by other physicians who attended to him. No one made the connection to the food addiction that led to his anorexia… the disease that was the precurser to his drug use and eventual death.

Similarly, Elvis Presley had his Dr. Feelgoods also. In fact, it is estimated that toward the end of his life, he was spending over a MILLION DOLLARS a year to get the “best” medical care. Not one of his doctors correctly identified his food addiction… the condition that led to his obesity, his drug use, and his premature death.

I bring this up for two reasons…

First, you should know that Mr. Jackson’s anorexia, and Mr. Presley’s obesity are opposite sides of the same coin… and each is just as deadly. It was the food addiction that was the REAL CAUSE of their deaths… having never been diagnosed and treated successfully. Instead, each received one pill after another in an attempt to pacify the SYMPTOMS of their disease… and we all know that when one SYMPTOM disappears… another quickly takes its place.

Second, all the money in the world cannot buy good medical advice or great health care if medical professionals are unable to correctly diagnose the CAUSE of the problem. It doesn’t matter WHO is paying for it, or HOW MUCH… if you or your loved are being treated ONLY for a SYMPTOM of illness.

And that is what is wrong with our healthcare system today.

Whether funded by your employer… the government… or your life savings… millions of Americans are suffering and WILL DIE because they are being treated ONLY for the SYMPTOM of a disease… and NOT the CAUSE of the disease that will ultimately kill them.

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In 1968, I was under the “care” of four teams of doctors. Had I listened to them and not gotten help from outside the medical community, I would have been dead… slowly poisoned from the effects and side-effects of both the disease… and the prescription medications they had given me in their attempt to help me.

Many in the medical profession simply don’t know better.

They were the best the field had to offer… and they were killing me. And chances are… that is exactly what is happenning to you or a loved one at this very minute.

We treat the SYMPTOM… the SIDE-EFFECTS… and NOT the CAUSE. That is why our healthcare costs are so enormous… and the system so inefficient. The same lack of knowledge about the proper treatment of addiction, both then and now… exists today in EVERY OTHER medical condition also.

If you or a loved one is taking prescriptions to treat the symptoms of illness… you are quietly dying, just as surely as I was.

Over the next few weeks, I will share with you the information that I learned… the information that allowed me to go from nineteen prescriptions and near-death forty-one years ago, to zero prescriptions and EXCELLENT health today.

It is the prescription for the health… for you, for your family and loved ones… and for our national debate.

Please join the team by forwarding this article, and your comments, to our nation’s leaders.

The White House
The U.S. Senate
The U.S. House of Representatives

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I recently had the opportunity to speak with several individuals who have been on the road to addiction recovery for many years.

Each spoke of the relationships that had been damaged… the hurt they had caused… the struggle to keep their thoughts from drifting toward the guilt and shame that seemed to rear up and wear them down every so often.

And they spoke of the anger and loneliness that they still felt so frequently.

I listened intently, and then asked the $64,000 question. “How long has it been since you last used?”

Several puffed out their chests immediately. Eleven years… sixteen years… twenty-one years.

Others were more quiet… more reserved. A couple of months… three and one half weeks… seventeen hours.

Several questions entered my mind.

First, regarding the initial respondents… the three with forty-eight years combined sobriety; why are they still experiencing such trouble in their lives and relationships?

After all, if they were REALLY sober… shouldn’t these problems have resolved long ago? Or maybe, they weren’t really sober at all… but had merely traded their addiction to alcohol or drugs for an addiction to smoking or food or something else.

Next, with regard to the second group… these are men and women who have been around the block, and then some. Men and women who know the pitfalls and the triggers. If anyone could avoid a slip or relapse… shouldn’t it be them?

Well, yes… maybe so.

But it seems that when speaking about recovery, living with addiction is the easiest thing you can do. On the other hand, living clean… living with sobriety… now, THAT’S the hard part.

Which brings me to another question.

How is it that I am coming up on my forty-first anniversary of total abstinence… and yet, so many others are struggling?

