Last Sunday we received the following letter we thought you might appreciate:

Awhile ago … “I called and asked Ed why I would go 6 or 12 days without cravings and he said I was decompressing. Which is true. And as soon as I went on a very healthy high protein and no sugar (except for natural not so sweet fruits) diet the cravings ended. Alcohol was my way of getting sugar because I didn’t crave any other sweet things. Before, as soon as I quit drinking the cravings were uncomfortable and abstinence not sustained. I had quit drinking for 10 years once.
The diet got rid of the cravings. I’m going on a month now with no alcohol and hardly any sweets and no craving, no withdrawals. Sugar addiction is rampant in my family. I had an emotional upset last week end and wanted a drink very badly for about 2 hours then I drank a protein shake and it went away pronto. That is the only time I craved it. And I am not going to say “I am not ever drinking again” because that is not the problem. The emotion and the sugar is.

And… AND…. emotional  baggage is DEFINITELY a cause as well. I and my friends are constantly improving our outlook on life. Ashland is a very Green and Healthy place and Conscious. So I am lucky. Drinking problem or not, someday I hope to be able to come down and do your program just for the soulful health of it all.”

To which we replied,

“We do spend a lot of time with clients, especially women, focusing on the dietary sources of cravings and sugar. Alcohol is, after all, merely predigested sugar and those who don’t pay attention to their blood sugar levels often find themselves medicating a diet problem and thinking they have an alcohol problem.

Interesting, too, that for the past 60 years wineries have focused on developing chardonnays specifically targeted towards hooking women and have been so successful that fully 80% of our women clients have fallen into the trap.

As we frequently note, we don’t spend as lot of time talking about alcohol because alcohol is the symptom – not the problem. Whether it’s diet, peri-menopause, menopause, loneliness, boredom, anxiety and or whatever else, correcting the problem requires an individual and multi-faceted solution.
So! Thank you for writing and adding your experience to our store of research. We appreciate it. So do clients, past, present, and future.”

Now if you want to know what combination of diet, exercise, CBT, assertiveness training, medication support, motivational coaching, and/or other components will work for you – well, that all starts with just a call.

Last week our client from Texas said, “I was shocked, but reassured, when I called and you answered, Ed.”

We hear that a lot.

Even though it says it there on our webpage, and in every Newsletter, callers are still surprised when they call and we actually do answer the phone ourselves.

Other surprises?

We don’t call you back unless you specifically ask us to.

We don’t pressure you to sign up today, or any other day.

We don’t pretend we are the right place for everyone – we aren’t.

What do we do when you call?

We ask about how you see your problem and what you want to do about it – after all, you know yourself far better than anyone else and we’re trusting you to know what’s best for you.

We discuss logistics: available dates, decent hotels, why it’s better to fly into Long Beach rather than LAX.

We review confidentiality considerations including using insurance.

We ask if you’d like to give us an e-mail address so we can send you an expanded program description, la ink to the medical doctor we work with and another to a recent client’s evaluation of her work with us.

We answer any questions you have.

We ask if you’d like to speak to whichever one of us you haven’t spoken to – after all, you’ll be working with us and you should be comfortable with both of us.

We do attempt to reduce your anxiety levels in what is admittedly an extremely anxious decision making process.

Finally, we want you to be comfortable with whatever decision you come to.

And that’s it! No hard sell. No dire threats or warnings. No intimidation. No marketing hype, lies, or mythology. No bait-and-switch.

So! Give us a call and see how we are on the phone, which is what we’re like in person, too, and let’s think about getting back your life.

Links to Success:

Smart Women and Alcohol Abuse

“How Can You Possibly Cure My Years of Alcohol Abuse in Just 5 Days?”

The Real “Steps” to Overcoming Alcohol Abuse

Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Sent My Brother Off To Rehab;