Surely, if I can do it… they can too.

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Forty-one years… imagine that.

Had you and I met in 1968, I’m certain you would have voted me MOST UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED at such a goal.

You see, the doctors had just met with me… four teams in all… and given me their prognosis. “Go to Hawaii, Shelly… live it up. You’ve only got six months.”

There I was, thirty seven years old… and yes, I mean old. My limbs twisted, hands deformed from rheumatoid arthritis… nearly bald and suffering from psoriasis all over my body.

Drinking… drugging… gambling… in addition to the nineteen prescriptions that were supposed to have cured me. And, oh yes… one hundred sixty-nine pounds overweight.

Five little words… “You’ve only got six months,” would be a blessing in disguise… a call to action… a rallying cry. I didn’t have time to waste… to sit in denial or play with a program.

After all, the best doctors had given me no hope.  And had I listened to them, I would have been dead long ago.

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I was taught how to stop… period.  That is what saved my life.

I stopped using, and learned how to become an active and willing participant in my own recovery.

Please understand… that is what is necessary to arrest addiction, and that is what is necessary for your loved one.  No amount of treatment and no amount of therapy will help an addict who is still using.  And this is true regardless of whether the addiction is to food, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, or pornography.

It is also true regardless of the initials behind the healthcare provider’s name… or the title in front of it.

Yes, I was taught how to stop using, and it is what I have taught more than 9000 patients and their families over the past 35+ years.

It is what I will teach you.

I look forward to speaking with you.

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Much has been written over the years regarding the transition that occurs in a society as its people move from early states of SURVIVAL and DEPENDENCE… to STABILITY and eventual SUCCESS.

If we took a quick poll and asked the respondents to define these terms, chances are that most would give answers that were wrapped in the context of financial or career considerations.

That’s not unusual.

SURVIVAL and DEPENDENCE… well, of course, those refer to the poor in our communities… the unfortunate ones who are down on their luck… jobless, homeless, or worse.

As people move up, they reside in the great “Middle Class”. Yes, STABILITY is the word of the day for these folks. They may never be wealthy… but they’re safe… and happy.

And then, there are those fortunate few… the real high flyers.

Taking their place in the public spotlights… perched on the pedestals of corporate opinion… they are the pride of the community and the envy of the competition. Through a combination of hard work, focused achievement, and the right breaks… these folks have reached the pinnacle of SUCCESS.

Or have they?

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You see, beyond the climb from SURVIVAL and DEPENDENCE… past the point of STABILITY or the tireless efforts required for SUCCESS… there exists a higher level.

It’s a place that is simultaneously open to all, yet reserved for those who are willing to give their heart away. It’s a place known as… SIGNIFICANCE.

The difference?

SUCCESS is all about us… what we can have… do… or be. On the other hand, SIGNIFICANCE is self-less; it is about improving the lives of others.

Interestingly… this distinction has very special meaning for individuals and families who are struggling with the effects of addiction.

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In terms of recovery, we can all agree that SURVIVAL and DEPENDENCE are very dangerous places to live. The goal is to stop using… period.

Or is there more?

You see, regardless of the addiction… whether to alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, pornography, or anything else…. the point of cessation is merely the starting point on a journey that will last the remainder of our lives. It is the leading edge… the beginning of STABILITY.

SUCCESS, however, is another matter completely. It is the long-term sobriety or cleanness that we all seek… and represents COMPLETE RECOVERY from our illness.

Now, I’ve got good news and bad news. The BAD NEWS is that such a successful recovery can only be measured at the finish line… the end of our walk here on earth.

The GOOD NEWS is that, thankfully, we don’t need to wait that long to begin living a life of SIGNIFICANCE.

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Just as no one would light a candle only to hide it under a bushel… as recovering addicts, we don’t bury the answer to addiction. Not only do we take our own recovery seriously… but also the recovery of others.

We know the pain… the trauma and destruction caused to our reputations and our relationships, our health, our finances, and our futures. And if we are to recover… REALLY RECOVER… then we must reach out to our fellowman and woman… with a message of encouragement based on our experience, strength, and hope.

Am I saying we OWE IT to others to reach out?

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. The blessing that is hidden within our own addiction and recovery is the ability to provide hope and comfort to someone else… with theirs.

In this way, every recovering addict has the power to serve, to support… to save a life.
And that… is very SIGNIFICANT.

I look forward to speaking with you.

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If you wanted to learn about golf… it may not be a bad idea to listen to Tiger Woods.

Despite the stunning defeat this weekend at the hands of South Korea’s Y.E. Yang, Woods is no less the winner of 70 PGA Tour events to date, and has been awarded the title of Player of the Year a record nine times!

Certainly, he knows a little about the subject.

If, on the other hand, the subject was theology… you may want to consult your pastor, priest, or rabbi for answers that will likely guide you in the right direction.

You get the idea.

Caring for your first newborn baby? Planning a wedding celebration, or organizing a cross-country move? Well, if you’re fortunate, you may be able to get advice from Mom or Dad… from a friend or neighbor… or even a book or website.

We tend to trust those with experience… who have gone before… who can help navigate the landscape of life.

But what if the subject is addiction?

Well, let me quote the world renown philosopher and Rolling Stones legend, Keith Richards… who stated that, “Addiction is something… that I should know something about.”

No doubt.

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But here’s the truth. It turns out that addiction is something that EVERYONE should know something about!

To be sure, there are very few people who will go through the years without the devastating effects and consequences of addiction permeating some aspect of their lives, and tearing one or more of their relationships to shreds.

Yes… you and your mom have more in common with the Rolling Stones than you ever imagined. But there’s good news. The more we see that we are not alone… the more we understand that hope and recovery are available for all.

Years ago, the idea of addiction was so upsetting to society at large… that it drove addicts of all kinds underground.

Anonymous.

The label of “alcoholic” or “substance abuser” was a death sentence to one’s career AND to their standing in the community. They were, after all, the lowest of the low… untrustworthy… rebellious… criminal.

And then something funny happened on the way to the public flogging.

In neighborhood after neighborhood and town after town… in cathedrals and churches and synagogues… from government office buildings on busy street corners to hay mounds and farm fields and every place in between… this once dirty little secret was becoming mainstream.

America… by the numbers… is a nation of addicts.

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Aww… c’mon Shelly! Not that again…!

Now, before you go to far, let me remind you… I said, “by the numbers.” It’s no longer open for debate. A few statistics, please…

By age twenty-five, over 50% of Americans are involved in illegal drug use… over 50%!

Now, go ahead and add those who are physically, mentally and emotionally dependent on their PRESCRIPTION meds, and let me know what you come up with.

We’re not through yet, though.

Because first, we must also add the 10-20 MILLION alcoholics, and the 35 MILLION smokers who try, BUT FAIL, to quit smoking every year. That’s not ALL the drinkers and ALL the smokers, mind you… just those who have proven their addiction.

Price tag so far… over 500 BILLION dollars. It’s likely that you know someone in this group.

However, just in case you don’t… addiction is an equal opportunity destroyer, giving Americans plenty of other opportunities.

60% of adults surveyed report issues with gambling, 70% of men from 18-34 admit to being involved with pornography in any given month, and 2 out of every 3 Americans over the age of 18 is now overweight or obese… sure signs of addiction to sugar, flour and wheat.

Maybe you’ve met one. And the effects of addiction will kill your relationship… and your loved one.

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Yes, we should all know a little something about addiction… about the symptoms and the consequences, the causes and solutions.

I invite you to download two talks that were recently recorded… you may have them for FREE. Take them… share them… copy them… and give them away.

Yes, steal the ideas… arm yourself with knowledge… and know that in a nation of addicts… we need not be anonymous any more.

I look forward to speaking with you.

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